Vive la Revolución!

Do you avoid discussing Big Issues? Embarrassed about the size of your . . . well, you know. Hey, it happens to everyone, but there's good news: Art appreciation is your sneaky ticket to erudition. In minutes a day, even a 98-pound intellectual weakling can build an understanding of global history and culture while looking at cool stuff. To get you started, we recommend taking your untutored caboose to the new "Mexico and Modern Printmaking: A Revolution in the Graphic Arts, 1920-1950" exhibit.

Mexican artists embraced the clear, vibrant medium of printmaking to spread post-Revolutionary messages of self-determination, equality, and a reborn appreciation of homegrown heritage, with academy-rocking subject matter that attracted artists from Europe and the U.S. as well as collectors and curators worldwide. Among others, the touring show features works by Los Tres Grandes -- muralists Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros, and José Clemente Orozco, who documented their wall-work on paper to make it more accessible.