Not every masterpiece winds up in a museum in New York City or Paris. Seeing great art doesn’t have to mean bright lights, big cities and an even bigger budget. Smaller cities are able to cultivate a creative vibe in thriving art communities that are producing and sharing gorgeous art in its many forms, some of it in smaller museums and galleries, but much of it in public spaces just waiting for you to discover them.
Gifted and inventive artists thrive in these small cities, taking inspiration from the unique people and gorgeous scenery around them. Spend a few days discovering all the artistic gems to be found off the beaten path in places you never thought of as art destinations before. Also see: Six towns worth visiting for their historic downtownsMuskegon, Michigan Often thought of as a vacation community on the shores of Lake Michigan about 40 miles northwest of Grand Rapids, Muskegon is home to one of the best and most underrated art museums in the Midwest. It is more than 100 years old and home to more than 5,000 pieces of art from artists like Grant Wood, Thomas Hart Benton and John Steuart Curry. In the midst of a nearly $10 million expansion, the permanent exhibition space will more than double by 2023.
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