Slow Art Day 2025 is coming up April 5 – with hundreds of museums, galleries, churches, sculpture parks and other venues (be sure to register your museum, gallery, church, hospital, sculpture garden or other venue).
One of these locations this year will be The House of European History in Brussels, which is focusing on “Our Family Garden” by Smirna Kulenović, a citizen-led photographic project designed to heal collective trauma from the Bosnian War.
And we are happy to report that their Slow Art Day event will launch Slow Looking Saturday, a monthly guided experience that will focus on a different image from the exhibition, examining topics such as commemorations, historical re-enactments, and personal legacies.
These sessions will continue monthly through the end of the exhibit in November 2026.
We at Slow Art Day love seeing this.
Our goal since day one has been to inspire museums and other venues not only to participate in the annual event, but to create year-round programming that helps visitors slow down.
We’ll note that The House of European History worked with Claire Bown to develop this program. Claire is author of The Art Engager: Reimagining Guided Experiences in Museums.
We are glad to see the House of European History’s year-round commitment to Slow Art Day and look forward to getting updates on their progress.
Have a great Slow Art Day 2025.
Best,
– Phyl
P.S. Slow Art Day 2025 is coming up – be sure to register your museum, gallery, church, hospital, sculpture garden or other venue.
The 15th Anniversary Slow Art Day is coming up Saturday, April 5, 2025 and I’m happy to announce today the publication of our 2024 Annual Report, which details many of the events held last year.
Read it and get inspired to plan your 15th Anniversary Slow Art Day 2025 events (register your museum, gallery, church, sculpture park or movie theater for 2025, if you have not yet done so).
More than 180 museums and galleries participated in 2024 (plus many more that ran Slow Art Day sessions but did not register with us). The Slow Art Day volunteer team spent hundreds of hours throughout 2024 and early 2025 researching, writing, and publishing individual reports from 45 of these museums and galleries, all so that curators and educators like you can take inspiration from each other.
Read the report and you will see the impressive citywide event held in Bloomington, Illinois (more than 20 galleries, museums, libraries and other sites participated in 2024). This is the same event that has now inspired Mexico City to host a 33-venue Slow Art Day in 2025.
You’ll see how The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Met Cloisters hosted again while Mass MoCA in North Adams celebrated Slow Art Day for the 10th time or so. The beautiful and wonderful Athenaeum in Boston hosted for the first time while Philadelphia’s The Barnes Foundation, Glenn Foerd, and the Magic Gardens all hosted Slow Art Day events.
In Washington D.C., the National Museum of Women in the Arts hosted yet again (they are one the founding museums for Slow Art Day) while Florida hosted 7 different venues including the Frost Art Museum and the Lowe Art Museum both in Miami.
Antwerp’s church-based Slow Art movement grew to four churches – and we hope will grow into a global movement of churches, synagogues, mosques, and other religious organizations.
St. Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne continued to innovate the art and patient experience (hint: they designed six “slow art cards” with photos of works from their St Vincent’s Art Collection) and in 2025 are reaching out to more hospitals to get them involved.
The Ur Mara Museo in Spain’s Basque country held its 9th Slow Art Day with another full day of slow looking, cooking, eating, and dancing (though we don’t have a report from them this year).
While Ur Mara Museo has been celebrating Slow Art Day for nine years in the Basque country, The Altes Museum (English: Old Museum), a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the heart of Berlin’s museum island, held their Slow Art Day. And check this – the “prerequisite” for participation in this workshop was “curiosity and goodwill towards yourself.”
The Goulandris Museum of Contemporary Art in Athens held the first Slow Art Day in the Greek capital (other Greek cities have hosted – but this year is a first for Athens) while The AGO in Toronto, one of the largest museums in North America, hosted their 9th Slow Art Day.
Europe held three citywide Slow Art Days – Antwerp, Belgium (8 locations), Reims, France (4 locations), Rome, Italy (3 museums).
Belgium hosted 11 locations, Sweden 8, Italy 7, England 6, Germany 5. Read on to get inspired about all the various events around the world.
