With the pandemic halting international and basically any plane travel, many Americans have turned to traveling domestically within the United States. This goes to show that there is quite a bit to explore without leaving America’s borders. Besides the beautiful natural landscapes and parks, American cities are the prime destinations for all sorts of touristy activities. One of those activities is the art scene. Many American cities are known for being the epicenters of their respective art traditions. For some, their contributions to the creative world are their flagship feature. This article will detail five American cities and the art movements that they are most famous for. Let us know in the comments if the traditions cities are associated with in this article sound familiar when you hear about each respective city, or if these pairings came as a surprise to you!
New Orleans, Louisiana — Jazz
New Orleans in the southern state of Louisiana is often considered the birthplace of jazz. This tradition goes as far back as the 19th century, but jazz wasn’t used as a term until the early 20th century. According to the Smithsonian Natural Museum of American History, New Orleans was the perfect breeding ground for jazz because “the city's population was more diverse than anywhere else in the South, and people of African, French, Caribbean, Italian, German, Mexican, and American Indian, as well as English, descent interacted with one another. African-American musical traditions mixed with others and gradually jazz emerged from a blend of ragtime, marches, blues, and other kinds of music.”
Jazz is best known for its upbeat tunes perfect for dancing. Jazz clubs all around New Orleans celebrate the tradition and keep it alive and well. There are several streets in the city, like Bourbon Street, that are spotted with these clubs. There are many world famous musicians that came out of New Orleans that started out playing jazz at these clubs, including Louis Armstrong, Duke Ellington, and Miles Davis. A lot of people travel to New Orleans just for a music vacation, so if jazz is your thing, consider stopping in Louisiana.
Los Angeles, California — Film
Los Angeles is known worldwide as the epicenter of movie production and stardom. Some of the most famous actors and actresses have come out of Hollywood, along with movies that have become staples in homes around the world.
Hollywood began having an influential impact on the film industry in the early 20th century. Filmmakers began moving there and establishing studios because of the reliable sunlight and surrounding scenery. By the 1950s, Hollywood was a world famous megaproducer of movies, with actors like Marylin Monroe, Gregory Peck, and Elizabeth Taylor recognizable by nearly every American.
Photos: Harper's BAZAAR
Even though the “Golden Age” of Hollywood was around 1913-1969, Hollywood remains one of the world’s biggest producers of movies today. Aspiring actors from all over the world come out to Los Angeles to try to “make it” in the industry there. Even if you have no interest in acting, coming to Los Angeles to explore the legacy of filmmaking can prove to be a fulfilling experience. Even though it might be quite difficult to make it inside a film studio, you can explore the star-studded Hollywood Walk of Fame, various museums dedicated to the topic, or even possibly encounter a movie star in some of LA’s upscale areas. Either way, Los Angeles makes for a great visit for anyone interested in anything film related.
Nashville, Tennessee — Country Music
Coming back to the south, we’re headed to Nashville, known for its country music scene. Country music is a somewhat difficult genre to define as it ranges from more classic tunes like bluegrass to modern pop songs. Despite this variety, country singers can reliably be identified by their attire, which usually includes cowboy boots, cowboy hats, and western style shirts.
Nashville has so much to do in terms of music that it’s nicknamed the “Music City”. It has another nickname specifically highlighting its connection to country music: “Country Music Capital”. When visiting Nashville, in addition to finding live venues to listen to the genre, you can also learn a bit of history at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. The CMA Music Festival draws country music fans from all over the United States and the world. You can find some of the most famous country music singers there, depending on the year, like Taylor Swift and Luke Bryan (both originally from Nashville).
New York City, New York — Fashion
Every year, semi-annually in February and September, the fashion world has their eyes on New York for New York Fashion Week. The world’s best designers, models, and celebrities attend this exclusive event to set the trends for the rest of the year.
But New York’s fashion life doesn’t stop when fashion week ends; New York is known as one of the most fashionable cities. Walking through the streets of the city gives the impression that it’s easily one of the most well dressed places in the U.S. Scroll through Instagram and you’ll find many influencers either based in or visiting New York flexing their fashion muscles. New York is known for setting the fashion trends and street wear styles that the rest of the country follows.
Photos: Harper's BAZAAR
New York is one of the world’s fashion capitals. Part of that comes from the history of garment manufacturers and department stores in the city, and now, famous designers and social media stars. New York also has several prestigious fashion schools. Whether you can get into New York Fashion Week or simply like to be in a well-dressed crowd, New York is the city to visit for you.
Miami, Florida — Art Deco Architecture
Walk around Miami’s South Beach neighborhood and you’ll be surrounded by beautiful architecture that looks like it’s straight out of the 1930s. The Art Deco Historic District is spotted with buildings marked by soft pastel colors and creative building design. Those buildings were built between 1923 and 1943, and the neighborhood now makes up the greatest concentration of art deco buildings in the country. If you’d like to see these buildings for yourself up close and personal, you can do so by simply taking a walk across town. However, because so many of the most famous buildings in the neighborhood happen to be hotels, you can even stay there and explore from the inside.
Even if art deco isn’t necessarily your favorite genre of art, Miami features many museums that are sure to fit any taste. Check out the Institute of Contemporary Art, Lowe Art Museum, or Pérez Art Museum.
Vocabulary list:
Halting (v.) — to stop something, or to bring something to a stop.
Flagship (n.) — the best or most important product, idea, building, etc. that an organization owns or produces.
Breeding ground (phrase) — a place or situation that favors the development or occurrence of something.
Stardom (n.) — the quality of being famous, especially for being a singer, actor, etc.
Staples (n.) — something having widespread and constant use or appeal.
Aspiring (adj.) — desiring and working to achieve a particular goal.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Maya Sobchuk is a third-year at Macalester College in Minnesota studying international law and international relations theory. She is from Kyiv, but grew up in Los Angeles, California. She has previously worked for the Kyiv Post, is the Web Editor for her college newspaper, and is involved with Ukrainian-American causes in Minnesota. Maya is particularly interested in the post-colonial space, multilateral diplomacy, and disinformation.