Two cARTie kids look closely at two works of art inside cARTie with different tools and from different angles, with a cARTIe educator. Screenshot from cARTie’s Instagram.Two cARTie kids look closely at two works of art inside cARTie with different tools and from different angles, with a cARTIe educator. Screenshot from cARTie’s Instagram.
Both artworks, featured on cARTie’s traveling exhibit throughout 2024-2025, were created by secondary school student-artists from Connecticut. Participants watched a thoughtfully produced video highlighting children’s responses and insights, providing practical strategies for slow-looking.
Each work was featured for a recommended 5-10 minutes of focused viewing, encouraging deeper emotional and reflective engagement.
cARTie’s virtual approach captured the perspectives of children, underscoring the importance of accessibility and representation in museum spaces.
We extend our thanks to Clare, Co-Founder and Executive Director of cARTie, and the entire cARTie team for their innovative approach and dedication to Slow Art Day. We look forward to their participation in Slow Art Day 2026.
– Ashley, Johanna, Jessica Jane, and Phyl
P.S. Stay connected with cARTie Art Museum Bus on Instagram.
For its second Slow Art Day, the Denver Art Museum in Denver, Colorado, offered both self-guided viewing and structured, docent-led discussions, inviting guests to explore three artworks.
Elaine de Kooning, Bullfight, 1959. Oil paint on canvas; 77 5/8 x 130 1/4 in. El Anatsui, Ghanaian, Rain Has No Father?, 2008. Installation. Found bottle tops and copper wire.Artist Unknown, Garden Party on the Terrace of a Country Home, about 1720-1730, Mexico. Folding screen, painted oil paint on canvas with gold.
Visitors were encouraged to spend 5–10 minutes individually observing each featured artwork, immersing themselves in a thoughtful, quiet exploration. Throughout the day, docents led engaging discussions every half hour, helping participants articulate their observations and uncover deeper meanings within the art.
The expressionism of Elaine de Kooning’s “Bullfight,” the textures of El Anatsui’s “Rain Has No Father,” and the narrative depicted in the 18th-century piece “Garden Party” sparked conversations and personal reflections among attendees. We recommend you check out the additional videos on the museum’s website showcasing El Anatsui’s installation and process.
You may view or download the handout for the event below:
Volunteers Ashley Christensen, Erinn Kruser and Forrest Corbett organized a group of 25+ job seekers to spend an evening together looking at art slowly at the Seattle Art Museum, Thursday, June 5, 2025. This is part of a growing partnership between Never Search Alone and Slow Art Day.
Below is Christensen’s write-up. And the team at Slow Art Day HQ agree – we couldn’t have described the impact of slow looking at art better.
— Slow Art Day at Seattle Art Museum – Recap
1. We all saw something different. Despite looking at the same painting for 10 minutes, my group came away with wildly different takeaways. From metaphors and feelings to objective facts (sometimes one of us missed whole sections of the art pieces). I was honestly surprised. I thought the longer we looked, the more we’d converge. But the opposite happened, we diverged. The art unfolded differently for each of us.
It was such a clear reminder that our lived experiences shape what we notice, how we interpret, and what moves us.
2. People wanted to connect, with the art and each other. More than 20 of the 26 attendees stayed after the art viewing, gathering at the MARKET to talk, laugh, and share takeaways. That blew me away. We moved up to Seattle two years ago and I’m still getting to know my new home but this felt deeply communal in a beautifully unexpected way. I assumed folks would drift off after the art-viewing but instead, the shared experience created something worth lingering for. People wanted to stay.
3. The vibe was genuinely kind. Networking events are awkward but this was different. I could tell some folks felt anxious or uncertain but people showed up with open minds.
There was something disarming about the format. No pitches. No small talk. Just attention, presence, and an invitation to be curious. It didn’t feel like a networking event. It felt human.
4. Slow looking really changed our state. One person mentioned at the end that she couldn’t focus at first. Her mind was racing. She wanted to move on after a minute. But then she started to settle and by the end of the first painting, she was present.
Another person noticed that someone in our group was fidgety and tense at the start but was visibly relaxed by the end. I felt that too. Like my body had slowed to meet my gaze. The longer we looked, the more the art gave us back.
5. Our attention had ripple effects. As our small groups paused in front of pieces of artwork, something unexpected happened: strangers began to gather near us. They looked from the painting to us and back again, curious about what had captured our attention for so long.
Our stillness seemed to signal that these pieces were worth an extra-long look. That quiet attention drew people in. It was a beautiful reminder that focus is contagious and that how we engage with the world can invite others to do the same.
Thanks again for the inspiration and for building such a powerful global movement. It was an honor to be part of it.
Florence County Museum in Florence, South Carolina, held its third Slow Art Day on April 5, 2025, continuing its tradition of encouraging thoughtful art engagement. Facilitated by Uschi Jeffcoat, Curator of Education & Community Engagement, the museum offered structured, guided slow-looking at artworks by William H. Johnson, featured in the exhibit Fighters for Freedom: William H. Johnson Picturing Justice, which was organized by the Smithsonian American Art Museum and supported by Art Bridges.
Guests thoughtfully engage in slow-looking during the event. Photo courtesy of Florence County Museum.
Participants visited the Focus Gallery on the second floor, where they engaged in a silent observation exercise for 5-10 minutes, thoughtfully guided by reflection prompts provided by the museum (view the file below). These prompts encouraged visitors to deeply consider elements such as their initial visual impressions, color observations, medium and techniques, and personal connections to the artworks. Questions posed included, “Where did your eye go first and why?” and “What would you ask the artist about this painting?”
Guests thoughtfully engage in slow-looking during the event. Photo courtesy of Florence County Museum.
The calm and supportive environment facilitated by these reflective strategies allowed attendees to comfortably share insights and discuss the deeper meanings discovered in William H. Johnson’s vivid portrayals of African American life from the 1930s and 1940s. Visitors noted that this structured approach significantly improved their confidence in independently engaging with art, positively enhancing their overall museum experience.
Florence County Museum’s ongoing commitment to Slow Art Day continues to inspire visitors, and we look forward to their participation in Slow Art Day 2026!
– Ashley, Johanna, Jessica Jane, and Phyl
P.S. Stay connected with Florence County Museum on Instagram and Facebook.
