10 Underrated Cities for Art Lovers

Discover creative, offbeat and inspiring art scenes across the country.

Featured on travel.usnews.com

If you consider yourself an art aficionado, you've probably made the pilgrimage to iconic cities such as New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles. But if you're looking for an under-the-radar art mecca where you can pop into tucked-away museums and galleries and discover a mix of classic and modern displays, these little-known cultural epicenters feature plenty of celebrated collections. To explore a lesser-visited locale, head to these diverse and up-and-coming arts cities.

San Juan, Puerto Rico

When you picture Puerto Rico, beautiful beaches likely come to mind. But thanks to the city's rich Taíno, Caribbean, and North American heritage, you'll also find a thriving arts scene. Take the Puerto Rico Museum of Art, which houses a collection of Puerto Rican art dating back to the 17th century, or the Puerto Rico Museum of Contemporary Art, which features modern art, including paintings, sculptures and mixed media. In Old San Juan, you'll also find the National Gallery, which houses the largest collection of José Campeche paintings and artworks by Francisco Oller and his disciples.

Santa Fe, New Mexico

Santa Fe may feel like a small town, but with more than 250 galleries, the city offers the third-largest art market in the country. Take a walk down Canyon Road and you'll find some 100 galleries featuring contemporary paintings, traditional Native American weavings, ceramics, jewelry and more. The mile-long street also has bragging rights for having the highest concentration of art galleries in the nation. You'll find the Museum of Indian Arts and Culture, the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum and more.

Cincinnati

In Cincinnati, you'll find plenty of art galleries along with 102 murals that relay the history and culture of the city. Plus, the Cincinnati Art Museum showcases a robust collect, covering more than 65,000 works encompassing 6,000 years. And for modern art enthusiasts, the Contemporary Arts Center is the place to go. Peruse the art of well-known artists like Ugo Rondinone and Glenn Brown. Afterward, step into the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center and be prepared for a stirring and eye-opening exhibit on slavery and civil rights that you won't soon forget.

Detroit

You may associate Detroit with the automobile industry, but Motor City is no stranger to art. Over the last couple of years there's been an art boom of sorts. The Z Garage in downtown Detroit features murals from 27 artists across the country and the Dlectricity, a nighttime festival of art featuring local, national and international artists draws 75,000 people to Detroit for the two-day event. And last year, Detroit's Eastern Market held the first Murals in the Market event, which brought 40 new artists to paint murals in the neighborhood.

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