It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.
Henry David Thoreau
Slow Art Day is the global all-volunteer event that helps people slow down and really see art.
How Does It work?
One day each year – April 28 in 2012 – people all over the world visit local museums and galleries to look at a small number of pre-selected works for 5 to 10 minutes each. After their individual viewing, participants meet together over lunch to talk about their experience. That’s it. Simple by design, the goal is to focus as much attention as possible on the art and the art of seeing.
Slow Art Day is designed to enable powerful individual experiences within a sustainable and growing global movement. Participants not only benefit from their viewing experience, but are empowered by being a part of the collective experience.
This 2010 ARTNews feature article, Slow Down You Look Too Fast, provides an excellent overview of Slow Art Day.
More about Slow Art Day
Let’s take a closer look at Slow Art Day.
Challenging the Division Between “Creators” and “Consumers”
We don’t accept that there’s a hard division between the people who make art and the people who look at it. We believe that there is an art to seeing – and that it’s a creative act. We also believe that the artist, the viewer, and all the other players (curators, educators, security guards, reporters, buyers) are part of the collective act of creating art.
Celebrating the Art of Organizing
We don’t accept the conservative definition nor artificial bounds of creativity. We believe that bringing people together, organizing, is itself a form of art. The core volunteers who make Slow Art Day happen every year are creative organizers. We are motivated by the vision we have for redefining the experience of looking at art and promoting our love for art in all its forms.
Artists as Inspiration
We look to past, present and future artists to inspire us. One example is the work of Sol LeWitt. By creating beautiful and precise structures that through direction can be installed in a variety of places, LeWitt was able to spread his art beyond his own physical reach. Like LeWitt, the thousands of hosts, volunteers and participants of Slow Art Day are able to spread their art of looking across the globe. Instead of detailed instructions, we provide only a few simple operating principles and then ask the local hosts to improvise and create their own local event. As creative organizers, they select the museum or gallery, the art works, the post-viewing location, and the topics for discussion. All around the world, on Slow Art Day, our volunteers create a kind of performance art focused on the art of seeing.
How Does an Art Institution Get Involved?
Volunteers, as individuals or as museum staff, raise their hands (and register on this site) to host a group at a local museum or gallery. The host selects both the location and the art to view. The global Slow Art Day team (also made up of volunteers) provides the tools and support for hosts to run their own events.
Note that in many cases volunteers in the community host an event at a museum. Museums do not need to officially sponsor events. Slow Art Day is designed so that anyone can create an event at any institution. Participants sign-up online, get assigned their art to view over e-mail, pay their own individual admission, see the art on their own and then have lunch together with the other participants at a pre-defined cafe or restaurant.
Growing Fast
Slow Art Day is growing rapidly from it’s alpha and beta tests in 2009:
- August 2009: alpha test with four participants at the Museum of Modern Art in New York
- October 2009: beta test with 16 sites in North America and Europe
- April 2010: official launch with 55 sites around the world
- April 2011: 90 sites on every continent (including Antarctica!)
- April 2012: 101 sites and growing
Learn more about how Slow Art Day got its start here.
Why Participants Love Slow Art Day
Feedback on this simple event has been overwhelmingly positive. Here’s a sample:
“I loved taking the time to just “be” with the work, particularly pieces I might otherwise walk by.”
“It was a new and valuable way to SEE the art.”
“It was nice that all we had to do was to take our time looking at art. What a great way to spend a few hours. Then, to make it even better, we had the opportunity to discuss what we saw and think about it together with some thoughtful people over a meal. What is there not to like about that?”
“A much better way of doing the art museum than the usual idle ramble. Discussion afterwards was fun, interesting, informative, eye-opening. Look forward to doing it again soon.”
“The experience exceeded every expectation.”
“It gave me a new framework for looking at art on my own. But then it also provided the opportunity to discuss my perceptions with others who had done the same thing. Brilliant!”
“It was exciting to be engaged in conversations about art! Met some lovely people who share a common passion. Very pleasant and eye opening experience.”
Slow Art Day 2012 is Saturday, April 28, in museums and galleries on every continent. Join us and experience art differently.
I Want to Help!
Volunteers serving as hosts and global organizers power Slow Art Day. There is no formal funding or budget. The one thing all our volunteers have in common? An appreciation for the power of art and a desire to have as many people experience it as possible.
Learn more about how you can get involved.
Special Thanks
We extend a special thank you to our volunteer hosts on every continent, without them, Slow Art Day would not be possible.
We’d also like to thank our global team for volunteering their time and their talents and our sponsors for their support.