St. Cloud Named One of the Top Arts Communities in America

The SMU National Center for Arts Research has included St. Cloud in their list of the Top-20 Vibrant Communities for the Arts. Ranked 16th, St. Cloud was included in the rankings of cities with a population under one million. Minneapolis was #7 on the large city list.

In part, the report had this to say about St. Cloud:

St. Cloud, MN, is a unique arts community that is ell known for its music scene, ranking in the top 5% at #38 for music-related businesses. While there are only a couple of large organizations in the community, there are many small- and mid-sized organizations that contribute to the local arts scene. The majority highlight music, but have a broad range of genres from chorale and chamber music to musical theatre and tribute bands. The historic Paramount Theatre & Visual Arts Center hosts visual and performance art events for multiple organizations throughout the year, and the Wirth Center for the Performing Arts enriches the area’s cultural environment with exceptional performing arts education and performances. St. John’s University and the College of St. Benedict attract visual artists of all mediums to the area.