In New York, record crowds are turning out at blockbuster art exhibits, but not for the usual reasons. “The popularity of shows here ranging from Da Vinci to Manet – an unusual confluence of big-name artists even for New York – is partly a commentary on New Yorkers’ magnetic attraction to anything with buzz. But in a city beset by budget cuts, rising homelessness, and a steady stream of war news, it’s also about something more. To the crowds waiting in lines that spill out onto the streets here, these timeless masters offer timely beauty and insight to a world desperately in need of it.”