A first-ever report by the National Center for Arts Research (NCAR) at Southern Methodist University has ranked the cultural vibrancy of cities across the country - and Traverse City came in at #20 on the list of Top 20 Arts Vibrant Small and Medium Cities.

Along with Des Moines, Traverse City is one of only two Midwest cities on the list, which measures local nonprofit art dollars, state and federal arts funding, and artist "supply" - including independent artists, arts organizations and arts and culture employees - on a per-capita basis in cities with a population under 1,000,000.

"Traverse City, MI, is home to Interlochen Center for the Arts, Sweet Adelines International, the Traverse Symphony Orchestra and Northwest Michigan Ballet Theatre, among others," states the report. "Each year, thousands of artists and arts patrons come to Interlochen to experience world-class educational and cultural opportunities, which leads to Traverse City ranking in the top 10 for program revenue, total expenses, and total compensation per capita."

Other cities that made the list included Santa Fe, Bozeman, Breckenridge and Santa Barbara.