Author Archives: Johanna Bokedal

Mason City, IL, Hosts City-Wide Slow Art Day

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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 Neumann
Untitled work by Anastasia Neumann
Untitled work by Andrea Maxson
“Colorful Flowers” by Helen Kim
Untitled work by Mary K. Mangold
Untitled 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/

Mindful Slow Looking at The Foster Museum

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For their first Slow Art Day, The Foster Museum in Palo Alto, California, invited participants to engage with works by Tony Foster, a plein air watercolor artist who creates series of paintings he calls “Journeys.” Per their website, “Foster’s unique art form is a series of paintings with accompanying notes and symbolic objects or “souvenirs” made with the intention to reveal wild places or explore a specific idea or theme.”

The free Slow Art Day event was advertised in the museum lobby and in their newsletter for a few months before the event on Saturday, April 13. The event started with an introduction by Anne Baxter, co-Director of The Foster Museum, and was followed by an hour of mindful slow looking at 5 of Tony’s artworks. The event ended with a closing discussion and light refreshments.

Slow Art Day participants engaging with artworks by Tony Foster (Ph: Anne Baxter).

Anne told us that she learned about Slow Art Day through Alan Petersen, Fine Art Curator at the Museum of Northern Arizona, a longtime Slow Art Day museum. Last year when Alan was in California teaching a drawing workshop and researching the whereabouts of Gunnar Widforss’ paintings in the area, Anne asked him for programming ideas that seem like a great fit with The Foster Museum. Alan immediately suggested Slow Art Day. Love that. Word-of-mouth is how we have built this movement.

And we are happy to welcome The Foster Museum to Slow Art Day and look forward to what they come up with for Slow Art Day 2025.

– Jessica Jane, Johanna, Ashley 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 here: https://www.slowartday.com/be-a-host/

P.S.S. You can follow The Foster Museum on Instagram, FB and X.


McMichael Canadian Art Collection Hosts First Slow Art Day

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For their first Slow Art Day, the McMichael Canadian Art Collection in Kleinburg, Canada, organized a slow looking and sketching event.

Visitors were encouraged to walk around the museum and look slowly at their chosen works of art. Guided tours were canceled for Slow Art Day in order for participants to experience the art slowly and on their own terms – excellent!

McMichael Collection Slow Art Day image from their social media post, advertising the event.

Slow looking participants listening to the introduction in the Founder’s Lounge.

To introduce the concept of slow looking, visitors were also invited to a short explanation followed by a 15 minute self-guided sketching activity in front of an artwork of their choice. The sessions were held in the Founder’s Lounge at the top of the hour during three time-slots. All sketching materials were provided, and visitors were given stools to place in front of their chosen artwork.

Images of participants slow looking and sketching were shared to social media.

Participant sketching in front of their chosen artwork.

We love this simple, creative design and encourage other museums to consider copying some of what the McMichael Canadian Art Collection did for 2024.

And we look forward to what they come up with for April 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 here: https://www.slowartday.com/be-a-host/

P.P.S. Stay up to date with other events at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection through their Instagram and Facebook.

The Red Awl Hosts First Slow Art Day

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For their first Slow Art Day, The Red Awl in Clarkdale, Arizona, featured four tiny ink-on-paper drawings by Karen McClanahan. The drawings were chosen because they align with the mission of The Red Awl to create, exhibit, and promote handcrafted, quirky, and often humorous artists’ books and fine art multiples.

The Red Awl is an artist-run project space located in a 100+ year old building in the small town of Clarkdale, Arizona. The building contains studios, a workshop, a copy room with a vintage Xerox machine, and a 242 square foot office lobby that serves as a project and exhibition space.

On Slow Art Day 2024, visitors were welcomed and asked to sign an antique ledger guestbook, then they were invited to read a short statement describing Slow Art Day along with an introduction to the drawings on view. Since this was the first time The Red Awl hosted Slow Art Day, they opted for a casual event instead of a formal program. The artist, Karen McClanahan, was on site to engage in discussions and answer questions throughout the day. An extra detail is that all visitors were asked to put away their cell phones and not take any photos or videos during their visit. This allowed them to stay present with the drawings and the artist.

