At Fictions of Emancipation: Carpeaux Recast at the Met, a famous sculpture is used as the starting point for an exhibit focused on the fantasies of Western artists about slavery and freedom. For anyone earnestly seeking to understand how slavery, emancipation and the inner lives of the Black Diaspora have been portrayed in Western art, this is a must-see exhibit. And in case you can't get there, we're sharing our photos and thoughts from a recent visit.

When we go to a museum, what are we hoping to experience? Awe? Escape? A jolt of energy? Or perhaps a sense of deeper understanding. A feeling of connection with the past. Maybe even a glimpse of the future. At a recent visit to the Met, we made a spontaneous detour to see an exhibit that we normally would have passed by. And we felt all of these things. If you can, you should definitely see this one for yourself (and if not, we're sharing photos): there's epic beauty and human struggle on display at the vital Winslow Homer Crosscurrents exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum (aka the Met) in New York City.

Every edition of the Whitney Museum's biannual survey of American art is a moment to pause and consider the state of the nation. So, where are we right now? Well, this is a hard time to be in America for many people. And the strains and complexities of what it means to be in this difficult national moment are on full display at this year's Whitney Biennial. In an emotional and provocative exhibit of work by American artists, this year's Biennial poses simple questions with complicated answers. And it reminds us that the American journey is one filled with both darkness and light. Here's what to know, our review, and our favorite photos of the highlights and poignant patriotism on view at the stunning 2022 Whitney Biennial in New York City.