I want to give special thanks to the Slow Art Day Annual Report team led by Ashley Moran, Editor, and writers Johanna Bokedal, and Jessica Jane Nocella. They work tirelessly to produce this Annual Report and volunteer weekends, mornings, evenings throughout the year.
They fit this in between their full-time job (Ashley Moran at Comcast in the United States), full-time job/PhD student (Johanna Bokedal in Norway), and full-time post-doc work (Jessica Jane in Italy).
And while we are at it, let’s celebrate volunteer Maggie Freeman who is the global director and registrar for Slow Art Day. Maggie started volunteering 10 years ago when she was a sophomore at Mills College. Today, she is finishing her PhD in Islamic Art and Architecture at MIT and somehow, like the others, still finds time to volunteer.
They all do this amazing work for one reason: to grow the Slow Art Day movement around the world so that more people can learn to look at and love art.
Please join me in giving thanks and appreciation to them. They deserve all the kudos we can give them and more.
And have a great 15th anniversary Slow Art Day coming up April 5.
Best,
Phyl and the Slow Art Day team
P.S. Again, if you have not yet registered your 2025 Slow Art Day with us, please do so.
The fourth annual citywide Slow Art Day on Route 66 is being hosted by the twin cities of Bloomington-Normal, Illinois this year.
** 20 ** local arts organizations are coming together for their citywide Slow Art Day, led by BN Artists, the grassroots, artist-led coalition of small business owners, nonprofit workers, and other culturally engaged citizens working collaboratively to promote the vibrant art scene in Bloomington-Normal.
Led by Pamala Eaton and others, BN Artists pioneered citywide events and have inspired other cities around the world to do it, including Rome and Mexico City (Mexico City is also their first citywide this year and bringing together 20 galleries and museums and they specifically cited Bloomington-Normal).
In Bloomington-Normal, guests will have a chance to explore the art studios and galleries of Downtown Bloomington artists, enter a world built of discarded machinery and scrap parts at 410 Sculpture Park and the House on Garling, and experience art viewing and artmaking in Normal at Illinois Art Station, the Children’s Discovery Museum, and Ryburn Place at Sprague’s Super Service.
See the wonderful poster below –
Santino Lamancusa, owner of The Hangar Art Company (who also designed the poster) explained his passion for Slow Art Day: “You don’t have to know anything about art to be able to enjoy it. Slow Art Day’s purpose is to allow you the time to look and make your own discoveries about what you see and how art makes you feel. It’s all about your interaction with the artist and what your experience is with their art. It’s not about anyone else’s opinion but your own. Slow Art Day is an opportunity to experience art for yourself.”
Pamala Eaton, gallerist and owner of Herb Eaton Studio and Gallery said Slow Art Day has helped to build the local art scene, “Collaborating with the other artists and galleries in our community for Slow Art Day has given our local art scene more visibility and we are now attracting more local and out of town visitors to our art locations.”
We at Slow Art Day love what Pamala, Santino, and others have done to get the whole city involved.
They are truly an inspiration for the world!
– Phyl and the Slow Art Day team
P.S. Slow Art Day 2025 is coming up on April 5. If you have not done so, please register your museum, gallery, church, sculpture park or movie theater here: https://www.slowartday.com/be-a-host/
This year’s Slow Art Day is coming up Saturday, April 5, and I’m happy to report a major development for our 15th year: Mexico City is officially joining the citywide Slow Art Day movement.
Thanks to Constanza Ontiveros Valdés, a Mexican art writer and cultural project leader, CDMX (the initials used in Mexico for Mexico City) will be hosting what appears to be now 37 venues across the city.
Wow! ¡Increíble! ¡Chingón!
Ontiveros has worked to organize art galleries, cultural centers, and museums to participate and create workshops, slow looking tours, and related programs. She reports taking inspiration from other successful initiatives such as the one in Bloomington, Illinois, as well as Rome, Antwerp, Philadelphia, and Saratoga in California.
