Los Angeles–Long Beach–Glendale, CA Celebrates 10 Years as a Top-Ranked Arts-Vibrant Community in the U.S.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 12, 2026

Library, Arts & Culture Media: Maryl Fleisher
Email: [email protected]
Phone:(818) 937-7806

City Media Contact: Communications and Community Relations
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (818) 548-3342

Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA Celebrates 10 Years as a Top-Ranked Arts-Vibrant Community in the U.S.

The 10th Annual Arts Vibrancy Index from SMU DataArts Compiles List of 100 Most Vibrant Arts Communities Across the U.S., Based on Measures of Per Capita Supply, Demand and Government Support for the Arts

GLENDALE, CA -- SMU DataArts, the National Center for Arts Research, has released its 10th annual ranking of the most arts-vibrant communities in the United States, which identifies Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale as number 12 in the list of 100 core-based statistical areas for 2025. The ranking is based on SMU DataArts' Arts Vibrancy Index (AVI), which is developed through a data-driven approach that analyzes the levels of supply, demand, and government support for the arts using data from more than 900 communities across the country. The City of Glendale, along with its neighbors Los Angeles and Long Beach, has consistently appeared on the Arts Vibrancy Index since the rankings launched in 2015, thanks to the programming efforts of the Glendale Library, Arts and Culture department.

"We are deeply honored to see Glendale recognized as part of the nation's most arts-vibrant communities," said Director of Glendale Library, Arts & Culture Lessa Pelayo-Lozada. "To receive this acknowledgment consistently over the past ten years is a testament to our team's dedication and the support of our community in championing the arts. Through innovative programming and partnerships, we continue to celebrate creativity and culture, enriching lives and fostering connection across Glendale and beyond."

GLAC, founded in 1907, includes eight neighborhood libraries, notably the Brand Library & Art Center, a regional arts and music hub housed in a historic mansion, and the Central Library, a 93,000-square-foot community center. It also features the ReflectSpace Gallery, amongst others, an exhibition space at Central Library dedicated to exploring genocides and human rights issues as part of the International Coalition of Sites of Conscience. Over the past year, Glendale Library, Arts & Culture has demonstrated its commitment to creativity and cultural dialogue through a series of groundbreaking arts programs that underscore its designation as part of one of the most arts-vibrant communities in the United States. The ReflectSpace Gallery hosted the impactful exhibition Peace is Radical by renowned street artist and activist Shepard Fairey, featuring works that address themes of democracy, equality, environmental justice, and peace where Fairey's use of screen printing as a medium highlights the transformative power of accessible art. In collaboration with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), Glendale Library, Arts & Culture also presented Blended Worlds: Experiments In Interplanetary Imagination at the Brand Library & Art Center, exploring the intersection of art, science and the world's connection to the cosmos, part of Getty's PST ART: Art & Science Collide regional art initiative. These exhibitions reflect Glendale's unique approach to arts programming and its dedication to promoting a culturally enriched, engaged community. Additional programs included the 53rd Annual National Juried Exhibition of Works on Paper (Brand 53), Between War and Nostalgia: A Ukrainian Trajectory, PERSEVERANCE: 20 Years of Thinkspace, Jewel City Concert Series 2025, and more.

The Index reflects fluctuations in arts activity, participation, funding, access, and employment that occur in each community and consistently shows that highly arts-vibrant communities are dispersed broadly throughout the U.S., with every region of the country represented in the top rankings. This finding arises naturally from an objective analysis of the data, not from any selection of communities to achieve geographic representation. From Ohio to Colorado, New York to Alaska, arts vibrant communities recognize regional artistic diversity and community success.

To mark the 10th anniversary of AVI, SMU DataArts has expanded the list to 100 communities-up from 40 in previous years. In addition to identifying the top arts-vibrant communities, the research center has analyzed and ranked all 50 states. Findings from the state-level analysis show New York as the reigning #1 titleholder for the third consecutive year. To delve into the details and visualize the community and state index data in depth, visit the data explorer.

