Established Art Cities Outside of the US – to live, to study, to build a career

Given the opportunity many artists and creative professionals love the chance to live, work and boost their career by operating within other art capitals around the world. Whether this is through an artist residency, a one-year job contract, to study, or as the more recent phenomena – a freelancing digital nomad – there are some cities that really stand out.

Outside of the US there are many popular and well-established destinations. Cities with a bustling art scene, cultural activities in abundance and more importantly: the jobs, clients, collectors, galleries, institutes and the professional network to get immersed in.

In this post I have listed three of the cities that I know well and recommend as safe-bets to build upon an art career.

#1 London

I know a lot of artists that have studied in London – either for BAs, Master’s degrees or PhDs. There is a wealth of universities with strong reputations in the creative industries from: the Slade, Royal College of Art, Goldsmiths, the Royal Academy, University of the Arts London (St Martins, Chelsea, London College of Fashion etc), to name some that feature in the world’s top rankings.  Galleries and museums are in abundance. From large scale galleries, museums and cultural centers such as: Tate Modern, Tate Britain, National Portrait Gallery, Saatchi Gallery, Barbican, and Hayward Gallery, to smaller sized venues like the Whitechapel Gallery, ICA, Serpentine, The Photographers Gallery, Camden Art Centre, White Cube and Hauser & Wirth. Beyond the established well-known galleries there are hundreds of other independent spaces that are located around areas such as the South Bank, Shoreditch, Camden, Soho, Hackney, Peckham, and everywhere else in between. Due to the number of established creative venues and events in the capital, people flock to London for the art jobs – but the competition is stiff. Throughout the year there is a constant roster of events to network at including the art fairs with many wealthy international collectors passing through (Frieze, Affordable Art Fair, British Art Fair, The Other Art Fair).

Arts Council England has the most popular art jobs board and residencies can be found on sites such as ArtConnect and Art Quest.

#2 Paris

The art scene in Paris is historic, contemporary and iconic. It’s also a beautiful city to walk around and take in the unique culture. The epicenter of the rich artistic legacy is represented in the Louvre and continued through the Musée d'Orsay, Musée Rodin, Grand Palais and Musée Picasso Paris. Contemporary art is displayed in the Centre Pompidou, Palais de Tokyo, Museo de Arte Moderno de París, Gagosian, 59 Rivoli, Perrotin, Marian Goodman, Fundación Cartier, Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, Galerie Arts Factory, Opera Gallery and many more.  

As with London, Paris has world class art fairs such as: Art Paris, art3F, AKAA and Art Basel Paris, that attract an international swarm of art industry experts.

Art opportunities in Paris are often listed on transartists, artenda, and Art Connect. 

But places like Cité internationale des arts, ​L’AiR Arts, and Pépinières Européennes de Création, often post open calls for residencies. Opportunities in Paris are competitive but the scene is thriving with open calls.

Districts like Montmartre, Montparnasse, and Belleville have long attracted artists but now there is a shift to the suburbs. Having a studio in a central location is expensive, but there are a number of initiatives that are attracting artists to the outer reaches of the city. Since 2020, a program called POUSH provides 250 heavily subsidized studio spaces to emerging artists in abandoned buildings in Aubervilliers. There are other similar initiatives offering affordable studios and exhibition spaces. 

To make it in Paris in the long term – especially for work – it’s essential to have a competent level of French (B2+). 

#3 Melbourne

Melbourne is considered one of the most livable cities in the world according to the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Global Liveability Index. It scores very highly in education, healthcare, and stability, however, what gives it the edge on other Australian cities is in the culture and environment categories. There is no doubt that Melbourne is Australia’s cultural capital.

Blockbuster exhibitions can be found in the larger art venues such as NCV International (with the world’s largest stain glass ceiling), the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA), Gertrude Contemporary, Heide Museum of Modern Art, Centre for Contemporary Photography (CCP), Footscray Community Arts Centre, MARS Gallery, Buxton Contemporary and Monash Gallery of Art. Melbourne has for a long time been full of artist-run galleries.

The School of Art at RMIT is the top ranked in Australia and 18th in the world for Art and Design according to QS Rankings 2024, which makes it a go-to for prospective international students. Art opportunities can be found listed on sites such as Arts Hub.  

Unlike the art capitals of Europe, the Americas, Asia and Africa – Australia feels cut off from the rest of the world. This can be its charm. As it tends to be a long haul to get there, going for as long as the visa will stretch allows a chance to thrive on the scene. 

Which city would you recommend?