The list of participating venues continues to grow, but as of today, the venues confirmed for Mexico City’s Slow Art Day include:
Alejandra Topete Gallery: A recently opened gallery focusing on innovative curatorial projects that engage diverse media and concepts. It also integrates the owner’s restoration practice.
Amplia Gallery: A hybrid space dedicated to contemporary artistic practices, offering exhibitions, talks, and collaborations that foster dialogue and experimentation.
Arróniz Contemporary Art Gallery: Established in 2006, the gallery focuses on contemporary Latin American art, representing both emerging and mid-career artists with diverse exhibitions.
Arte Abierto – Cultural Space: Situated within the Artz Pedregal shopping center, this cultural space is designed to accommodate large-scale installations and promote contemporary art.
Arte Uno Gallery: A multidisciplinary gallery committed to showcasing Mexican contemporary art through curated exhibitions and creative community outreach.
CAM Gallery: A contemporary art gallery that showcases a diverse range of artists, focusing on innovative and thought-provoking exhibitions.
Casa Wabi Sabino: This beautiful space in Mexico City is part of Fundación Casa Wabi, integrating the Bosco Sodi Studio with a program of temporary contemporary art exhibitions.
Claroscuro Gallery: Specializing in contemporary art, Claroscuro showcases diverse artists and media, aiming to promote innovation and stimulate reflection.
Color CDMX Gallery: A gallery dedicated to promoting the work of Antonio Tovar (In Memory) and serving as an open space for new artists and different concepts.
Enrique Guerrero Gallery: Established in 1997, this gallery specializes in contemporary Latin American art, representing both established and emerging artists.
Ethra Gallery: Focused on contemporary art, Ethra represents a mix of established and emerging artists, highlighting innovative practices and diverse media.
Fiera Arte no Domesticado: A nomadic and experimental platform showcasing raw, outsider, and nonconforming artistic voices through immersive exhibitions and events.
Icons Gallery (Íconos Galería): A gallery that highlights iconic and emerging figures in Mexican contemporary art, bridging traditional techniques with current cultural discourses.
Kaluz Museum: Set in a historic building, Kaluz presents a private collection of Mexican art from the 18th to 21st centuries, inviting reflection on landscapes, people, and identity. It also showcases contemporary art.
Karen Huber Gallery: Specializing in contemporary art, the gallery focuses on emerging and mid-career Mexican and international artists, emphasizing innovation.
Kurimanzutto Gallery: Founded in 1999 by Mónica Manzutto and José Kuri, this gallery represents Mexican and international artists with dynamic exhibitions.
Lago Algo: A stunning cultural venue located by Chapultepec Lake, showcasing contemporary art programs that emphasize Latin American practices and public engagement programs.
Le Laboratoire: An experimental and collaborative space located in a creative hub fostering interdisciplinary collaborations and innovative exhibitions.
LS Gallery: A contemporary gallery showcasing innovative practices and diverse media, representing both Mexican and international artists.
Museo Casa de Carranza: A historic house museum exploring the Mexican Revolution and President Venustiano Carranza’s legacy through period settings and archives.
Museo Jumex: A leading institution in Latin America for contemporary art, hosting international exhibitions and showcasing the Jumex Collection.
Museo Vivo del Muralismo: Opened in 2024, this museum in Mexico City’s historic center features over 3,000 square meters of murals by Diego Rivera and other muralists. Located within a UNESCO site, it explores Mexico’s muralist heritage.
Naranjo 141 Gallery: An art space that promotes contemporary art through exhibitions, workshops, and cultural events, supporting emerging talents.
Olivia Foundation: A contemporary exhibition space in Roma showcasing the Olivia Collection, focused on abstract art from the postwar period to today next to other artists experimenting with abstraction.
Oscar Román Gallery: Established in 1991, the gallery specializes in modern and contemporary Mexican art, representing both renowned and emerging artists.
Pablo Goebel Fine Arts: With over 25 years of experience, this gallery presents modern and contemporary art with an emphasis on Mexican and Latin American masters.