"The Arts Vibrancy Index has shone a light on the people, organizations, and investments that make local culture vibrant for the last 10 years," stated Dr. Jennifer Benoit-Bryan, Executive Director of SMU DataArts. "By expanding our list to one hundred geographically diverse communities, we celebrate the top 10 percent of arts-vibrant communities nationwide. Through all the ups and downs of the last decade, communities have continued to celebrate and invest in their local arts, and the index has provided data-backed insights to inform planning, advocacy, and well-deserved recognition. We look forward to building on this history as this resource evolves with the sector going forward."

10 Year Veterans

Seventeen communities have appeared in the Arts Vibrancy Index rankings every single year since 2015, demonstrating sustained commitment to arts and culture through changing economic conditions and evolving cultural landscapes. They are listed in the order of their 2025 rankings.

• Jackson, WY

• San Francisco-San Mateo-Redwood City, CA

• New York-Jersey City-White Plains, NY-NJ

• Santa Fe, NM

• Washington, DC-MD

• Nashville-Davidson-Murfreesboro-Franklin, TN

• Boston, MA

• Pittsfield, MA

• Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale, CA

• New Orleans-Metairie, LA

• Philadelphia, PA

• Minneapolis-St. Paul-Bloomington, MN-WI

• San Rafael, CA

• Seattle-Bellevue-Kent, WA

• Frederick-Gaithersburg-Bethesda, MD

• Chicago-Naperville-Schaumburg, IL

• Cambridge-Newton-Framingham, M

The Arts Vibrancy Index is composed of 13 unique measures which cover aspects of supply, demand, and public support for arts and culture, and are adjusted for cost of living and population differences among communities. Communities are measured using Core Based Statistical Areas (CBSAs), which are metropolitan and micropolitan regions defined by the U.S. Census Bureau that capture the economic and cultural reach of a county or group of counties and their socially-integrated surrounding areas. For more information on how the Arts Vibrancy Index is calculated, metrics, data sources, more detail on specific communities, and the data explorer, please visit CulturalData.org/Insights/Arts-Vibrancy/

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ABOUT LIBRARY, ARTS & CULTURE

Founded in 1907, the Glendale Library, Arts & Culture Department includes eight neighborhood libraries including the Brand Library & Art Center, a regional visual arts and music library and performance venue housed in the historic 1904 mansion of Glendale pioneer Leslie C. Brand, and the Central Library, a 93,000 square foot center for individuals and groups to convene, collaborate and create. The department also serves as the chief liaison to the Glendale Arts and Culture Commission, which works to continually transform Glendale into an ever-evolving arts destination. Glendale Library Arts & Culture is supported in part through the efforts of the Glendale Library Arts & Culture Trust (GLACT) GLACT.org. For more information visit GlendaleLAC.org, or contact Library, Arts & Culture at (818) 548-2021 or via email at [email protected].

@MyGlendaleLAC #MyGlendaleLAC

ABOUT GLENDALE

Known as the "Jewel City," Glendale is the fourth largest city of Los Angeles County. With a population of more than 200,000, Glendale is a thriving cosmopolitan city that is rich in history, culturally diverse, and offers nearly 50 public parks, and easy access to a municipal airport. It is the home to a vibrant business community, with major companies in healthcare, entertainment, manufacturing, retail, and banking.

ABOUT SMU DATAARTS

SMU DataArts, the National Center for Arts Research, is a project of the Meadows School of the Arts at Southern Methodist University. The mission of SMU DataArts is to provide the evidence-based insights needed to collectively build strong, vibrant, and equitable arts communities. Its research efforts range from academic papers published in leading journals, applied research undertaken with community partners, and actionable insights shared directly with arts practitioners. Its programs provide business intelligence tools and resources to help arts leaders leverage data to answer critical management questions and connect research analyses to their own work. For more information, visit CulturalData.org.