Yearly Archives: 2024
PKULTRA’s Binary Encoded Slow Art Day
For their second Slow Art Day, the art gallery PKULTRA, in Seattle, WA, invited visitors to look slowly at the art of gallery owner, Paul Kuniholm – a public artist who works in sculpture, video, mural art, time-based work, as well as digital and, for this exhibit, binary art.
The binary-encoded art series for Slow Art Day consisted of wayfinding and fine art paintings using binary encoding of various light-hearted narratives from emojis, positive affirmations, cognitive behavioral therapy maxims and cheerful quips.
In addition, Kuniholm hosted a live hour-long audio ‘slow’ podcast with lots of silence, random conversation with passerbys, and others during the gallery’s Slow Art Day.
At one point during the podcast, Kuniholm reports that during his training at the Seattle Art Museum he was told the typical visitor spends 7 seconds looking at any individual artwork (a statistic we’ve seen and reported on before). He also muses about the ‘equation’ for slow looking.
After participants looked slowly, they were asked to take a whimsical exit survey (see below).
- 1. ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH YOUR SLOW ART DAY EXPERIENCE TODAY? [ ] YES [ ] NO
- 2. HAS ANYONE COMMENTED, YOU SEEM NUMERICAL? A TEN, ETC [ ] YES [ ] NO
- 3. DO YOU HAVE A SECRET “MAGIC” NUMBER? [ ] YES [ ] NO
- 4. DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE NUMBER SONG? [ ] YES [ ] NO
- 5. DO YOU USE YOUR FINGERS, DIGITS, FOR MATH? [ ] YES [ ] NO
- 6. ARE YOU ALWAYS LOOKING OUT FOR NUMBER ONE? [ ] YES [ ] NO
At Slow Art Day HQ we are glad that PKULTURA has joined the Slow Art Day movement, and hope that other artist-run galleries take inspiration to host their own event in 2024.
-Johanna, Phyl, Ashley, and Jessica Jane.
P.S. Check out their Instagram for more information about PKULTURA.
Antwerp, Belgium – Museum Mayer van den Bergh
Köping, Sweden – Köping’s Museum
Windsor, CT – Windsor Art Center
Miami, FL – Frost Art Museum
Vilnius, Lithuania – Europos Parkas
Mettingen, Germany – Draiflessen Collection
The Florence County Museum Leads the Way
For their second Slow Art Day, The Florence County Museum in South Carolina invited visitors to take a slow look at several artworks by local artist William H. Johnson (born 1901), featuring scenes of the everyday life of African Americans during the 1930s and 1940s.
On the day, all visitors were offered a printed slow looking guide (see below) and a Slow Art Day button when entering the museum. Visitors could choose between walking around on their own or taking part in a guided group tour, which were available throughout opening hours 10am-5pm. Refreshments were available in the afternoon (nice touch!).
Here’s the guide:
The Florence County Museum did a great job with their Slow Art Day – a simple effective printed guide, a lovely button, focus on one artist, a choice between a formal tour and self-guided reflection, and, finally, even refreshments.
What an effective holistic approach to the day.
Other museums and galleries may want to consider copying their design (or at least their guide).
The Florence County Museum is leading the way in celebrating Slow Art Day and we look forward to what they come up with for Slow Art Day 2024 (registration is open!)
-Johanna, Phyl, Ashley, and Jessica Jane
PS. Stay up to date with the Florence County Museum’s news and exhibitions through their Instagram and Facebook pages.
Slow Art Day with Rosé at the Bula Barua Gallery
For their first Slow Art Day, the Bula Barua Gallery in St. Petersburg, Florida, hosted an event called “Rosé and Fine Art.”
Arriving guests were welcomed with a glass of wine or water and given a slow tour of The Bula Barua Gallery. Each artwork had a QR code, which revealed the artwork’s story and description.
Bula Barua is an artist whose conscientious approach to painting fits in well as a slow making approach. In her own words:
“I take a lot of time to plan out my paintings before I pick up a brush. I first start with a sketch and then graduate to pigments and paints. It often takes hundreds of layers of color to bring my vision to life […] This entire process from start to finish can take weeks or months, depending on the size of my canvas and which materials I use.”
Bula Barua. Statement from the Bula Gallery Website.
At Slow Art Day HQ we hope that more individual artists copy Bula Burua and host Slow Art Day events in their galleries and studios. It’s a great way to deepen their relationship with their followers, fans, and potential buyers.
We look forward to what Bula Burua comes up with for Slow Art Day 2024.
-Johanna, Ashley, Phyl, and Jessica Jane.