Novo Mesto has been a hub of artistic creation in various fields: music, literature, and visual arts. The turning point is the September 1920 exhibition named
Novo Mesto Spring, which brought together artists of different genres and marks the beginning of avant-garde art in Slovenia.
Music The development of music in Novo Mesto may be traced to the 16th century, with the clergy, e.g. the provost
George Slatkonia, the first residential Bishop of Vienna, promulgating the development of vocal music. In 1498 Slatkonia was appointed the singing master (Singmeister) of the choir later known as the
Vienna Boys' Choir. Accelerated development took place in the 19th century with the establishment of a
brass band in 1846, and the establishment of the
Lower Carniola Singing Society in 1884. The society laid the foundations of the vocal music in the wider
Lower Carniola area. A significant part in the musical development of the town was contributed by students and the teaching staff of the
Novo Mesto Grammar School. The school had a quality singing choir led by ,
Aleš Ottokar and as well as a student orchestra led by . In 1886, a male choir was established in the town in the frame of the
Catholic Craftsman Assistants Society. Several classical composers were connected to Novo Mesto, the best known of them being
Marjan Kozina, after whom the music school of the town is named, and the expressionist composer
Marij Kogoj. In the 20th century, particularly after World War II, a number of influential contemporary (
jazz,
rock, and
pop) music groups appeared and created in the town, the most notable of them being ,
Dan D and others. In the early 21st century, the most popular pop-rock music group was Dan D, whereas classical music gained two important pieces of work in the frame of the
George Slatkonia Vocal Academy, a
chamber opera (
The Baptism on the Savica) and
Te Deum, a monumental
cantata work.
Literature The central literature personalities of Novo Mesto are the writer
Janez Trdina (1830–1905), the poet
Dragotin Kette (1876–1899), and the poet and essayist
Anton Podbevšek (1898–1981). Trdina, after whom the central cultural venue of the town is named Janez Trdina Cultural Centre, lived in Novo Mesto in exile and wrote primarily short fictional stories about the
Gorjanci hill range, which he published under the title
Fairytales and Stories about Gorjanci (Bajke in povesti o Gorjancih). Kette, who lived in Novo Mesto in the time of his studies, wrote lyrical poetry, particularly dedicated to Angela Smola whom he met in the town's chapter church. Podbevšek laid the foundations of Slovene lyrical avant-garde poetry. The youngest professional theatre in Slovenia and the first theatre in the town, established in 2005, has been named after him .
Visual and film arts Novo Mesto is the birthplace of the painter and graphic artist
Božidar Jakac (1899–1989), who produced one of the most extensive oeuvres of visual arts in Slovenia and was a key organiser of visual arts education and visual arts events in the country. Many of his works as well as of other well-known Slovenian artists are kept at the Jakac House in the town. Other known Novo Mesto visual artists were the painter and the architect . Several notable film artists originate from Novo Mesto, besides Jakac also the film editor
Jurij Moškon, and the contemporary film directors , ,
Nejc Gazvoda, and . ==Religion==