Artists Work Everywhere

Despite the specter of artists clustered in inner reaches of a few hip, fashionable cities, people do artwork as a major occupation in most U.S. communities. Artists move across state lines more often than workers in other occupations, and because more apt to be self-employed, for reasons other than a job. The author explores why artists migrate, varying by artistic discipline and age cohort. Some metros home grow more artists by offering nurturing infrastructure. Finding considerable complexity in the spatial distribution of artists over time, the author argues that the bohemian stereotype is inaccurate, undermining respect for artwork as an occupation and for artists' roles in creative placemaking.