11 can’t-miss museum exhibits this winter

The holidays are over, the days are short and, in much of the country, it’s cold. Winter is the perfect time to head indoors to museums and check out new exhibits. Brush up on Frida Khalo in Florida, robots in Philly, car engines in Michigan, cigar box art in New Mexico, and much more. Here are 11 of the best domestic museum exhibits to see this winter.

New York at Its Core at Museum of the City of New York
Nov. 18, 2016 - Permanent

The Museum of the City of New York spent five years creating this much-anticipated permanent exhibit on the Big Apple’s rise to prominence since its founding in the 1600s. More than 400 objects address four themes: money, density, diversity and creativity. Among the rare objects on display: a sterling silver and wood ceremonial shovel from the groundbreaking of the first subway (1900), a silver cocktail shaker and cup made by Tiffany & Co. during Prohibition (1928), a baseball signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers, and Milton Glaser’s original concept sketch for the “I Heart New York” campaign. Iconic New Yorkers such as Alexander Hamilton, Walt Whitman, “Boss” Tweed, Emma Goldman, J.P. Morgan, Fiorello La Guardia, Jane Jacobs, Jay-Z and dozens more, are featured throughout the exhibit. mcny.org/nyatitscore

Robot Revolution at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia
Oct. 8, 2016 - April 2, 2017

Robots are coming ... whether we like it or not. Better get onboard early at the Franklin Institute’s exhibit that introduces the public to 40 cutting-edge robots created by some of the country’s most innovative companies and universities. Among these robots (which have rarely been shown to the public), watch Soccer ‘Bots competing in a match, challenge humanoid robot Baxter to tic-tac-toe, and pet a therapeutic baby seal robot that responds to touch. The exhibit aims to show us the ways in which robots will change how we play, live and work by focusing on four aspects of the field of robotics: cooperation, skills, smarts and locomotion. fi.edu/exhibit/robot-revolution

Life of Seduction: Venice in the 1700s at the New Orleans Museum of Art
Feb. 16 - May 21, 2017

Perfectly timed to coincide with New Orleans' carnival season, Mardi Gras, the New Orleans Museum of Art hosts a exhibit on the pageantry, ceremony and extravagance of Venetian life in the 1700s. During the 18th century, famed Venetians, such as Casanova, Canaletto and Tiepolo, spread Venetian taste and style throughout the world. This will be the only U.S. venue showing this collection of objects, which includes 300-year-old carnival masks, costumes and robes, shoes, handbags, regal glass objects, and paintings by Canaletto and Guardi. noma.org/exhibitions/life-seduction-venice-1700s/

Frida Kahlo at The Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Dec. 17, 2016 - April 17, 2017

The Dali Museum is back with another blockbuster: Florida’s first solo exhibition showcasing the striking artwork, life and psyche of Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. The exhibit brings together more than 60 pieces including 15 paintings, seven drawings and Kahlo’s personal photographs. “With her dreamlike images, Kahlo has stirred huge public interest beyond the traditional art audience,” said Dr. Hank Hine, executive director of the Dalí Museum. “In a way, Kahlo created a persona that serves as a contemporary feminine ideal — both tender and fierce.” An indoor/outdoor experience, the museum has planted a special collection of flowers and plants that represents Kahlo’s own garden at her home in Mexico. thedali.org/exhibit/frida-kahlo-dali/

The Taos Society of Artists at the Museum of the West in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Jan. 10 - April 30, 2017

Institutions and private collections nationwide have loaned Scottsdale’s Museum of the West more than 80 of the finest and most valued works of the 19 members and associate members of the Taos Society of Artists. Their work features vivid images of the American Southwest’s dramatic landscapes and Native Americans. The Society — which turned 100 in 2015 — was one of the most influential schools of American painting in the nation’s history. It’s credited with influencing generations of artists including Georgia O’Keefe, Andrew Dasburg, Marsden Hartley and Maynard Dixon. scottsdalemuseumwest.org/project/the-taos-society-of-artists-exhibition/