Antique ledger.

 Visitor viewing closely.

Slow Art Day participants were encouraged to look at the tiny drawings – first with an unaided eye and then with a magnifying glass. This allowed them to see the details up close at a similar magnification as the artist had drawn them. The drawings by McClanahan are small – measuring at 1 in. by 1-5/8 in., or slightly larger than a postage stamp. The size of the works offer a unique way to look slowly, as the intimate scale of the artwork requires a close view, making slowing down imperative.

McClanahan meticulously drew the tiny abstract compositions using a Bic ballpoint pen, a Micron pen, a straight edge ruler, a steady hand, and high-powered reading glasses.

Magnifying glasses for literal close looking.

Ink vs. Ink (Original drawing)

Eddy (Original drawing)

After viewing the works, visitors moved on to view a portfolio with the additional original book “plates” and the finished book titled “Ink vs. Ink.” Seeing the larger context of the four works showed visitors how the artist achieved a conceptual book narrative using pure abstraction.

Informal discussions focused on the various allusions to landscape, the human body, architecture, nature, and fabric. There were many questions regarding the drawing technique itself and how the miniature drawings were created using a humble Bic ballpoint pen.

At Slow Art Day HQ, we love this alignment of the small drawings with the mission of the exhibition space (and the magnifying glasses are cool).

We look forward to whatever The Red Awl comes up with for their second 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 here: https://www.slowartday.com/be-a-host/

Slow Art Day with Soup at Caloundra Regional Gallery

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For their third Slow Art Day, the Caloundra Regional Gallery in Caloundra, Australia, featured the following five works from “The Local Contemporary Art Prize” exhibition, selected by Gallery Collections Curator Nina Shadforth:

  • Itamar Freed, “Tears and Time I Lost” (2023-2024). Kinetic sculpture, water from Maroochy River, artist tears, glass, wood, and metal. 35 x 50 x 47cm.
  • Erin Van Der Wyk, “Biodiverse” (2024). Relief print and embossing. Ed. 1/30. 50.8x61cm.
  • Michael Civarella, “Cross?” (2023). Acrylic paint, board, hardwood timber frame. 80x70cm.
  • Nicole Voevodin-Cash, “Dying Bed” (2023). LANDscan-digital footage, digital print. Ed 1/5. 120x90cm.
  • Andrew Bryant, “Fractal Form” (2023). Wheel-thrown sculptural clay, satin matte Crystal Glaze over colored porcelain slips, stoneware fired. 45x50x8cm.

“The Local Contemporary Art Prize” competition started in 2014 and celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2024. It is open to artists living within the Sunshine Coast and Noosa regions, who are invited each year to submit 2D and 3D works across all mediums.

Slow looking at one of the selected artworks.

For this year’s Slow Art Day, participants were first welcomed and given an overview of the 2 hour-long event. They were then invited to look slowly at the five artworks for 5-10 minutes each, and then write down their observations.

Below is the multi-page handout they designed for the session. We encourage educators and curators to look at what they’ve done here. It’s worth considering copying.

Caloundra Regional Gallery Slow Art Day BookletDownload

During the event, music was played on the harp and guitar by local musicians, Graham and Rowena.

Graham and Rowena, local musicians.

Participants getting refreshments ahead of the group discussion.

Following the individual experience with the artworks, the group gathered in a circle with refreshments to share their observations (pictured below). Slow cooked soups and focaccia were provided, courtesy of the Friends of the Gallery. They also provided a bar with bubbles and wine for purchase. The free event was well-attended, with 38 booked attendees.

Slow looking participants in a discussion circle with refreshments during the second part of the event.

At Slow Art Day HQ we appreciate the caring they put into every aspect of this event and love the idea of having soup and bread during the discussion (how cozy!).

