Vineyard Haven Named Among Top "Small Town Art Places" in U.S.

Word is getting out that there's a lot more to Vineyard Haven than the Steamship Authority and the Black Dog.

The community was named this week to a list of 12 "America's Top Small Town ArtPlaces 2013."

According to the ArtPlaceAmerica.org website, 

"The twelve communities had the highest concentrations of arts non-profits, core arts-oriented businesses, and workers in creative occupations among smaller towns in the United States, according to data analyzed by Impresa, Inc., a Portland-based firm specializing in the study of regional economies."

The other 11 communities named to the list of top small towns for art and artists, alphabetically by state, are:

• Eureka Springs, AR
• Crested Butte, CO
• Ketchum, ID
• Boothbay Harbor, ME
• Lanesboro, MN
• Highlands, NC
• Taos, NM
• Marfa, TX
• Stowe, VT
• Eastsound, WA
• Saratoga, WY

The awards were announced by ArtPlace, which describes itself as "a collaboration of leading national and regional foundations, banks, and federal agencies committed to accelerating creative placemaking—putting the arts at the heart of a portfolio of strategies designed to revitalize communities."

The site describes Vineyard Haven as

"a coastal community of about 2,000 permanent residents located in the town of Tisbury, on Martha’s Vineyard. The town is centered around the picturesque harbor, once one of New England’s busiest ports. The community participates in an annual Cape Cod arts festival, Fall for the Arts, through the month of October. The Vineyard Playhouse is home to a year-round professional theater company. A local collaborative promotes the high concentration of artists and cultural offerings including art galleries, theaters, boutiques, and restaurants."

It doesn't mention the fact that the arts are pervasive even at the government level: Tristan Israel, who chairs the Tisbury board of selectmen, is a singer-songwriter, recording artist and performer.

The selectmen themselves meet in a theater, when it's not being used for performances.

Vineyard Haven is also the home of a gallery devoted to Martha's Vineyard artists and artisans: The Night Heron Gallery at 58 Main Street opens for the 2013 season at 10 a.m. today, with a kickoff party from 5 to 7 p.m. that ought to be extra-festive after this national nod.

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