Peana Gallery: An art platform and gallery that collaborates with emerging and established artists, offering curated exhibitions and projects on contemporary practices.
Proyecto N.A.S.A.L: An experimental project space exploring the intersections of sound, performance, and visual culture with a focus on process and collaboration.
Proyecto Paralelo Gallery: Emphasizing collaborative projects and experimental exhibitions, the gallery supports local and international artists.
Saenger Gallery: A contemporary art gallery fostering dialogue between emerging and established artists, offering a space for close, thoughtful encounters with current artistic practices.
Soumaya Museum: A museum housing the Soumaya Foundation’s vast private collection, spanning European Old Masters to modern Mexican icons—ideal for discovering unexpected dialogues.
Spark Studio: A creative and cultural center offering craft and art workshops imparted by artists.
Taller Cristina Torres: An art studio and gallery space where Mexican artist Cristina Torres creates abstract art paintings and invites other artists to experiment with abstraction.
Terreno Baldío Gallery: A contemporary art gallery focusing on site-specific works and interdisciplinary projects, engaging with social and environmental issues.
Third Born Gallery: A newly opened space dedicated to contemporary practices, highlighting emerging talents and experimental works across various media.
Tinta Naranja Gallery: Dedicated to contemporary illustration and graphic arts, Tinta Naranja features emerging illustrators and designers.
Zona de Riesgo Art: A space for experimentation and research, focusing on the intersection of art, archives, and error as methodologies for creation.
But there’s more.
Ontiveros is now organizing venues across the country.
So, for example, Carla Negrete Gallery in Tequisquiapan, Querétaro, will participate and the private university Tecnológico de Monterrey will be involved, with participation from the Monterrey and Saltillo campuses through their Punto Blanco initiative, which aims to create accessible spaces for the community, fostering reflection, self-discovery, and spiritual growth.
We at Slow Art Day HQ are excited to welcome Constanza Ontiveros Valdés, Mexico City, and Mexico as a whole, to our 15th annual global celebration.
– Phyl
P.S. Slow Art Day 2025 is coming up on April 5. If you have not done so, please register your museum, gallery, church, sculpture park or movie theater here: https://www.slowartday.com/be-a-host/.
P.P.S. Here’s the poster Ontiveros created for Slow Art Day 2025.
This year, Argentan, France, home of two great 20th century artists, Fernand Léger and André Mare, will be hosting three Slow Art Day events on April 5, 2025.
Citywide events have been an increasingly important part of Slow Art Day.
Small towns like Bloomington, Illinois, and larger cities like Antwerp, Belgium and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania have been hosting multi-venue Slow Art Day celebrations.
We are glad to welcome this Norman town to our movement focused on helping people learn how to slow down, look at, and love art.
In the meantime, we are finalizing the 2024 Annual Report and expect to publish that within the month (that report provides details from many of the 2024 events and is a great source of inspiration for the design of your 2025 Slow Art Day).
Armond Storck, the Scriptor at Sint-Pauluskerk (St. Paul’s Church) in Antwerp, who has spearheaded the Slow Art Day movement in churches, is now planning, with his colleagues, a 12 hour slow music concert on July 27, 2024.
First, more about Storck’s support for Slow Art Day.
Storck and his colleagues have hosted seven previous Slow Art Day events and they passionately believe that churches are a natural home for Slow Art Day. “Not only are many churches brimming with works of art, but the locations themselves naturally invite reflection. The slow, sensory perception is a way to arrive at the (religious) meaning of a work of art. Time runs almost noticeably slower in our churches than in the world outside,” said Storck.
As a result of Storck’s efforts to evangelize Slow Art Day to other churches, this year there were four churches in Antwerp participating, each of which had gone through preparation and training coordinated by an organization called the Tourism Pastoral and Monumental Churches Antwerp.
Now back to his plans for slow music.
On July 27, titular-organist Bart Rodyns will play Erik Satie’s Vexations for 12 hours (6 a.m.-6 p.m.) at five different locations throughout St. Paul’s Church in Antwerp.
