Bisbee sculptor and public artist Pete Goldlust works in his studio

Arizona boasts a full roster of offbeat arts towns for every appreciator, aficionado and amateur.

We have the Hoover Dam, not the Louvre. People come here for Al Beadle, not Art Basel. Our claim to fame is red rocks, not Rockefellers. It’s no wonder the art scene in Arizona is sometimes overlooked or, worse, diminished to a turquoise-and-kokopelli cliché.

Though we’re better known for our Painted Desert than for our painters, the truth is that Arizona is home to more than its fair share of bustling, distinctive and thriving arts towns. And each of them has something to offer the arts enthusiast at every level of ability, experience and interest. Here’s the A-list.

Bisbee
In this funky little enclave, the arts are a way of life. “Art is more than a business here – it’s a lifestyle,” says Melissa Holden, executive director of Bisbee’s Central School Project. “Everybody here makes something.”

The definition of “art” in Bisbee goes well beyond painting and sculpture. Take, for example, Poe Dismuke and Andrew Nelson: Inspired by the artists’ soapbox derbies in Portland and San Francisco, these two artists launched BRATS (Bisbee Rolling Art Transport Society) and have seen their annual artists soap box derby, now in its third year, gain velocity.

“It’s a chance to be creative and not be threatened in any way,” Dismuke says. The main event for the derby takes place on Fourth of July weekend, but if you missed that, you can catch the Brewery Gulch Daze Run in September.

Appreciator: To soak up some Bisbee culture, check out the art carts rolling through town on September 5 at 11 a.m. To learn how to participate – or to donate money or parts to the cause – visit sampoegallery.com.

Aficionado: From September 17-26, check out Bisbee’s Obscure Productions’ The Most Fabulous Story Ever Told. If you’re a serious arts enthusiast, become a Friend of Central School Project, Bisbee’s cooperatively run, nonprofit community arts center. In addition to being the home theater for Bisbee’s Obscure Productions, the CSP comprises studio space; world-class exhibitions; an international film series; arts outreach and education programs; historic preservation efforts; and KBRP, Bisbee’s community radio station – all under the roof of Bisbee’s historic Central School. As a Friend of Central School, you’re invited to an annual dinner and eligible for discounts and previews of exhibitions. Get more information at centralschoolproject.org.

Amateur: The Bisbee Fiber Arts Guild offers classes and workshops to the public. Recent classes have featured tea towel weaving, cotton dying and basket making. The guild welcomes fiber artists of every stripe, no previous experience necessary. Visit bisbeefiberarts.com for more information.

Christy Fisher displays her handcrafted clothing located in Jerome

Jerome
John Villani, former Arizona Republic visual arts reporter, wrote the book on art towns in the U.S. Literally. In the ’90s, he started discovering that artists were clustering in the unlikeliest of places: towns that had once enjoyed industrial vitality and largesse but had fallen on hard times.

As Villani discovered, these towns were the perfect place for artists, who brought an enterprising attitude, a little entrepreneurial grit and sheer creativity to existing population centers, moving into old buildings and resuscitating these towns economically and spiritually. The product of his reporting is The 100 Best Art Towns in America: A Guide to Galleries, Museums, Festivals, Lodging and Dining, now in its fourth edition.

Jerome, a former mining town, is home to Jerome Artists Cooperative Gallery, which Villani calls “one of the strongest artist-run cooperatives in the West.” Artists here “have taken their destiny into their own hands and elevated the character of surrounding areas,” Villani says. As you walk the winding streets and drink in the stunning vistas, you’ll feel more than 90 miles away from Phoenix.

Appreciator: Jerome’s First Saturday Art Walk is held the first Saturday of every month, starting at 5 p.m. Artists open their galleries and studio doors to visitors and share their paintings, sculpture, jewelry, leather work, blown glass, photography and more. Visit jeromeartwalk.com for more information.

Aficionado: Collectors should check out the Jerome Artists Cooperative, located in the historic Hotel Jerome. Its gallery hosts special events and exhibitions throughout the year, all of which are free and open to the public. A popular annual event is the summer membership show, when co-op artists share their interpretations on a changing theme. Learn more at jeromecoop.com.

Amateur: There’s a soulfulness to Jerome, and if you visit, don’t be surprised if you feel the need to create something. Look up Jerome painter Cody DeLong. You’ll likely find him in the 1905 building, originally a Studebaker dealership, that is now his studio and gallery. Though DeLong doesn’t mind people sitting on the couch and watching him paint his vivid, colorful, amped-up depictions of the Southwest landscape – “I try to capture the color and then turn it up by about 10 percent,” he says – he also offers classes and workshops, ranging from one-on-one sessions to drop-in studio sessions to a multi-day Snake River rafting and painting trip. Just don’t try to find him September 11-18, as he has been selected to participate in the Grand Canyon Plein Air event at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. You can learn more about this outdoor painting event at grandcanyon.org or about DeLong and his classes at codydelong.com.