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The Richmond region is one of the nation’s “hotbeds of America’s arts and culture,” according to Southern Methodist University’s National Center for Arts Research.

The center’s third annual Arts Vibrancy Index Report placed the region at No. 20 among U.S. metro areas that have 1 million or more people. The other Virginia area in the report, the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria region, took first place.

The report measures the number of arts providers, from independent artists to large arts and cultural organizations and businesses; arts dollars earned and spent; and state and federal government funding.

The authors noted that the Richmond area “offers an extensive variety of arts and cultural activities” and “has a unique way of blending classic and contemporary, Southern heritage with progressive art, established with grass roots, honoring the past but making space for the future.”