Kansas City ranks 19th in country for being an arts ‘hotbed’ in SMU report

Time to add another feather in Kansas City’s arts cap.

A report just released by Southern Methodist University’s National Center for Arts Research ranks Kansas City as the country’s 19th most vibrant arts city with a population of 1 million or more. It’s the first time Kansas City has appeared on NCAR’s Arts Vibrancy Index, which ranked more than 900 communities that are “hotbeds of America’s arts and culture.” This is NCAR’s second annual report.

The index compares communities in three areas: arts providers (venues to artists), arts dollars (revenue to donations) and government support. The first two categories are given more weight than the third.

Though Kansas City did not rank particularly high in providers (167th), it did rank 40th in government support and 28th in dollars. It was the latter number that boosted the city’s rank.

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“There has been a resurgence in the arts scene over the last decade, despite challenging economic circumstances, with over $1.5 billion invested in new arts and cultural venues in the 21st century,” the report notes. “The arts in Kansas City are known for being on the leading edge, regularly receiving international acclaim for their artists and arts venues. Kansas City is home to over 165 nonprofit arts and cultural organizations of various sizes, as well as 61 local stages. The demand for these venues is reflected in Kansas City’s #28 overall ranking for Arts Dollars, with each Arts Dollar measure falling in the top 5 percent of cities.”

According to a heat map accompanying the survey, the core counties in Kansas City’s metro area consistently rank in the 80th percentile or above in terms of dollars, providers and grant activity.

The survey reports that more than “6,000 independent artists and arts groups can be found throughout the community” and mentions the breadth of the city’s arts scene in having the Kansas City Symphony, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art and Kansas City Repertory Theatre. In addition, the city attracts “young artistic entrepreneurs” through organizations like the Kansas City Art Institute and Artist INC and has support from the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation, the Kauffman Foundation and corporations to “help artists and arts organizations continue to thrive.”

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Other Midwest cities that made the 2016 list include Minneapolis (seventh), Chicago (12th) and St. Louis (13th). The top three cities kept their spots from 2015: Washington, D.C. (first), Nashville, Tenn. (second), New York (third).

This story was originally published March 29, 2016 at 12:26 PM with the headline "Kansas City ranks 19th in country for being an arts ‘hotbed’ in SMU report."