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.
For their 5th Slow Art Day, Eaton Studio Gallery in Bloomington, IL., spearhead another citywide Slow Art Day in 2024, and as one of the *18* locations, invited participants to a sip-n-view followed by a conversation with artist Herb Eaton.
Exterior of the Studio GalleryParticipants slow looking and engaging with artist Herb EatonHerb Eaton with Slow Art Day participants“Scribbler’s Memorial” Bronze & Stainless by Herb EatonAssorted artworks by Herb Eaton
Slow Art Day has become a prominent force across Bloomington during the past few years, and Pamela Eaton, who has spearheaded the citywide Slow Art Day, told us that the whole multi-venue celebration has been transformative for art in Bloomington.
“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.”
Pamela Eaton
The citywide event received a promotion grant to help cover the cost of printing promotional materials, and Eaton Gallery itself received an Illinois Tourism grant to promote the Art Trail on Route 66 for Slow Art Day.
To conclude the festivities, all Slow Art Day goers across the 18-venue city-wide Slow Art Day event were invited to a closing reception with a prize giveaway at The Hangar Art Company from 2 to 4 p.m. in Downtown Bloomington.
At Slow Art Day HQ we have been delighted to follow the events by Eaton Studio Gallery since they joined the Slow Art Day movement during the Covid19 Pandemic. From designing a drive-by exhibition in 2020 to now leading a city-wide phenomenon — we can’t wait to see how Slow Art Day grows in Bloomington during the years to come.
For their first city-wide Slow Art Day, the town of Mason City, Illinois lined up three venues to host artwork events for Slow Art Day: the public library, Reimagine Mason City Foundation, and the Arlee Theater.
All three are local nonprofits who are actively involved in youth services and the arts. Even though Mason City is not large enough to need a stop light (with a population of 2500), they still make sure to celebrate local artists. This year’s featured works included pieces from local artists who have passed on, as well as works from four other Central Illinois artists with various ties to Mason City. Most of the entries were paintings, with one sculpture.
This year’s local artworks were:
Unknown titled piece by Andrea Maxson
“Colorful Flowers” by the late Helen Kim
Two untitled pieces by Anastasia Neumann
“Protection” and “Old Warrior” by Rick Kehl
Unknown titled piece by the late Mary Price
Unknown titled piece by the late Mary K. Mangold
“Arcturian Landscape Study in Aluminum” by Paige Price
Untitled work by Anastasia NeumannUntitled work by Anastasia NeumannUntitled work by Andrea Maxson“Colorful Flowers” by Helen KimUntitled work by Mary K. MangoldUntitled work by Mary Price“Arcturian Landscape Study in Aluminum” by Paige Price“Old Warrior” by Rick Kehl “Protection” by Rick Kehl
On Slow Art Day, the artworks were divided across the three selected locations, and tips for looking at art slowly were provided at each venue.
The public library showed their pieces in a special exhibit.
The Reimagine Mason City Foundation hosted a pop-up coffee shop where their works were displayed.
And lastly, the Arlee Theater projected digital versions of all of the works onto the big screen prior to the evening’s show (we have seen several theaters participate over the years, and love this type of venue for slow looking!).
At Slow Art Day HQ, we love to see citywide events – and especially appreciate smaller towns who come together to celebrate the day. We also hope to see more movie theaters join the Slow Art Day movement.
We look forward to seeing what Mason City comes up with for Slow Art Day in 2025.
-Johanna, Ashley, Jessica Jane, and 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/
This year the city-wide Slow Art Day phenomenon continued in Bloomington, Illinois, with 20(!) participating museums and art galleries. And, for the third year running, Angel Ambrose Fine Art Studio participated.
For their contribution to the citywide Slow Art Day, Angel Ambrose featured “Tell Me Stories”, a painting that had been on long-term loan at Illinois State University’s Alumni Center on Michigan Avenue in Downtown Chicago.
Angel Ambrose, “Tell Me Stories”. Over 3 1/2’ x 4 1/2’.
On Slow Art Day, Angel invited visitors of all ages to the studio gallery to take a slow look and hear about the stories behind the painting between 10 AM – 2 PM.
Angel welcomed all participants and asked them to take 3-5 minutes or more to contemplate “Tell Me Stories” or another artwork using some of the following prompts for slow looking.
She came up with some good prompts, as you see below.
—- Prompts
For your head (objective thought/intellect) you can consider any of the following:
What did you see?
What decisions did you notice that Angel made in her painting—line, color, texture, form, repetition, contrast, etc?
Was there a color scheme/theme apparent?
Notice the paint—can you see individual brushstrokes, or a smooth surface, or perhaps another tool was used to apply the paint?
How was movement used in the artwork?
Was the piece representational, abstracted, or somewhere between? Why do you think Angel chose this format?
For your heart (feelings/emotions), consider the following:
How did you feel when you looked at the work?
Did the colors evoke any emotions?
What did these feelings make you think about?
Did your mood change after looking at the artwork?
Did you experience any personal significance to the piece?
