From the Author
Whenever I'm in a new place, be it an urban neighborhood like Mexico City's hip Condessa, or in a far more remote spot such as the sculpture haven of Joseph in northeast Oregon, my favorite way to inform myself about the realities and aspirations of that place is by visiting local art galleries, art festivals, and art museums. Artists, I've found (and indeed most everyone involved in the business and presentation of art) have an incredibly insightful way of synthesizing the many levels of dialogue swirling around them in the process of arriving at a negotiated truth that defines their time and place.
Of course if your search for truth is thankfully completed or perhaps its not yet begun then the arts are informative vehicles for prying open the realm of possibilities that could inform one's life process.
Art Towns California takes a look at 27 communities where the arts either have risen to prominence in defining an Art Town's identity, or appear poised to do so in the next few years. It's my hope that travelers elect to visit these intriguing places and connect for themselves with the local arts sector. perhaps they'll decide to do for themselves what so many of the Art Towns California artists have already done: vote with their feet and start a new life in one of these great places.
About the Author
John Villani writes about creative communities and creativity-driven individuals. His work has appeared in
Art in America, Vanity Fair, The Christian Science Monitor, Art News, Urban Land, Southern Living, U.S. News & World Report, Native Peoples, Sunset, Country Home, Southern Accents, and
Southwest Art.
A resident of Santa Fe, New Mexico, he's been a featured speak er at numerous conferences addressing issues in the arts, community development, and downtown revitalization. He's held art sector positions such as visual arts critic for the Arizona Republic newspaper, and Communications Director of the Institute of American Indian Arts, a tribal college and contemporary art museum.
His travels take him across the USA, Canada, Mexico, Hawaii and Alaska in a continuing effort to discover new places to include in future editions of "The 100 Best Art Towns in America" & "Art Towns California" and to also visit with the painters, artistic directors, poets, glass blowers, music directors, sculptors, actors, fine craftspeople, writers, musicians, dancers, jewelers, and ceramists whose commitment to their communities and careers provide the foundation of civic engagement distinguishing Art Towns from their far less interesting neighbors.
When he's not careening through airport terminals John Villani advises arts organizations, downtown redevelopment entities, and tourism boards in evaluating the attributes of places establishing the presence of artists in their civic life.
Through his travels to Art Towns and engagement with the working artists in communities from Maine to Maui, John Villani brings the informed perspectives of a dedicated traveler and experienced journalist to his writing.
Discovering how innovation in the form of arts-focused creativity combines with the resources and expertise of public entities as well as non-profit organizations and progressively-minded commercial entrepreneurs is another of the underlying themes in Art Towns California. These local-tailored, innovative and collaborative efforts have resulted in new ways of thinking about the arts' power to effect far-reaching transformations redefining communities and reshaping their civic fabric as they join the ranks of America's Best Art Towns.
