Corning, N.Y. — Artists and art lovers continue to love Corning.
Corning has again been named a top arts destination in the annual reader poll of AmericanStyle magazine.
Corning is ranked 11th in the poll for small cities among the top 25 identified as a top destination for collectors and travelers who love art galleries, museums and festivals. Corning has been recognized as a top destination for the past decade, ranked as high as third in 2006.
Corning Mayor Rich Negri displayed a plaque the city received from AmericanStyle at Monday’s City Council meeting.
“The fact that Corning is consistently in the top 25 and often in the top 10 is pretty significant,” said Peggy Coleman, director of the Steuben County Conference and Visitors Bureau.
The poll classified destinations as small, medium and large based on population. Readers selected Asheville, N.C., as their favorite small city, followed by Santa Fe, N.M., Saugatuck, Mich., and Key West, Fla.
“Look at who we’re in competition with,” Coleman said. “Here we are a very small city in rural New York state yet we’re a big arts location. It adds to the credibility that this is a cool spot and we should really check it out.”
Corning’s art community is dominated by its rich history of glass making and the world renowned Corning Museum of Glass which draws tens of thousands of visitors annually.
“I think we are very strong in other disciplines as well,” said Ginnie Lupi, executive director of the ARTS of the Southern Finger Lakes.
Often out-of-towners who visit CMoG eventually discover different aspects of Corning’s art community, Lupi said. Those include the Rockwell Museum of Western Art, the Orchestra of the Finger Lakes, the Corning-Painted Post Civic Music Association, 171 Cedar Arts, theater groups and the smaller art and glass galleries.
“I am still consistently surprised at the density of the arts endevour and the sheer number of artists in our community,” Lupi said. “There’s so much going on here artistically.”
Coleman said the public displays of art - such as “Artimus the Buffalo” and “The Critic” sculptures on downtown buildings – along with the frequency of festivals and events in Centerway Square help sustain the role of art in the city.
The success of the art community also adds greatly to the local economy.
“Art lovers know they can make a positive impact by buying from local galleries and local artists, so their dollars recycle in the community and support homegrown talent,” said Wendy Rosen, publisher of AmericanStyle.
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