NEW YORK—The House and Senate may still be confused about the value of supporting the arts during an economic crisis, but we’ve never doubted art’s ability to inspire, entertain, and at the very least provide respite when everyday reality is bearing down harder than usual. Here, ARTINFO presents a selection of exhibitions currently on view in New York that either mine tough times for creative ore or offer an escape from them altogether.

Click on the photo gallery to the left to see the eight picks for troubled times.