10 ways to get art smart this spring in Boston

Find solace away from those pesky April showers this spring in one of the city’s extraordinary arts institutions. Here are some of the new shows opening this season:

Enjoy the beauty of the open water without the threat of seasickness. Check out “Ocean Liners: Glamour, Speed and Style” at the Peabody Essex Museum (161 Essex St. Salem), the first exhibition to fully assess the design and cultural impact of the ocean liner. Bringing together nearly 200 works from the mid-19th century through the late-20th century. Expect everything from paintings, sculpture, models, furniture, lighting, wall panels, textiles, fashion, photographs, posters and film. (May 20 – Oct. 9)

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum’s (25 Evans Way) first exhibition of sound art, “Listen Hear: The Art of Sound,” will make plenty of noise this spring. Featuring works by 10 emerging and established artists who look at sound from very different angles, the show will allow guests to experience the galleries in new ways. (Through Sept. 5)

One of the Museum of Fine Arts’s (465 Huntington Ave) most beloved annual traditions, “Art in Bloom” pairs art from across the MFA’s collection with floral interpretations created by 50 New England-area garden clubs. (April 29 – May 1) Also opening at the MFA is “Matisse in the Studio,” a collection of 36 paintings, 26 drawings, 11 bronzes, nine cut-outs, three prints and an illustrated book by the revolutionary artist, showcased alongside many works from his studio collection. (April 9 – July 9)

If your idea of art includes Jay-Z and Beyonce, then your dreams have officially come true. Head to The Gallery at the W Hotel Boston (100 Stuart St.) for Boston artist Giovanni DeCunto’s collection that merges impressionism, expressionism and other significant movements.(March 2 – May 11)

If sitting back in a movie theater is more your speed, the 17th annual Irish Film Festival at the Somerville Theatre (55 Davis Sq. Somerville) will feel like your own pot of gold. Over 40 films, shorts and documentaries will screen over four days. One highlight is “Rocky Ros Muc,” a documentary about pro-boxer and Boston immigrant Sean Mannon. Snag tix to each film separately, or splurge for the “all-access” pass for $90. (March 23-26)

Rev up your flux-capacitors for “POPnology,” the Museum of Science’s (1 Science Park) newest temporary exhibition that combines the greatest works of innovation and imagination in history. Learn how movies, books, television, and art inspire technological advancements. In addition to robots and a 3-D printed car, there will be several original props that were used on-screen in the Back to the Future films, including Doc Brown’s brain wave analyzer, the remote control, and even Marty McFly’s hover board. (Opening April 30)

Meet the Atom Screen, a mind-blowing new form of digital representation. Featuring work by artists Charles Reilly and Daniel Faust, the “Life in Picoseconds” exhibit at Le Laboratoire Cambridge (650 E. Kendall St., Cambridge) animates projected images with particle movements. (March 3 – May 10)

Head back to school so you can grab a peek at an interactive digital art installation by artist Camille Utterback. Now open at Emerson Urban Arts: Media Art Gallery (25 Avery St.) “Entangled” uses a computer program that tracks the movements of viewers and changes them into unique projections. That show runs concurrently with “Cybernetic Serendipity,” an exhibition documenting what many consider to be the first digital media art exhibition, curated by Jasia Reichardt at the ICA in London in 1968. (March 1- April 22)

Cross the river to take a look at “The Philosophy Chamber: Art and Science in Harvard’s Teaching Cabinet, 1766–1820” at the Harvard Art Museums (32 Quincy St. Cambridge). About 120 diverse works that were exhibited at the college almost two centuries ago will be on display, which means you’ll find everything from full-length portraits by John Singleton Copley to Hawaiian feather work. (May 19 – Dec. 31)

If it’s good enough for former first lady Michelle Obama, then it’s good enough for us: the future Picassos at Inquilinos Boricuas en Accion will showcase their work in “Paredes en Fuego: Annual Youth Art Showcase.” Part of IBA’s Youth Development Program, you may remember the group from last year’s visit to the White House, where they were honored with the 2016 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award. The big event is at the Villa Victoria Center for the Arts (85 West Newton St.)(May 12).