Interestingly, this piece of music from 1893 has only 18 notes, divided into 3 lines, which are repeated 840 times according to an arithmetic scheme. Spending the day listening to this should be meditative and hypnotic, perhaps revelatory.
Here’s how it will work: – 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Bart will play the harmonium in the high choir – 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. Bart will play the piano in ‘t Schooltje during breakfast – 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Participants will hear Bart on the electric piano in the Calvary – 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Bart will play the historic organ in the church – 5 p.m. to 6 p.m. Finally, Bart will finish his marathon in the crypt on a chest organ
The amazing historic organ, pictured below, features three manuals, a pedal board, seventy-four registers, and 3,303 pipes. Oh my.
Sint-Pauluskerk historic organ – photo copyright Reinhard
And here is a photo of Bart Rodyns in his “Satie” outfit (i.e., dressed like the composer). Love that Victorian-era purple/blue long-tailed double-breasted coat and floral (or paisley?) waistcoat. And the yellow trousers? Fantastic. The glasses add a modern touch.
Food will be available: Breakfast in the morning, then starting in the afternoon snacks, beer and wine at “democratic prices.”
If you are in Antwerp, go.
If you are not, then consider traveling for this extraordinary slow musical experience.
– Phyl
P.S. For more information, consult this article (it’s in Dutch so use Google to translate if you need it in English or another language).
Slow Art Day is *today* around the world – Silicon Valley, Berlin, New York, Cleveland, Boston, London, Singapore, Philadelphia, Australia, Washington D.C., Miami, South Africa, Rome, Paris, Brazil, Mexico, Los Angeles, Canada, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium…Bloomington, Indiana (where 20 galleries and museums are participating) to name just a few of the hundreds of museums, galleries, sculpture parks, universities hosting Slow Art Day today.
Small galleries (like the 20 in Bloomington, Indiana), small museums (like the Foster in Palo Alto), and big museums (like the Met in New York, The AGO in Toronto, or The Altes Museum in Berlin) are all hosting.
We started this movement 15 years ago with a simple aim: help more people learn how to look at and love art (and to support the educators and curators who share the same passion).
We are proud of how this movement has grown and created cultural space in the art world for the simple act of slowing down and looking.
So – happy Slow Art Day to all of you at all the museums, galleries, sculpture parks, universities, street art organizations who make Slow Art Day happen around the world. You are the heroes of the art world doing the important work of helping everyone slow down with art.
We look forward to getting your reports – photos, descriptions, etc – so we can continue to help you learn from and inspire each other.
Best,
– Phyl, Ashley, Johanna, Jessica Jane, and Maggie
P.S. If you have not yet registered your Slow Art Day 2024 with us, then go to this page.
P.P.S. Our 2023 Annual Report is out. Read it and get inspired!
Slow Art Day 2024 is tomorrow, Saturday, April 13 and yet again there are an amazing variety of museums, galleries, churches, cities, sculpture parks joining us from around the world (see the full list) – including across Europe.
To name just a few across that continent…
There are three cities hosting citywide Slow Art Days – Antwerp, Belgium (*8* locations), Reims, France (*4* locations), Rome, Italy (*3* museums).
Some countries are hosting multiple sites including Belgium (*11* locations including Antwerp), Sweden (*8* locations), Italy (*7* locations including Rome), England (*6* locations), Germany (*5* locations including 2 in Berlin), Spain (*4* locations), Ireland (*3* locations), Denmark (*2* locations).
Then Ukraine, Slovenia and several other countries have single sites for Slow Art Day 2024.
Here’s details on just two of these locations:
Altes Museum – Berlin
The Altes Museum (English: Old Museum) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was originally built between 1825 and 1830. It’s in the heart of Berlin on the museum island. For their Slow Art Day they are running a workshop in the Greek and Roman galleries.
And I love this – the “prerequisite” for participation in this workshop is “curiosity and goodwill towards yourself.” Lovely. Led by the art therapists Naira Bloss and Ulla Utasch, the workshop includes a short guided relaxation exercise, slow looking at selected ancient art, then followed by an in-depth discussion.
