Frame of Mind

Can art reconnect us with those we love, even from far away? Siblings Samy Gálvez and Melina Anderson Gálvez immigrated to the United States from Guatemala many years ago and have spent much of their adult lives apart from each other and their family. Knowing Melina was struggling with isolation thousands of miles away during a Mormon mission, Samy wanted to lend support. He wasn’t sure how to do it until one life-changing visit to...

How can art help us heal? Imagine an elderly mother and daughter resting on a museum bench, taking in the vivid colors of a stained glass window. When artist and poet Annie Lanzillotto recalls this experience with her mother, it was a moment of peace that helped her make sense of her family and life. Hear how, ever since her childhood in the Bronx, art has remained a powerful tool for inspiration and healing through domestic violen...

Can working with your hands improve your mood? For Kisook Suh, a textile conservator at The Met, there’s deep satisfaction and purpose in caring for tapestries that are hundreds of years old. But her artistry doesn’t stop there: once home, she relaxes by mending holes in her young son’s blue jeans and rescuing clothes that otherwise might be discarded. Kisook describes the solace found in repairing things—stitch by stitch—and how t...

Does your life ever feel out of control? For Yvette Weaver, a horticulturist, gardens offer respite, and working in them continues a family legacy of connection to nature. She previously worked in the gardens at The Met Cloisters, where the design and plantings are directly inspired by the collection of medieval art on display. Discover the morning stillness with her—before visitors arrive—when the garden feeds her senses and helps...

When spaces are inaccessible, they aren’t inclusive, literally and figuratively, which affects us all. Meet Lakshmee Lachhman-Persad, a digital marketer, and her sister Annie Lachhman, an artist born with cerebral palsy who uses a wheelchair. Originally from Guyana, they often seek out New York City’s cultural offerings with their multi-generational family. When Lakshmee found there wasn’t much practical information available for p...

Does it make any difference where we see art? For one multidisciplinary artist and feminist, it’s crucial—not just because of who sees it, but what stories get told. Meet Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya. Born to Thai and Indonesian immigrants, she studied neuroscience at Columbia and worked at an Alzheimer’s research lab before becoming a full-time artist, educator, and activist. Today, she chooses to display her work in reclaimed urban s...

How can a physical space be designed to support well-being? While museum galleries might seem a world away from barbershops, to Josh Livingston, both are places for people to gather and connect. Josh is a Visiting Assistant Professor in the American Studies Department at Bard College, and he’s spent many happy hours exploring The Met with his wife and young daughter, Jude. He also hails from a long line of barbers, and in 2020, he ...

How does the pandemic change our interpretation of art? Since lockdown, staff members at The Met have discovered that familiar artworks now appear different in profound and personal ways. For Alison Hokanson, assistant curator in the Department of European Paintings, a painting by Edvard Munch speaks to her need for quiet introspection after so much time isolated indoors with her husband and three children. For Abraham Thomas, Dani...

Can the art of music bridge differences that separate us? For Reena Esmail, working as a composer is about more than music: It’s about building what she calls “equitable musical spaces” for the performers and the audience. Born to Indian immigrants, she feels passionately that cultural difference can be a source of richness in both life and music. She remembers one memorable sitar concert at The Met that particularly inspired her t...

Can art save your life? According to Virgil Ortiz, an artist from the Cochiti Pueblo in New Mexico, it can. For Virgil, making pottery with traditional materials and methods is a kind of therapy, a fundamental expression of his culture across generations. Virgil describes how the process itself brings him a sense of purpose and connection to his family, including the prayers he recites before he and his nephews dig clay from their ...

Have you heard people say visiting a museum is good for you? Why is that? Grace Calame-Mars, a Nursing Professional Development Specialist, and Carolyn Halpin-Healy, an Art Educator at The Met, know the first-hand benefit of art in museums as a tool to help our well-being. Hear about the art therapy program they helped organize for medical professionals at NYU Langone Hospital, where close-looking exercises improved clinical observ...