Art galleries, like libraries and museums, are filled with treasure—items of value, beauty, and the promise of betterment. They come in all shapes, sizes, and types. They may contain historical treasure, regional treasure, modern to avant-garde treasure, or a glorious combination of many categories of treasure. They can be so quiet you can hear a pin drop or so exuberant it’s infectious. They can be public or private and found almost anywhere, from small towns to metropolises. Almost everywhere we go, we have access to the cornucopia of treasure that resides in art galleries.

Why then, if art galleries offer so much and are so readily available, do we not visit them more often? One important reason is that our lives are busy, and it’s not always easy to carve out the time to do so. To motivate us to find that time, here are three benefits of visiting art galleries.

They Teach Us about the Past
Viewing paintings of historical scenes executed in the distant past can inform us of the event, perhaps allow us to feel what it was like to take part in the event, and show us how the event affected the artist who painted it as well as those who experienced it. The Death of Marat, by David, painted in 1793, depicts the aftermath of the murder of one of the leaders of the French Revolution, and is a good example. Not only does it make the viewer aware of Marat’s murder and its historical significance, it portrays it with sensitivity and loss—feelings the artist, a friend of Marat’s, and Marat’s comrades would have had over the tragedy. It also might ignite an interest in the viewer to learn more about the French Revolution and its participants or to learn more about David.

They Open Our Minds 
When we walk through an art gallery looking at the paintings and sculptures on display, we are perceiving what the artists felt and saw as they created them. From the early days of painting to the 21st century, depiction in art has undergone huge transformations, like portraying objects exactly as they are as the Old Masters did, painting impressions of them as The Impressionists did, or fracturing them as The Cubists did. No matter which of any of these styles we personally prefer or relate to, we can’t deny the style when we are looking at it. Because of this, we are naturally inclined to wonder and ask questions about it. How did the artist get here? Why was  it important for the artist to depict the subject in this manner? What is the artist trying to say? With these questions, our minds are being opened to think in an unaccustomed way and to make decisions about whether or not we are in agreement with the artist.

They Are a Feast for Our Eyes
Sometimes, the best benefit of visiting an art gallery is the joy we get from having so much beauty, artistry, symmetry, asymmetry, lushness of color, and mind-boggling perspective surround us. Our eyes eat it up and send it directly to our brains filling us with elation, awe, and wonder. Whether we are visiting the exhibit of a favorite artist, discovering a new one, or re-experiencing a number of old friends, there is nothing like the feeling we get when our eyes behold something we consider a work of art.

The treasure in art galleries is available to us all and waits for us to come and behold it. If we can find the time to answer its call, we will be rewarded in ways we may never have imagined. We owe it to ourselves to seek out all the treasure art galleries offer. It’s easy. There’s probably an art gallery close to you, and you don’t need a treasure map to find it.