The annual event celebrating art.
Slow Art Day is Saturday, April 11, 2026 Join Us!
Photo by Greg Neville
Slow Art Club Visits De Iorio Collection in Verona
February 22nd, 2026To celebrate Slow Art Day 2025, the Slow Art Club in Italy organized a special visit to the De Iorio Collection in Verona — one of the largest private contemporary art collections in Italy, with more than 700 works by artists from around the world.
The collection is displayed across several exhibition venues, including a striking former sawmill in Verona that has been thoughtfully renovated by the collector, Mauro De Iorio. The visit was reserved exclusively for the Slow Art Club.
The event began with a presentation by De Iorio, who spoke passionately about his motivations for collecting. He shared that his primary criterion when selecting artworks is their emotional impact, along with a shared interest with artists in social and psychological themes — an approach that closely aligns with the ethos of Slow Art Day, which centers on deep, intentional engagement with art.
Following the introduction, the experience unfolded in two parts: first, individual slow observation of selected artworks; then small-group discussions where attendees shared reflections and insights. The works chosen for the Slow Art experience were all created by female artists and reflected the collector’s personal interests.
Here are some of the artworks they slowly viewed:
a seachange, into something rich and strange, 2023, oil on linen and mixed media.
As is tradition, the group concluded the Slow Art event with a lovely lunch shared by all.
The Slow Art Club in Rovereto, Italy, founded by Piero Consolati, promotes slow-looking with events at different museums and collections across Italy.
Piero tells us that news about the Slow Art Club continues to spread far and wide across Italy and that, for example, one new member traveled 500 kilometers to participate in the 2025 event.
At Slow Art Day HQ, we celebrate the Slow Art Club of Italy, hope more Slow Art Clubs spring up around the world, and look forward to seeing what Piero Consolati and the club comes up with for Slow Art Day 2026.
— Jessica Jane, Ashley and Phyl
Where Art Meets Care: St. Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne
February 20th, 2026For Slow Art Day 2025, St Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne, Australia hosted its fourth Slow Art Day, continuing its thoughtful integration of art into healthcare settings. Led by Art Curator, Monique Silk, this year’s event was titled The Slow Art of Landscape: Observing and Transforming the Art of Nina Ryan.
The program centered on the current exhibition of landscape paintings by Melbourne artist Nina Ryan, including:
Participants, including staff, patients, and members of the wider community, were invited to select a painting, spend time observing it slowly, and then create their own image by transforming cut-out photocopied squares of the original artwork into new compositions. The resulting collages reflected personal interpretation, creative play, and deep engagement with Ryan’s landscapes.
Beyond the gallery, the Slow Art Day spirit extended across other campuses. A flyer invited patients to engage in slow looking wherever art was present, in foyers, corridors, courtyards, and even views from hospital windows. The gentle prompts encouraged participants to look, observe, feel, and share. As described in the hospital’s materials, Slow Art requires nothing more than one’s presence and attention — there is no right or wrong way to respond Flyer Slow Art 2025 St Vincents….
At Caritas Christi Palliative Care Hospice, a Slow Art Station was set up in the creative arts room, offering Slow Art card resources and a quiet space for reflection. We at Slow Art Day HQ are deeply touched by this extension into palliative care settings. Wow. We hope that more hospitals and hospices follow St. Vincent’s lead.
We are inspired by how St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne adapts Slow Art Day to the rhythms of hospital, and hospice, life — offering patients, staff, and visitors an opportunity to pause, reflect, and transform experience through art. We look forward to seeing how they continue to grow this program in 2026.
— Ashley, Johanna, Jessica Jane, and Phyl
Slow Looking at The Getty Center with Maria Gontea
February 18th, 2026For Slow Art Day 2025, Maria Gontea, a Slow Art Day volunteer, led an independent slow looking session at The Getty Center in Los Angeles, California. A small group of art lovers, including children as young as seven, gathered to pause and engage deeply with four selected works from the collection, set against the museum’s striking hilltop architecture and sweeping views of the city.
- Cabinet on Stand by André-Charles Boulle
- Irises by Vincent van Gogh
- Femme Debout I by Alberto Giacometti
- Boating Party by Gustave Caillebotte
Participants spent ten minutes with each work before gathering to share observations and reflections. From the luminous color and movement of Van Gogh’s Irises to the quiet presence of Giacometti’s standing figure, the session emphasized attentive looking and open conversation rather than expertise.
Maria promoted the event through LinkedIn, inviting her professional community to “rediscover the art of seeing.” In her post, she described Slow Art Day as simple by design: look at four works for ten minutes each, then talk about the experience. No rush, no prior knowledge required. While the group was smaller than anticipated, those who attended found the experience meaningful and energizing.
The Getty Center’s setting amplified the spirit of the day. Its gardens, architecture, and panoramic views created a natural transition from the intensity of Los Angeles life into a more reflective mode of engagement. The event demonstrated how anyone can lead a slow looking session simply by showing up and inviting others to do the same.
We thank Maria Gontea for organizing and hosting this Slow Art Day gathering at The Getty Center. We look forward to seeing what she comes up with for Slow Art Day 2026.
— Ashley, Johanna, Jessica Jane, and Phyl
Art, Performance, and Community in Alkiza, Spain
February 15th, 2026For their 10th Slow Art Day, Ur mara Museoa in Alkiza, Spain, hosted a gathering that combined exhibition, performance, and a shared meal in a single, community-centered experience.
The event featured an exhibition by artists Ruth Anne Lopez, Amaia Conde, and Ainhoa Apezteguia, alongside a live performance by Leire Ugalde.
They put together a terrific video summary of the full day, which you can watch below.
Highlights included:
– A poetic reflection on touch and memory (0:59-2:08), using the metaphor of raindrops to explore how we interact with and preserve moments.
– An artistic piece focusing on skies and images (2:18-2:38), highlighting how images can capture what life cannot.
– An interview with artist Amaya Condechirt (2:51-3:36), who discusses her passion for wood carving and how her sculptures (3:03-3:18) explore the human form and complex life themes to bridge communication gaps in society.
– A sculptural work featuring older individuals and children (3:37-3:47), with one child breaking the fourth wall to question what they are being told, adding a touch of adolescent humor (3:48-3:56).
– A brief moment of reflection on new ideas and connections (4:41-4:50).
In addition, here are some still photos of the event.
As always with Ur Mara Museo, slow food was a part of the full day experience.
Thus, following the exhibition opening and performance, the museum organized a community lunch that brought together artists and visitors. The day as a whole reflected Ur mara Museoa’s mission, which we love, to connect contemporary artistic practice with local community life.
Below is their flyer for the event.
The museum shared documentation of the day through its social media channels, capturing both the exhibition and the collective atmosphere of the event.
We thank the team at Ur mara Museoa for their dedicated 10 years of leadership in the Slow Art Day movement. We look forward to seeing what they come up with for Slow Art Day 2026.
– Ashley, Johanna, Jessica Jane, and Phyl
P.S. Follow Ur mara Museoa on Instagram