When we moved to Maynard five years ago, Donna Dodson’s sculpture, “Seagull Cinderella,” had just returned from her tour of Michigan, so we stored her temporarily on our front lawn. She received fan mail, daily visitors taking selfies and local media attention. Later that summer, “Seagull Cinderella” flew to New Bedford for a public art project where she became the subject of controversy. In an unexpected outpouring, the people of Maynard rallied behind her and said to New Bedford: “If you don’t want her, send her back! We miss her.” So, she paraded back into town followed by a band and a throng of Maynard’s liveliest in spirited attire. And to this day, she remains perched out front of our home. It was then that we realized we had joined a uniquely supportive arts community.

What drew us to Maynard was its reputation as an arts hub. ArtSpace Maynard’s studios in the town’s iconic 1871 schoolhouse mounted lively fall open studios and regular gallery exhibits that drew curators, collectors and media attention from Boston and beyond. In addition, the town had recently won a coveted Cultural District Designation.

Boston is no stranger to incredible artwork — nor has it ever been. Alongside its vast history, its artwork too is constantly evolving, drumming its heartbeat. Artistic representation, formerly a narrow cross-section of the city’s population, is wider than ever. Naturally, as these changes devolve, Bostonians are apt to see an increasingly diverse breadth of artwork — and thank goodness. Now finding homes inside Boston’s greatest museums,artwork from every corner of humanity has the chance to reach a wider audience; themes that were historically taboo, or simply not acknowledged, have finally taken center stage.

Summertime is a wonderful season to museum hop; that’s exactly what I did over the course of two weeks, during some of the most sweltering weather Boston has seen in years. To call one of the following museums my favorite is simply impossible; all of them left their own significant imprint on my memory — but not simply because of the artwork on view.