Minuteman Bikeway
Built on an abandoned rail line, this flat, winding path running between Cambridge and Bedford is wide enough, long enough, and popular enough that it seems less like a track and more like an 11-mile highway plucked from a post-oil utopian future. MA minutemanbikeway.org.
Wally's Café
Nowhere else in this town are you more apt to find pink Izods and gangsta colors in such proximity. This joint, nestled between the gentrified South End and Roxbury and opened in 1947 by Joseph "Wally" Walcott, is a classic treasure. And nowhere else in New England will you find finer jazz in a venue with more soul. Bands gather in the corner of the bar each night—from national acts to aspiring stars still studying at Berklee. The music is played loud enough that you can hear every seductive note, but not too loud for conversation. Don't like jazz? Check out an Afro-Cuban band. If you don't find yourself tapping your foot, it's time to check your pulse. 427 Massachusetts Ave., Boston, MA wallycafe.com.
Alan Shestack as director of the MFA
The affable writer, scholar, and former director of the Yale Art Museum and the Minneapolis Institute of Art starts work at Boston's MFA next month. Lucky MFA. Lucky us.
Ari Boston
Someone once said you can tell a man's personality from his tie. Ari Boston has a selection to reflect even the most complex psyches, in fine woven silks from Italy. 6 Liberty Square, Boston, MA .
Hudsons
When you want to get a truly original gift for your best friend or the happy couple, this is the place to come. Run by two former art professors, Hudsons is a well-curated mélange of antiques, accessories, and contemporary-art pieces. (Steel-mesh icosahedron, anyone?) There are also plenty of traditional paintings and antiques from which to choose. 87 Marshal St., North Adams, MA 1247, hudsonsart.com.
Artist & Craftsman Supply
Just down the psychedelic stairs at this subterranean Central Square art-supply mecca you'll find artfully arranged rows of paints, brushes, paper, and tools for every possible occasion. The unpretentious, approachable staff sprouts encyclopedic knowledge of everything from paint viscosity to the finer points of epoxy. 580 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA artistcraftsman.com.
The Boston School
The sensational Institute of Contemporary Art show of work by Nan Goldin, Jack Pierson, Mark Morrisroe, and other artists who all attended art school in Boston in the late '70s and early '80s, and turned their lives into lovely, lurid photographs.
DTR Modern
Expect to find exceptional works by modern masters along with emerging and mid-career artists at this seasoned gallery on Newbury Street, which also has locations on Nantucket and in Washington, DC, New York City, and Palm Beach. Hunt Slonem’s iconic bunny paintings are always on display, and other notable pieces usually include those by lauded contemporary artists Alex Katz and Keith Haring. If you’re on the hunt for a Warhol or even a rare creation by Paul Gauguin, the highly knowledgeable staff has the means to hunt one down for you. 167 Newbury St., Boston, MA 02116, dtrmodern.com.
Gallery Kayafas
Photograph courtesy of Gallery Kayafas Owner Arlette Kayafas's gallery represents a broad cross-section of Boston art. There are works from established local icons—Jules Aarons's photos of the old West End, First Night founder Clara Wainwright's quilts. But Gallery Kayafas has come into its own as the place to see new queer visual art in Boston from Boston, with artists such as Jess Dugan, Caleb Cole, and A. B. Miner grappling with the fast-shifting politics and emotions of today as they shape the landscape of the future. 450 Harrison Ave., Boston, MA 02118, gallerykayafas.com.
Fountain Street
A relatively new player in the SoWa arts district—they relocated in 2017 after six years in Framingham—the Fountain Street team not only champions contemporary arts, but also advocates for local creatives and collectors. Their membership-based gallery provides both well-established and emerging artists a chance at exhibiting, while their community events, installations, shows, and online marketplace allow buyers many different ways to score abstract paintings, mixed-media sculptures, metal prints, and more. 460C Harrison Ave., Ste. 2, Boston, MA fsfaboston.com.
DTR Modern
Lost among the sea of galleries that line Newbury Street? Find yourself (and that very special piece you’ve been searching for) at DTR Modern, the longtime purveyor of stunning contemporary artwork in Boston and beyond. With the biggest names in modern art — Takashi Murakami and Jeff Koons — displayed alongside newer faves like Clara Hallencreutz and Nelson de la Nuez, this is the perfect spot for hard-core collectors and dabblers alike. 167 Newbury St., Boston, MA 02116, dtrmodern.com.
<em>Look to Your Elders,</em> by Victor "MARKA27" Quinonez
Mona Miri Street art in Boston got a thrilling new addition this past May with Quiñonez’s Look to Your Elders, a vibrant painting on the side of Grove Hall pot shop Pure Oasis depicting a woman and young man surrounded by Caribbean plants and Indigenous patterns. A heartfelt nod to Boston’s generations of Caribbean and Afro-Latino residents, the piece is more than just a mural: It’s a stop-you-in-your-tracks work of art that has turned the spot into a must-visit. 430 Blue Hill Ave., Dorchester, MA 02121, marka27.com.
Krakow Witkin Gallery
A stalwart in Boston since 1959, the gallery managed to not just survive but thrive this past year thanks to live and online shows that brought legends and locals together. See: works from modern-art icon Josef Albers, contemporary star Jenny Holzer, and Mike Glier, whose paintings are inspired by birdsong in the Public Garden. The gallery even hosted its annual AIDS Benefit Auction around the holidays virtually, with all proceeds going to the Dimock Center’s pediatric and family programs 10 Newbury St., Back Bay, MA 02116, krakowwitkingallery.com.
Gallery Naga
There's always something that catches our eye at this contemporary gallery inside the Back Bay's Church of the Covenant. Now celebrating its 40th year, Naga prefers to showcase work by locals, such as Peter Vanderwarker's stunning landscape photography and Gerry Bergstein's mixed-media agglomerations on panels. The other thing the artists all have in common? They hit the sweet spot of challenging the mind while creating images that you can immerse yourself in for years. 67 Newbury St., Boston, MA 02116, gallerynaga.com.
Carroll and Sons
Photograph by Tony Luong Every time we walk into this avant-garde Harrison Avenue gallery, we fall in love with yet another up-and-coming video artist, painter, or sculptor. 450 Harrison Ave., Boston, MA 02118, carrollandsons.net.