We look forward to whatever the Caloundra Regional Gallery team comes up with for Slow Art Day in 2025

-Johanna, Ashley, Jessica Jane, and Phyl

P.S. Stay up to date with events at the Gallery through their Instagram.

P.S.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 here: https://www.slowartday.com/be-a-host/

Slow Art Day at Wellcome Collection in London

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For their second Slow Art Day, Wellcome Collection in London, England, hosted four different slow looking sessions which included unlocking food memories, writing object labels, and slow looking at works in the Reading Room. Wellcome Collection is a free museum that explores human health through the lens of art, medicine, and science.

Signs inviting to the Wellcome Room.

Slow looking participants in the Wellcome Room.

The first session focused on two photographs of women amidst global crises, which illustrated how pandemics and infectious diseases affect the human experience. The exchange that followed with the participants was filled with deep, personal, and emotional testimonies.

The second session, led by Rosie Wassi, one of the Wellcome Collection team, explored the effects of environmental breakdown.

Discussion in front of Kia LaBeija’s self-portrait in the Infection (in this case HIV) Section of the Being Human gallery at the Wellcome Collection.

On a lighter note, the third session invited attendees to label objects from the Handling Collection, which helped to bring gallery employees and visitors closer together. Sana Siddiqui, one of the Wellcome Collection team, also reignited memories and senses through a selection of old food advertisements.

The day concluded with Wellcome Collection’s Slow Art enthusiast, Dickon Moore, leading a slow looking session of the eight-minute film “White” by Daniella Dean, which explored the impact of colonization on New Zealand’s fauna and flora.

A series of prompts were used for the slow looking sessions:

  • What do you see? Colors? Textures? Patterns? Shapes?
  • What do they symbolize? Why were these particular choices made?
  • What do you think the artist wanted to convey through their choices?
  • How does this resonate with you and your experiences? Does it trigger any emotions?
  • Can you tell a story about this object?
  • Based on all that has been discussed, what would you name or title this work?

Throughout the day a Slow Art slideshow, art materials, and books were also available to all visitors in the Wellcome Kitchen.

Dickon Moore leading slow looking at the film “White” from Danielle Dean.

Slow drawing.

All sessions were facilitated individually or in pairs by the following Wellcome Collection team members: Jake Blackavar, Sana Siddiqui, Rosie Wassi, Isabel Greenslade, Isabelle Gapomo, Griff Davies, and Dickon Moore.

The event was well received, and Wellcome Collection provided several participants’ feedback in the file below:

Slow Art Day FeedbackDownload

At Slow Art Day HQ, we love the variety of sessions at Wellcome Collection, and are excited for whatever they come up with for Slow Art Day 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 here: https://www.slowartday.com/be-a-host/

Meditation and Frozen Paint in Gothenburg

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For their 5th Slow Art Day, the Gothenburg Museum of Art in Gothenburg, Sweden, hosted two events:

  • A guided meditation with artist and yoga instructor Pernilla Ljungqvist in front of the artwork “Höstafton, Nordingrå” by Helmer Osslund (1866 – 1938) – adults and teens were invited to join this one.
  • Slow looking and drawing workshop consisting of two parts: one in the Museum collection where they practiced slow looking exercises, and another in the Museum studio where they created their own artwork – this was a children’s workshop.
Slow Art Day participants in front of “Höstafton, Nordingrå” by Helmer Osslund (1866 – 1938). Photographer: Linda Noreen. Photo courtsey of Gothenburg Museum of Art.
“Höstafton, Nordingrå” by Helmer Osslund (1866 – 1938). Photographer: Hossein Sehat Lou. Photo courtsey of Gothenburg Museum of Art.

For the first activity, Pernilla, the meditation instructor, invited participants to look slowly at the artwork “Höstafton, Nordingrå.” Next, they relaxed into a comfortable position on a mat in front of the work as Pernilla guided them through simple motions and exercises while looking slowly at the painting.

Slow Art Day participants meditating in front of “Höstafton, Nordingrå” by Helmer Osslund (1866 – 1938). Photographer: Linda Noreen. Photo courtsey of Gothenburg Museum of Art.

