The blaze also interrupted seniors as they worked on their yearlong thesis projects, a collection of works they exhibit in the spring.

WSJ: Pratt Fire Destroys, Inspires

It might help to know that one of the most debated issues among curators of Asian and other non-Western art is how and where to exhibit modern and contemporary works.

WSJ: Flights of Feathered Fancy | Birds in the Art of Japan | Metropolitan Museum of Art | By Lee Lawrence

"The New Spirit: American Art in the Armory Show, 1913" at the Montclair Art Museum, is the first exhibit to focus on those works.

WSJ: The Forgotten Americans | The New Spirit: American Art in the Amory Show, 1913 | Montclair Art Museum | By James Panero

Through late February, the Mattress Factory is home to an exhibit of painting, photographs, sculpture and other works by Cuban artists exploring issues of race, racism and discrimination.

BBC: From Warhol to Wright: An arty trip through Pennsylvania

The more than 2, 000 works aim to move beyond Moscow's dominance of the art scene to exhibit pieces made throughout Russia.

BBC: St Petersburg goes back to the future

The 10, 000-sq-ft exhibit, the largest Vatican show to come to North America, runs through 9 January and features works by Michelangelo and Bernini, tools used to work on the Sistine Chapel, and even a reliquary with the remains of Saint Peter and Saint Paul.

BBC: From Warhol to Wright: An arty trip through Pennsylvania