Sweden Nationalmuseum
The Swedish Nationalmuseum is hosting another art chill in their beautiful Sculpture Courtyard. They are providing yoga mats and an optional soundtrack.
These are just a few of the hundreds of places hosting events around the world this year.
And, of course, you can run your own personal Slow Art Day anywhere anytime.
We hope you have a wonderful Slow Art Day 2024.
– Phyl
P.S. If you have not yet registered your Slow Art Day with us, then go to this page.
P.P.S. Our 2023 Annual Report is out. Read it and get inspired!
Slow Art Day 2024 is coming up this Saturday, April 13 and yet again there are an amazing variety of museums, galleries, churches, cities, sculpture parks joining us from around the world (see the full list) – including across the East Coast of the United States.
To name just a few across the East Coast…
The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Met Cloisters will be hosting again in New York City.
Mass MoCA will be hosting again in North Adams, MA while the Worcester Art Museum will yet again produce a Slow Art Day in that city. The beautiful and wonderful Athenaeum will be hosting in Boston. Connecticut and New Jersey supports several locations including the Grounds for Sculpture.
Philadelphia has a nascent citywide including The Barnes Foundation, Glenn Foerd, and the Magic Gardens.
In Washington D.C., the National Museum of Women in the Arts is hosting yet again (they are one the founding museums for Slow Art Day). Virginia and North Carolina have multiple locations across those states while Florida hosts *7* different venues including the Frost Art Museum and the Lowe Art Museum both in Miami.
Here are a few locations –
Mass MoCA
This year, Mass MoCA has created two ways to experience Slow Art Day:
Slow Looking Tours
A paired audiowalk they are calling “Where I End & You Begin,” which requires advance reservations.
The museum has had a close relationship with artist James Turrell and with the now-deceased Professor Arden Reed who wrote a terrific book, “Slow Art : The Experience of Looking, Sacred Images to James Turrell”, which talks about Slow Art Day (and for which I gave a blurb on the back cover).
James Turrell, “Once Around, Violet (Shallow Space),” 1971.
Barnes Foundation
The Barnes always produces a thoughtful and interesting Slow Art Day (and we are in conversations with them about a conference – stay tuned for more details).
This year, when participants arrive, they will receive a list of five paintings for self-guided slow looking. They will be encouraged to spend an hour or so looking, and then will be invited to a discussion in the Herbert and Joyce Kean Family Classroom. That discussion will be led by Barnes senior instructor Michael Williamson.
Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Before the Bath (detail), c. 1875. BF9. Public Domain.
National Museum of Women in the Arts
We love the National Museum of Women in the Arts – they are founders of the Slow Art Day movement and they have led the global re-awakening to the centuries-old role of women artists.
Their event this year is sold out. So, if you live in Washington, DC then plan ahead for their Slow Art Day 2025.
The Boston Athenaeum, which combines a library, with a museum and cultural center, is hosting Slow Art Day in their landmark building.
They will be focusing on a single painting by Boston artist Allan Rohan Crite.
Worcester Art Museum
Our friends at Juniper Rag are co-sponsoring a Slow Art Day at the Worcester Art Museum. The WAM will be focusing their slow looking event on the new Terrain Exhibition, which features 21st-Century landscape photographers and how these contemporary artists use different photographic processes to explore the idea of landscape.
Frost Art Museum
For their *13th* Slow Art Day (Frost is one of the founding museums of this slow looking movement), Frost will feature performances by Miami-based artists Smita Sen (pictured on the right – below), who explores the relationship between the body and memory through sculpture and technology, and Agua Dulce (left – below), a Miami-based artist who uses organic materials to blur the line between the mystical and mundane.
These are just a few of the hundreds of places hosting events around the world this year.
And, of course, you can run your own personal Slow Art Day anywhere anytime.
We hope you have a wonderful Slow Art Day 2024.
– Phyl
P.S. If you have not yet registered your Slow Art Day with us, then go to this page.
P.P.S. Our 2023 Annual Report is out. Read it and get inspired!