During the children’s workshop, the kids looked at three artworks using different slow looking techniques focused on noticing new details in each. During the second half of the session, they were invited to paint with frozen colors on watercolor paper (again, this was done in the museum studio). The goal was to use a tactile material, which could activate several senses and emotions *and* in which the concept of time was present in the material itself. Frozen paint to illustrate time and slowness – how cool!

Slow Art Day workshop participant in the act of painting. Photographer: Jonna Kihlsten.
Slow Art Day workshop supplies: frozen paint. Photographer: Jonna Kihlsten.
Slow Art Day workshop participant in front of their artwork. Photographer: Jonna Kihlsten.

At Slow Art Day HQ we love the idea of using frozen paint in a workshop studio for kids (and hey – us adults would enjoy that too) while running a guided meditation for adults.

For readers not familiar with Gothenburg, it is the second largest city in Sweden situated on the west coast near the Kattegat. The city was built on marshy land and the layout of the city was inspired by Dutch cities like Amsterdam.

The Gothenburg Museum itself is the third largest in Sweden and hosts a collection of 19th century Nordic art as well as a range of modern, contemporary, and older works.

We appreciate the museum’s decision both to offer different events for kids and adults and the way they designed each of those sessions. We eagerly look forward to whatever they come up with for Slow Art Day 2025.

-Johanna, Ashley, Jessica Jane, and Phyl

P.S. Stay up to date with events at Gothenburg Museum of Art via their Facebook or Instagram.


“Empty Space” Slow Looking at PKULTRA in Seattle

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For their third Slow Art Day, the art gallery PKULTRA, in Seattle, WA, invited visitors to experience an installation by gallery owner, Paul Kuniholm, titled “Project Urban Penthouse.”

“Project Urban Penthouse” by Paul Kuniholm.

The installation was an empty space above an exhibition venue for the specific purpose of, in Paul Kuniholm’s words, “void intervention: an encapsulation of nothingness for nothingness’ sake.” Said another way, it’s an intentional use of space for nothing.

Kuniholm is a fourth-generation Seattle-based public artist of Swedish descent who works in sculpture, video, mural art, time-based work, as well as digital and binary art (which was the focus of PKULTRA’s Slow Art Day event last year).

Visitors to the gallery were invited to look slowly at Project Urban Penthouse.

To look at “nothing”, in a fast-paced, tech-based, and materialistic culture, is an interesting provocation to the idea that everything must have a purpose.

At its radical core, slow looking, like art in general, is also purposeless in the sense that it’s best when it’s not a transaction, but rather seen as something valuable in and of itself, without recourse to justification.

Thus, we at Slow Art Day HQ like Kuniholm’s provocation and look forward to what interesting exhibit he creates for Slow Art Day 2025.

– Johanna, Ashley, Jessica Jane, and Phyl


P.S. for other installation artworks by Kuniholm, you can view his installation artwork exhibition with Julian Weber Architects. You can also check out the Instagram accounts for artist Paul Kuniholm as well as Art Gallery PKULTRA.

Seventh Slow Art Day in Belmont, NC

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While Slow Art Day is often held in large or regional museums, we also love to celebrate when smaller towns and studios join together to host slow looking.

As such, we’re happy to report that Belmont, NC, a small city of about 10,000 people, held their 7th Slow Art Day in April 2024.

To make it happen The Downtown Belmont Development Association in Belmont, NC, partnered with longtime host and local art center, Art by J Studios, which designed an event to focus on four local artists:

  • Kathi Graves
  • Bae Hart
  • Carol Stowe
  • James Norman

Below is their innovative and fun flyer (feel free to copy).

Slow Art Day flier with profiles of the four featured artists

Both the morning and afternoon sessions were held at Art by J, a children’s art school, which is housed in an old mill down the hall from renowned artist Juan Logan.

Slow Art Day participants at one of the two sessions at Art by J.
Participants engaging in slow looking.
Writing and reflecting during one of the Slow Art Day sessions.

