Are you looking for ways to calm your mind and find inspiration? Frame of Mind, an uplifting podcast from The Met, presents all kinds of personal stories about how art supports well-being. Discover how art has the power to connect, inspire, and restore us wherever we are.

Frame of Mind launches Wednesday, February 23, 2022.

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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 The Met. Hear how—over the course of a year—sending 100 postcards featuring artworks from the Museum fostered deeper communication and trust between the siblings.

Guests: Samy Gálvez, MPH, epidemiologist and Melina Anderson Gálvez, editor and designer

Objects mentioned in this episode:

Ganesha statue, 14th–15th century. India, (Orissa). H. 7 1/4 in. (18.4 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. J. J. Klejman, 1964 (64.102)

The Unicorn Rests in a Garden (from the Unicorn Tapestries), 1495–1505. Made in Paris, France (cartoon); Made in Southern Netherlands (woven). 144 7/8 x 99 in. (368 x 251.5 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of John D. Rockefeller Jr., 1937 (37.80.6)

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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 violence, financial hardship, and multiple cancers.

Guest: Annie Lanzillotto, Artist and Poet

Objects mentioned in this episode:

Tiffany Studios (American, 1902–32), attributed to Agnes F. Northrop (American, 1857–1953). Autumn Landscape, 1923–24. Leaded Favrile glass, 132 x 102 in. (335.3 x 259.1 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Robert W. de Forest, 1925 (25.173a–o)

Augustus Saint-Gaudens (American, 1848–1907). Diana, 1893–94, cast 1894 or after. Bronze, 28 1/4 x 16 1/4 x 14 in. (71.8 x 41.3 x 35.6 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Lincoln Kirstein, 1985 (1985.353)

Alfred Van Loen (American b. Germany, 1924–1993). Chessgame: Liberty versus Slavery. Bronze, various heights 4–10 1/4 in. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of Joan and Lester Avnet, 1964 (64.155a-p,aa-pp)

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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 the process itself fosters hope for other kinds of healing, whether broken relationships or her mother’s ill health in Korea.

Guest: Kisook Suh, conservator, Textile Conservation, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Featured object: The Falcon’s Bath, 1495-1505. South Netherlandish. Tapestry with wool warp and wool wefts, 137 1/2 x 145 1/2 in. (349.3 x 369.6 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, The Cloisters Collection, 2011, (2011.93)

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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 her take stock of the world. Tune in to hear how gardens sustain her sense of purpose and belonging as a Black woman, and how museums can become more welcoming spaces for everyone.

Guest: Yvette Weaver, horticulturist

Featured object: The Unicorn Rests in a Garden (from the Unicorn Tapestries), 1495–1505. French (cartoon)/South Netherlandish (woven). Wool warp with wool, silk, silver, and gilt wefts, 144 7/8 x 99 in. (368 x 251.5 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Gift of John D. Rockefeller, Jr., 1937 (37.80.6)

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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 planning visits for people with disabilities, she founded Accessible Travel NYC, a website to share stories, photographs, and realistic tips about getting around. Hear how visits to The Met have inspired Annie’s creativity and deepened Lakshmee’s view that disability—whether among artists or others—is something to be celebrated, not overcome.

Guests: Lakshmee Lachhman-Persad, digital marketer and founder of Accessible Travel NYC and Annie Lachhman, artist

Featured object: Claude Monet (French, 1840–1926). Water Lilies, 1919. Oil on canvas, 39 3/4 x 78 3/4 in. (101 x 200 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, The Walter H. and Leonore Annenberg Collection, Gift of Walter H. and Leonore Annenberg, 1998, Bequest of Walter H. Annenberg, 2002 (1998.325.2)

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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 spaces and to champion the experience and stories of underrepresented communities. Discover what drives her passion for using public art as a tool for change, proudly displayed outside the walls of traditional museums.

Guest: Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya, multidisciplinary artist, educator, and activist

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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 opened Friend of a Barber with his business partners. Built for more than haircuts, Josh’s barbershop is also a vibrant community hub that showcases work by local artists, and welcomes children and pets, too. Learn how for Josh, spaces can be purpose-built to support meaningful connections that impact the whole community.

Guest: Joshua Livingston, barber and visiting assistant professor of American Studies, Bard College

Objects mentioned in this episode:

John Singer Sargent (American, 1856–1925). Madame X (Madame Pierre Gautreau), 1883–84. Oil on canvas, 82 1/8 x 43 1/4 in. (208.6 x 109.9 cm); Framed: 95 3/4 x 56 5/8 x 5 in. (243.2 x 143.8 x 12.7 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Arthur Hoppock Hearn Fund, 1916 (16.53)

The Temple of Dendur, completed by 10 B.C. Egypt, Nubia, Dendur, West bank of the Nile River, 50 miles South of Aswan, Roman period, reign of Augustus Caesar. Aeolian sandstone, Temple proper: H. 6.40 m (21 ft.); W. 6.40 m (21 ft.); L 12.50 m (41 ft.); Gate: H. 8.08 m (26.5 ft.); W. x 3.66 m (12 ft.); D. 3.35 m (11 ft.). The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Given to the United States by Egypt in 1965 and awarded to The Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1967 (68.154)

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