Since its inception in 1970 in Basel, Switzerland, Art Basel has become a mainstay of the global art circuit, with the American edition of the fair expected to draw crowds of visitors to Miami Beach in December 2023.
An unfortunate side effect of the world-class event drawing in mobs of revelers is the world-class price tags for hotel stays. Philip Ballard, travel expert, Chief Communications Officer & Head of Investor Relations at HotelPlanner explains, “As Art Basel has grown in popularity and influence in recent years, attendance at ticketed events has skyrocketed, as well as hotel rates and occupancy levels.”
Elena Nuñez Cooper, known among her clients as “the Ultra High Net-Worth Whisperer,” is an art and vintage car collector. She owns Chicago and Miami-based Ascend PR, serving family offices, private equity firms, and investors. Cooper expects an exceptionally high turnout in Miami this year. “Now with all pandemic-era restrictions lifted, Art Basel this year is expected to be extremely over-the-top,” she explains. Cooper also cites “insane traffic, ‘Art Basel’ restaurant pricing, and a crowd more focused on celebrity watching and content creation than the artists themselves” as reasons to skip the renowned art fair this season.
However, art lovers in the United States seeking something less mainstream and overcrowded have many alternatives. Several cities are hosting stunning art installations without the eye-watering price tags.
San Francisco, California
San Francisco may not be everyone’s idea of an affordable vacation, but the city offers surprising value when considering the concentration of museums and exhibitions.
There are several permanent exhibitions at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the De Young Museum, and the Institute of Contemporary Art, as well as temporary installations, shows, and fairs, including the upcoming San Francisco Art Fair in April 2024 at the Fort Mason Festival Pavilion.
There’s no better place to stay for art aficionados traveling to San Francisco to indulge in the art scene than the Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco, located at the heart of the Yerba Buena Arts District and close to Frisco’s galleries.
As Stéphane Gras, General Manager at the Four Seasons San Francisco, explains, “Four Seasons San Francisco is the perfect abode for art lovers, and we are very proud of the hotel’s unique collection of 80 pieces of original artwork crafted by local artists, that are featured prominently throughout our public spaces. Additionally, any art aficionado will revel in our proximity to renowned museums such as the SF MOMA, Jewish Contemporary Museum, Yerba Buena Center for Arts, and the Museum of African Diaspora.”
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is home to more than just the record for the country’s fastest-growing city of 2022. It also has a buzzing cultural scene, with the Kimbell Art Museum, which boasts a world-class collection of old-world masters, and the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, with its collection of brutalist pieces.
Between these galleries and the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, with its collection of home-grown artists, the Cultural District also boasts a growing assortment of luxury eateries and hotels, including the recent additions of Bowie House and Crescent Hotel.
Memphis, Tennessee
Despite Memphis’s place in the history of rock ‘n’ roll, the city’s beating cultural heart, Overton Square, has become an artistic and entertainment destination in its own right.
With several theaters, one of which was historically used by none other than Elvis Presley, museums, vintage shops, and galleries, the local flavors of Tennessee are available for travelers to enjoy.
When considering options for a stay in Memphis, the Bohemian style and glamor of The Memphian, a new boutique hotel, is at the center of the action and brings a little soul to the home of the blues.
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Despite Michigan’s history as the center of the U.S. auto industry, Grand Rapids is a cultural destination in its own right. The city boasts a wealth of permanent exhibits at the Frederik Meier Gardens and Sculpture Park and the Grand Rapids Art Museum, which includes pieces from masters such as Picasso and Warhol. There are also regular events at both venues.
In particular, Grand Rapids hosts a yearly art competition, ArtPrize, the world’s largest free and public art show. For a sense of scale, ArtPrize 2023 hosted about 800 artists from the U.S. and abroad.
Grand Rapids also features the African American Art and Music Festival, a multicultural celebration of the African-American community that includes local artists and music.
St. Petersburg, Florida
Located on Florida’s Gulf Coast near Tampa, St. Petersburg, and nearby Clearwater, outperforms cultural proclivities per capita, with no fewer than seven museums. This includes the Salvador Dali Museum, home to the mind-bending art of the acclaimed Catalonian artist, the Museum of Fine Arts, and the fine vitreous artwork at the Imagine Museum. Also noteworthy is the Fairgrounds St. Pete, an immersive art and technology display.
Visitors can rest their heads at the recently renovated Marriott collection Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort and Golf Club, with its acclaimed spa and 1920s Mediterranean-revival architecture.
Alexandria, Virginia
Essentially an out-of-district suburb of Washington, D.C., Alexandria is renowned as a creative beacon nationwide. Deserving special mention is the Torpedo Factory Art Center, a World War II-era factory on the Potomac River that has taken on new life as home to six visual arts galleries, including the Art League School.
For an authentic stay in Old Town Alexandria, the new luxury Hotel AKA Alexandria, combines minimalist and modern touches in a way only renowned Italian studio Lissoni can manage.
Waterville, Maine
Despite its modest population, Waterville puts Maine’s best foot forward in arts and culture, particularly following a multi-million dollar effort to turn the town into a cultural hub. The Waterville Opera House, Redington Museum and Colby College Museum of Art, and the Paul J. Schupf Art Center, the Main Street hub of galleries, studios, and performance spaces, make up the permanent installations.
Waterville also features events year-round, with the Maine International Film Festival in July and the Taste of Greater Waterville food festival in August.
The recent investment has brought new hospitality establishments to the town, including the boutique Lockwood Hotel.
Williamstown, Massachusetts
Located close to the New York-Massachusetts-Vermont tri-state border, Williamstown’s population may be small, but its cultural scene is anything but.
The Williamstown Cultural District is home to several world-class installations, including the Sterling and Francine Clark Art Institute and the Williams College Museum of Art.
In addition, the crown jewel of Berkshire County’s art scene is the annual Williamstown Theatre Festival. While the festival runs over eight weeks of the summer, it offers training and development and operates a theater program throughout the rest of the year.
Williamstown also offers a few options for accommodation, including Ingalls Crossing Farm Bed and Breakfast, The House on Main Street B&B, and the Williams Inn, with its charming architecture and well-appointed rooms.
Asheville, North Carolina
Nestled in the Blue Ridge section of the Appalachian Mountains, Asheville enjoys a mix of nature and culture, and it does both in abundance, with artisans, galleries, and performing arts spaces aplenty.
The poster child of Asheville’s arts scene is the River Arts District, a former textile mill district on the French Broad River. It features over 270 working artists, restaurants, and murals to keep visitors entertained.
The Asheville Art Museum also has an enviable collection of American art following its massive 2019 renovation, alongside the numerous museums to pique even the most avant-garde interests.
In keeping with the River Arts District’s “repurposed” approach to renovating and utilizing historic buildings, The Foundry Hotel offers visitors a unique boutique hotel residing inside an exquisite remodel of Asheville’s former steel foundry.
This article was produced by Media Decision and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.
LAST UPDATED ON:
08/28/2023
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Sarah is a syndicated freelance writer and editor of Dukes Avenue. She founded Dukes Avenue in 2018 as a creative outlet while working at a London hedge fund. What initially started as a small blog has become a widely read luxury lifestyle online publication targeted at the modern woman, with content curated to inspire readers to live their best and most fulfilled lives. Sarah has lived in London, Malta, and, most recently, the United Arab Emirates and uses her travels and experiences to inspire much of the content.
