The world is full of a lot of hot air right now—circling over Los Angeles in fire tornadoes and about to descend on Washington in the form of the next administration. Artists have long turned to the elements to depict humanity’s triumphs and tribulations.
I recently visited The Whitney Museum of American Art and spent a significant amount of time wandering around Shifting Landscapes (on display through January 2026), an exhibition that explores “how evolving political, ecological, and social issues motivate artists as they attempt to represent the world around them.”
But it’s a Sunday. Do I really have to think that much?
Wherever you live, I encourage you to visit a museum on your own terms. I don’t need much convincing, but maybe you do. There’s no right way to experience art. Go. Walk around. Take a sketchpad or journal. Have a coffee or cocktail. Stay as briefly or as long as you want.
I was mesmerized by Firelei Báez’s untitled work (“Tabula Anemographica seu Pyxis Navtic”). The artist draws inspiration from the Ciguapa, a “Caribbean trickster,” according to the Dominican-born Báez, now based in New York City. What’s fascinating is the duality of the word’s meaning. For Puerto Ricans, “guapa” means beautiful; in the Dominican Republic, “angry.” And so it goes. We often hear the same words and witness the same things, but our culture, biases, and lived experiences inform their meaning.
As I approached the painting, I saw Putti (angel figures often found in Renaissance paintings), their chubby little cheeks blowing into the central figure. “This is a fierce creature,” says Báez, “… something that can become either a thing for the viewer that is hurtful or for another viewer, the thing that frees them.”
I opt for freedom.
1MC Takeaway
Museum hopping can be expensive. If you’re a Bank of America or Merrill credit or debit cardholder, check out Museums On Us, which offers free admission to over 225 cultural institutions throughout the U.S. on the first full weekend of every month. No, this isn’t sponsored. I like a good deal.