Artist Angel Ambrose and her “Management of Time” triptych at Angel Ambrose Fine Art Studio.
During the day, visitors could also visit any of the 20 Bloomington Slow Art Day locations free of charge. The day concluded with a closing reception at The Hangar Art Co. from 2 – 4 PM for participants from all venues.
The Eaton Gallery was the first to host a Slow Art Day in Bloomington. In 2020 at the height of the pandemic, they organized a walk up/drive by exhibition. Then in 2022 Eaton and other Bloomington galleries pioneered hosting a city-wide Slow Art Day – and Angel Ambrose was in that original group.
At Slow Art Day HQ we have eagerly followed the growth of Slow Art Day in Bloomington along Route 66. We (unsurprisingly) like to take things slow, but the fast spread of the citywide movement in Bloomington (and now around the world) both calms and excites us.
We can’t wait to see what Angel Ambrose Fine Art Studio comes up with for Bloomington’s citywide Slow Art Day in 2025.
-Johanna, Ashley, Jessica Jane, and Phyl
P.S. Stay up to date with events at Angel Ambrose Fine Art Studio via their Facebook page.
P.P.S. We are hearing rumors that the state of Illinois might host a *statewide* Slow Art Day in 2025. Stay tuned.
For their second Slow Art Day, the Eskenazi Museum of Art in Bloomington, Indiana, offered visitors a wide range of activities, including in-gallery sketching, snacks, self guided tours, discussion, and an art-based puzzle contest. Note that the museum is part of the growing Bloomington city-wide Slow Art Day event – which this year included more than 20 museums and galleries across the city (remarkable!).
For the slow looking activity, three artworks were highlighted by Eskenazi, though guests were encouraged to pick any piece in the collection:
“Swing Landscape” by Stuart Davis
“Matter” video by Adam Magyar Below is a still image from the video.
“Flight of a Thousand Birds” by Anila Agha
To facilitate individual slow looking and discussions, the museum re-used their slow looking hand-out from last year (with a few tweaks). We invite all museum curators and Slow Art Day hosts to view the particularly well-designed hand-out below.
Keaton Clulow, Public Experiences Manager, shared that the puzzle contest was particularly popular. For that, guests were asked to spend at least ten minutes with “Swing Landscape” by Stuart Davis before attempting to put together a giant 3D puzzle of the piece from memory.
Visitor viewing “Swing Landscape” by Stuart Davis.
The museum was also successful at involving all generations, including young people (see below).
Slow looking participant viewing an artwork in the museum. Photo by Shanti Knight.
At Slow Art Day HQ we love the creativity the Eskenazi brings to designing its Slow Art Day activities. We know we would enjoy working on the “slow-puzzle.”
We can’t wait to see what the Eskenazi Museum of Art comes up with for next year’s Blooming citywide event (which may turn into a statewide event – stay tuned).
P.P.S. The museum asked us to include this statement: The museum wishes to acknowledge and honor the myaamiaki, Lënape, Bodwéwadmik, and saawanwa people, whose ancestral homelands and resources Indiana University Bloomington occupies.
Rome (Italy) has joined the citywide Slow Art Day movement!
Valentina Gnesutta, the Art Historical Curator for the Directorate of Civic Museums for the city of Rome, reached out to let us know that they are hosting special events in three of their museums for Slow Art Day 2024.
The three Roman museums participating in their coordinated citywide Slow Art Day are:
The citywide movement began in Antwerp, Belgium with museums, and now churches, and then took a big leap in Bloomington, Illinois, which is now hosting 20 museums and galleries for their coordinated Slow Art Day (they deserve a lot of credit for building the largest citywide, which is likely to go statewide soon).
Taking inspiration from Bloomington and Antwerp, other cities like Rome and California’s Saratoga are embracing the citywide movement.
And, of course, this year’s Slow Art Day is coming up this Saturday, April 13. There are major museums, sculpture parks, galleries, churches, and cities all coming together to help the world slow down and learn to look at and love art.
We hope you have a wonderful Slow Art Day 2024 wherever you are in the world – and that you take inspiration from Valentina Gnesutta and hundreds of others across every continent who are leading the efforts to expand our movement.
– Phyl
P.S. If you have not yet registered your Slow Art Day with us, then go to this page.
P.P.S. Our Annual Report is out. Read it and get inspired!
For the 15th annual Slow Art Day coming up in less than two weeks, Bloomington, Illinois, the State of Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, the Illinois Route 66 Commission and others (see poster below) have organized under the leadership of gallerist Pamala Eaton and others, more than 20 – that’s right, 20! – participating galleries and museums.
Pamala and her husband Herb launched the first Slow Art Day in Bloomington in the spring of 2020, at the height of the pandemic with a “Window Walk-By.” They placed art in their gallery window and asked people to walk, cycle, or drive slowly by and look. That initial creative effort during Covid has bloomed into what is now the largest citywide Slow Art Day in the world.
