I have always loved bringing people to places where important art has happened. I think of these journeys as pilgrimages, and the people who come along as Art Pilgrims.

For years, I have wanted to see the Captiva compound of Robert Rauschenberg. Standing now with my feet in the Gulf of Mexico, watching dolphins moving through the water in front of me on Captiva Island, I can see the view he lived with for many years. It is extraordinary. Several years ago this area was struck hard by Hurricane Ian, and much here has changed. Yet the pale blue of the Gulf, the texture of the sand, and the rhythm of the wildlife feel timeless.

I am rarely starstruck, but the one time I distinctly remember my heart fluttering was when I was introduced to Rauschenberg in Venice more than thirty years ago. He shook my hand and then gently lifted it to his cheek. I was completely mesmerized. It was one of the first times I had met an artist whose work I had studied and admired.

There is not much left to see here today, which might make this seem like an unlikely Itinerary entry. But perhaps it is a reminder that nothing is permanent. If there is somewhere you have always wanted to go or something you have always wanted to see, do not wait.

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