Diversity equals Creativity?

The Arts Corridor centers around the Swope Art Museum on 7th street in Terre Haute, Indiana. Terre Haute's downtown is currently buzzing with life, compared to only a few years ago. It isn't New York though, and it isn't Indianapolis either. It is a little city, with similar problems as cities of the same size. Although no other city has the rambunctious past that Terre Haute has. Gambling and alchohol intertwined with prostitution during Prohibition. The location of Terre Haute made it a frequent stop by those who could afford it, and I'm pretty sure many chose to stay, and add to the Terre Haute pot of stew. This diversity of people included artists and artisans.

Terre Haute has had a checkered past, but many people had great pride in the little city. Buildings were built into the environment, and built with great craftsmanship. The Wabash River was a beautiful river, free of any human touch. Railroads and roads aligned Terre Haute with the larger cities of Indianapolis, In. Chicago, Il. Bloomington, Il. and St. Louis Mo. Opportunities to travel to Terre Haute were abundant, which brought an even more diverse population.

I think this is the beginning of me finding out why Terre haute is so artsy. I believe it stems from the diversity of the population, and number of universities in and around the city. I also think it has something to do with our railroad trains, in a weird sort of way.