When I asked Pamala Eaton why she has put so much energy into spearheading the growth of Slow Art Day, she talked about her passion for art, which has taken root since her retirement from her first career as a teacher and physical education instructor. She now strongly believes that experiencing art, especially slowly, can be very powerful for everyone including the uninitiated. In other words, Eaton shares both the love of art *and* the spirit of radical inclusivity that guides so many of us.
That passion has also driven Eaton to build and extend the artist community in Bloomington as a way to grow Slow Art Day. In the early years of hosting, Eaton connected with artist Janean Baird, who hosted and then brought together the growing Slow Art Day movement with the historic Route 66 commission, which took up the effort and promoted it wider. Then another artist and gallerist, Santino Lamancusa, began to design the terrific posters (see above) and host after-events with artists and others thereby further growing the community.
Bit by bit, brick by brick, show by show, Eaton, Baird, Lamancusa and others grew Slow Art Day in Bloomington from one gallery in 2021, to nine in 2022, to 15 in 2023, and now 20 in 2024.
But there’s more.
Eaton and her colleagues in Bloomington have inspired other cities around the world, including much bigger cities (we were just contacted by one of Europe’s grandest cities about a coordinated citywide – more about that in the next week or so).
We hope you have a wonderful and slow 2024 art day wherever you are in the world – and that you take inspiration from how Eaton and the 20 galleries and museums in Bloomington have turned Slow Art Day into a citywide celebration.
– Phyl
P.S. If you have not yet registered your Slow Art Day with us, then go to this page.
P.P.S. Our Annual Report is out. Read it and get inspired!
On April 15, Corridor Contemporary, located in the vibrant Fishtown neighborhood of Philadelphia, PA, hosted their first Slow Art Day in conjunction with the debut of their exhibition Printed Perspectives.
The location in Philadelphia is a sister gallery to owner Erez Zemach’s main gallery in Tel Aviv, both of which exhibit emerging and established Israeli and international artists. They showcase a range of contemporary art from figurative and photorealism to fresh contributions of graffiti and the wider street art vibe.
They kept the design of their Slow Art Day event simple, and recommended that participants choose at least 3 artworks and view them slowly for 5 minutes (perhaps even using a timer). They prompted viewers to consider what other areas of their life might benefit from intentionally slowing down.
Flyer for the event.Main gallery at Corridor Contemporary.Participants slowly viewing a work in the main gallery.
The gallery reported that they had quite a successful event with about 100 visitors attending throughout the day. I had the pleasure of being one of those participants, and was particularly drawn to the work of West Philadelphia artist King Saladeen in his solo exhibition: No Middle Cla$$. I found myself taking in his works for much longer than 5 minutes, and I wasn’t alone. They drew quite an audience.
Ashley Moran with work by King Saladeen.Artwork by King Saladeen.Staircase gallery at Corridor Contemporary.
Corridor Contemporary has three floors of galleries, and I found the small, winding staircase to be a perfect intimate spot to look slowly at skateboards adorned with art by Keith Haring from The Skateroom.
At Slow Art Day HQ, we love to see the breadth of institutions that participate in Slow Art Day, from local galleries such as this to the larger museums. It proves that Slow Art is truly accessible to all. I am particularly delighted to have discovered Corridor Contemporary’s gallery in my own neighborhood, and can’t wait for their event in 2024.
For their second Slow Art Day, Angel Ambrose Fine Art Studio in Bloomington, Illinois invited visitors to consider the well known wedding rhyme “Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue” as part of the city-wide Slow Art Day in this famous Route 66 town.
Angel invited visitors to her studio to look slowly at a selection of works that corresponded with the rhyme:
– Something Old: an “old” painting from Angel’s BFA show at Illinois State University
– Something New: a selection of new artworks by Angel
– Something Borrowed: an Ansel Adams photo on loan from a private collection
– Something Blue: a painting titled “Magnificent Blues,” on loan from the private collection of Wendy Knight Ives (pictured below).
Something Blue: “Magnificent Blues,” on loan from the collection of Wendy Knight Ives.
Something New: Artwork by Angel Ambrose
Angel also shared a slow looking activity on Facebook for online participants.
Give yourself 3-5 minutes of silence to focus on one piece of art. Think about these prompts as you view the selected art, (and answer them for yourself afterwards if you wish):
For your head (objective thought/intellect) you can consider any of the following:
What did you see? What decisions did you notice that Angel made in her painting—line, color, texture, form, repetition, contrast, etc? Was there a color scheme/theme apparent? Notice the paint—can you see individual brushstrokes, or a smooth surface, or perhaps another tool was used to apply the paint? How was movement used in the artwork? Was the piece representational, abstracted, or somewhere between? Why do you think Angel chose this format?
For your heart (feelings/emotions), consider the following:
How did you feel when you looked at the work? Did the colors evoke any emotions? What did these feelings make you think about? Did your mood change after looking at the artwork? Did you experience any personal significance to the piece?”
Angel reported that the event was a success, with many new visitors and lots of great conversations.
At Slow Art Day HQ we love how this and the other galleries in Bloomington have been pioneering citywide events. (Note: rumors are that a state-wide Slow Art Day is now being considered in Illinois!)