Killer Fashion: The Consequence of Style at The Charleston Museum, S.C.
June 21, 2016 - March 5, 2017

The Charleston Museum takes on the dark side of fashion, which for centuries has endangered animal populations and the environment, and hurt both wearers and makers. Ivory, leather and snakeskin are a focus, but visitors will be surprised by other materials and traditions included in the exhibit. For example, it includes a feather fan from Brazil made from a decimated hummingbird population, the trend of Chinese foot binding, the effect of mercury in felting fur for hats which led to disease and insanity, and an 1892 edition of Punch magazine which reported that one London dealer received 32,000 dead hummingbirds, 80,000 aquatic birds and 800,000 pairs of wings in a single shipment. charlestonmuseum.org/exhibits/current/16/killer-fashion

​@NatGeo: The Most Popular Instagram Photos at the National Geographic Museum in Washington, D.C.
Nov. 11, 2016 - April 2017

National Geographic (@NatGeo) is one of the world’s top Instagrammers, with more than 60 million followers and more than three billion likes on its 11,000+ images. This winter’s exhibit features more than 200 of @NatGeo’s most popular photographs on the photo-sharing social network. It includes interactive components and commentary from the National Geographic photographers who took the incredible photos, which include animals, landscapes and more from all corners of the globe. Prepare to be inspired. nationalgeographic.org/dc/exhibitions/natgeo-most-popular-instagram-photos

The Beautiful Brain at the Weisman Art Museum in Minneapolis
Jan. 28 - May 21, 2017

Nobel Prize-winner Santiago Ramón y Cajal’s drawings of the brain and brain cells are being presented and contextualized for the first time at the Weisman Art Museum. Neuroscientist Cajal (1852-1934) used his scientific and artistic skills to create drawings that proved his theory that the brain is composed of individual cells rather than a single tangled web, which is the basis of neuroscience today. Though he passed away in 1934, his theories were posthumously proved through electron microscopy. Many of Cajal’s drawings will be appearing for the first time in this exhibit. wam.umn.edu/event/cajal

Out of the Box: The Art of the Cigar at the New Mexico History Museum, Santa Fe
Oct. 7, 2016 - Oct. 14, 2017

Historian Loy Glenn Westfall recently donated a portion of his large (possibly the world’s largest) cigar box label collection to the New Mexico History Museum. The exhibit showcases lithographic art in which as many as 10 colors would be layered and gold embellishments and stamped embossings were added to cigar box labels. Images feature “romantic landscapes, Western adventures, and hot-blooded señoritas.” To explain the lithographic process, visitors can check out a 19th-century lithography press. nmhistorymuseum.org/calendar.php?&id=2939

Engines Exposed at The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation in Dearborn, Mich.
Jan. 14 - Feb. 28, 2017

Over 50 rare autos tell the story of car-engine innovation from Ford’s 1919 Model T to today’s hybrids, electric and self-driving vehicles. Look under the hoods of 1965’s Goldenrod Land Speed Record Car, which was the fastest wheel-driven thing on earth; the 1963 Chrysler Turbine, which is said to run on everything from peanut oil to Chanel No. 5; and the 500-horsepower 1967 Ford Mark IV Le Mans Race Car, the only all-American car to win Le Mans. thehenryford.org/current-events/calendar/engines-exposed

Beyond Mammy, Jezebel, & Sapphire: Reclaiming Images of Black Women at the Alexandria Museum of Art in Louisiana
Dec. 2, 2016 - Feb. 18, 2017

In a thought-provoking exhibit, Alexandria’s art museum examines the trope of the “Strong Black Woman” who is expected to be “hard-working, long-suffering, ethical, sassy, sexy, and self-reliant.” The exhibit features images of and by black women whose work confronts stereotypes, black femininity, and ideals of beauty. It seeks to uncover both the opportunities and dangers in American popular culture’s portrayal of African American women. themuseum.org/exhibits/beyond-mammy-jezebel-sapphire-reclaiming-images-black-women