On Slow Art Day, guests were greeted by Jeaniene Dibble, the owner of Art by J, who gave them a Slow Art Day pin (we don’t have a photo of the pin – though we are sure we’d want it!) to wear that she had designed, and handed them a clipboard with paper and a pencil. Normally a chaotic environment with students and classes running, on Slow Art Day the school was serene and contemplative. 

Guests looked slowly at each artwork for 10 minutes and used their clipboards to write down inspirations and answers to prompts that they were given. Next, they engaged in a discussion with three of the artists, Kathi Graves, Carol Stowe, and James Norman, who answered questions and discussed the participants’ thoughts and impressions. Pastries, donuts, and water were also provided.

Amy Bossard, the Design Committee Chair at the Downtown Belmont Development Association, reported that guests and artists were so engaged with each other they could have gone on talking all day long (we hear this all the time and witness it ourselves when we run slow looking events).

Both sessions were very well received, and the Downtown Belmont Development Association and Art by J already look forward to Slow Art Day 2025.

– Johanna, Ashley, Jessica Jane, and Phyl

BYU Museum of Art Engages All Ages for their 4th Slow Art Day

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For their fourth Slow Art Day, Brigham Young University (BYU) Museum of Art invited visitors to look slowly at the following four artworks from the temporary exhibition Spain and the Hispanic World: Treasures from the Hispanic Society Museum & Library:

  • Miguel Alcañiz, “Ascension Panel from the Altarpiece of St. Vincent and St. Giles,” 1422-30  
  • Unknown Colombian Artist, “Portable Writing Desk,” ca. 1684
  • Fray Alonso López de Herrera, “Virgin of the Immaculate Conception,” 1640
    Painted on an engraved copper plate and displayed in a free-standing manner, allowing the visitor to explore the back of the painting.
  • Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida, Sketch for “Visions of Spain,” 1912-13
    Adjacent to a television monitor showing a slow-moving panoramic view of the finished painting.

Visitors were greeted at the entrance of the exhibition by a museum educator who explained the premise of Slow Art Day, and invited them to look slowly at the four works (which were chosen by staff for their visual complexity). Each piece was accompanied by a temporary label with slow-looking prompts that were intended to help viewers be more intentional in their experience with each artwork (see example below). At the end of the visit, the museum educator prompted participants to share something they noticed or experienced by slowing down with the artworks.

Entrance to the Hispanic World exhibition on Slow Art Day, 2024
Temporary label with slow looking prompt next to the “Virgin of the Immaculate Conception” for Slow Art Day
Fray Alonso López de Herrera, “Virgin of the Immaculate Conception,” 1640 (painted on an engraved copper plate and displayed in a free-standing manner, allowing the visitor to explore the back of the painting)  
Unknown Colombian Artist, “Portable Writing Desk,” ca. 1684

In total, there were 118 participants, and the hosts gave each of them a small gift as a thank you: kaleidoscopes were offered to children, and adults had the choice between a museum pin or sticker.

The event was a success, and several participants left positive feedback:

“I liked looking at the works from different angles. I wouldn’t have realized there was something on the back of the painting (Virgin of the Immaculate Conception) if I hadn’t moved around it.” (Adult visitor)

“I really liked the box (Portable Writing Desk). It had a lot of interesting designs on it.” (7 year-old child)

“It was so cool to see the big sketch (Sorolla) next to the finished painting on the TV.” (12 year-old visitor)

“I loved the idea of slowing down and appreciating the beauty around you – not just in the museum, but in life.” (Adult visitor with children)

At Slow Art Day HQ, we love that participants got a small gift for taking part in slowing down. It is also great to see Slow Art Day events being made available to children as well as adults.

We can’t wait to see what BYU Museum of Art comes up with for Slow Art Day in 2025.

-Johanna, Ashley, Jessica Jane, and Phyl

P.S. Stay up to date with events at the BYU Museum of Art through their social media platforms on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, X, or YouTube by using the handle @byumoa.