Museum of Fine Arts
On the strength of its individual exhibits alone—notably the vast Goya retrospective and Shinique Smith's exuberant showcase—the Museum of Fine Arts is a formidable contender for best museum. But when you consider the institution's past year as a whole, it's a hands-down winner. Diverse offerings revealed a commitment to pushing boundaries. Performance art was regularly integrated into the museum's hallowed gallery spaces; it maintained a consistently edgy and eclectic film program; and then, as a capper, it launched its first-ever mobile app as artwork. 465 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA 02115, mfa.org.
The Museum of Fine Arts
Perhaps the only gift shop that truly has something for everyone. Quality and taste at prices that won't leave you gasping. Become a museum member and get 10 percent off. 465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA .
Museum of Fine Arts
With its museum-quality decor, sophisticated food, and parking that's a cinch, what more could anyone want? The MFA is unbeatable. 465 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA .
The Museum of Fine Arts
They had the sense to book the Gund show. 465 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA .
Museum of Fine Arts
Even the merest trifle takes on special significance when wrapped in one of the beautiful gift papers form the MFA gift shop. 465 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA .
Museum of Fine Arts
Old Yankee ladies don't die—they just go to work at the MFA gift shop. The annual sale is as close as you'll ever get to a WASP buying frenzy. 479 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA .
Museum of Fine Arts
If you want to see the art of ancient Greece and the Pharaohs of yore, or the works of John Singer Sargent and Ansel Adams, or even contemporary portraits of the Obamas, there are only three letters you need to know: M, F, and A. Long the city’s largest museum, with nearly 500,000 works of art and a nonstop parade of exhibitions and traveling shows, it remains a must-visit institution and a local treasure for all Bostonians. 465 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02115, mfa.org.
Lunch at the Museum Café, Museum of Fine Arts
Quiet. Soothing. A casual walk through the Japanese garden does more for you than three sessions with a shrink. The food is delightful. The iced tea is the greatest. And the pictures on the walls ain't bad. 465 Huntington Ave., Boston, MA .
Peabody Essex Museum
The longest continuously operating museum in the U.S. is also one of the area’s best for kids. Model ships anchor the vast maritime collection, while rotating exhibits are often colorful and interactive, not to mention displayed in large, disaster-proof open spaces. There’s more fun to be had in the Maker Lounge, where children take part in arts and crafts activities. Expect even more to explore when the new wing opens in 2019. 161 Essex St., Salem, MA 01970, pem.org.
Abelardo Morrell
The Cuban-born Morrell, who teaches at the Massachusetts College of Art, actually had two exhibitions this year (at the Museum of Fine Arts and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum) showcasing his silvery photographs of sublime landscapes, his shots of mysterious old books and maps, and strangely beautiful double-images he made with a pinhole camera. The Morrell of the story: This magical-realist artist is the real goods.
The Institute of Contemporary Art
Where else can you spend date night dancing to live DJs, eating oysters on the harbor, and checking out a Shepard Fairey original? With some of the best waterfront views in town, the museum itself is a sleek architectural masterpiece—a place to see world-class contemporary art and be seen at the institute’s rocking First Fridays events, which feature live outdoor performances. Armed with 20 recently donated works from philanthropist Barbara Lee, the 80-year-old museum is getting fresher every day. 25 Harbor Shore Dr., Boston, MA 02210, icaboston.org.
Sargent Summer
A citywide celebration of the art of John Singer Sargent—at the Museum of Fine Arts, the Fogg Art Museum, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, and the Boston Public Library—provides a rare chance to see the complete picture of this fascinating fin-de-siècle expatriate artists who considered Boston his American home.
The works of Emil Nolde at the Museum of Fine Arts
An expansive collection of watercolors, prints, and paintings, the Emil Nolde show at the MFA revealed the works of one of Germany's most talented expressionists.
Museum director David Ross and the Institute of Contemporary Art