Ever shed a tear in a museum? You’re not alone. Ann Patchett’s new novel, ‘Whistler’, explores this question. It follows a family through grief and reunion, bookending their journey with the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Meanwhile, ICE seized 22,000 smuggled artifacts in Florida and China withdrew from the Gwangju Biennale.

Upstate New York galleries are abuzz with new shows, including ‘Radiant Geometries’ featuring Indigenous and Latin American artists.

Elsewhere, Mildred Howard wins an important award, Christie’s and Bonhams are raising their buyer premiums, and the High Museum of Art celebrates 100 years.

Our critics ponder why ‘Whistler’ seems to suggest grief and art are at odds. Could it be that art, too, is sometimes a bittersweet salve?