Slow Art Day 15th Anniversary Annual Report

Posted on March 29, 2026 by Phyl Terry

Slow Art Day 2026 is coming up Saturday, April 11, and I’m happy to announce today the publication of our 2025 Annual Report, which details many of the events held last year.

Read it and get inspired to plan your 2026 events (register your museum, gallery, church, sculpture park or movie theater for 2026, if you have not yet done so).

Over 15 years, educators and curators at museums and galleries around the world have built something extraordinary:

– More than 1,500 events across every continent — including Antarctica
– Endless creativity in how people experience art slowly
– The rise of citywide events — Mexico City had 37 venues in 2025 and is growing to 55+ in 2026 – to Central Illinois, which helped pioneer the citywide model and this year is producing a region-wide Slow Art Day/weekend of events up and down Route 66
– Expansion into churches, hospitals, and community spaces
– New collaborations, including with Never Search Alone, bringing job seekers together through art and community

At its core, the idea remains simple: help people slow down and really see.

But there is a second idea — to open up the art world.

No expertise required. No background assumed. Just people, looking at art, together.

This movement is built locally, event by event, by people like you.

And in a time of growing division and isolation, that matters more than ever.

When people gather to look slowly at art — and then talk about what they see — they connect. They build trust. They remember their shared humanity.

That is what thousands have helped to create.

We look forward to our next 15 years when we believe art will be ever more important.

Thank you.

Phyl Terry

P.S. I want to give special thanks to the Slow Art Day Annual Report team led by Ashley Moran, Editor, and writers Johanna Bokedal, and Jessica Jane Nocella. They work tirelessly to produce this Annual Report and volunteer weekends, mornings, evenings throughout the year.

They fit this in between their full-time job (Ashley Moran at Comcast in the United States), full-time job/PhD student (Johanna Bokedal in Norway), and full-time post-doc work (Jessica Jane in Italy).

And while we are at it, let’s celebrate volunteer Maggie Freeman who is the global director and registrar for Slow Art Day. Maggie started volunteering 10 years ago when she was a sophomore at Mills College. Today, she is finishing her PhD in Islamic Art and Architecture at MIT and somehow, like the others, still finds time to volunteer.

50+ Venues for the Mexico City 2026 Citywide!

Posted on March 22, 2026 by Phyl Terry

Wow. Constanza Ontiveros Valdés — an art writer and cultural project leader – has done it again, but bigger and better.

For the second citywide Slow Art Day in Mexico City on April 11, 2026, Ontiveros Valdés has organized more than 50 museums, galleries, artist studios, and independent cultural spaces. She and her volunteer team have also created a website just for their citywide. Photos below are part of their impressive site.

Participating institutions include museums such as Museo del Palacio de Bellas Artes, Museo Vivo del Muralismo and Museo Archivo de la Fotografía, as well as galleries, artist studios, and cultural spaces across the city. Each venue will organize its own program — ranging from guided slow-looking sessions and conversations to workshops and informal gatherings.

As noted, the Mexico City initiative continues to be led by Ontiveros Valdés. This year, she is supported by three enthusiastic and talented volunteers: Alejandra Sánchez Catalán, Shalom Hernández Espinosa, and Rebeca Rosales Reyes, whose collaboration has been key to the project’s expansion.

The initiative is further strengthened by the support of GAMA (Galerías de Arte Mexicanas Asociadas), a network of leading contemporary art galleries in Mexico, and by the cultural platform Artists’ Container, founded by curator and producer Gabriela Andrade Gorab, which fosters collaboration and visibility across artistic communities.

This is a remarkable initiative and is definitely one path for the future of Slow Art Day. We now have two committed citywide organizers – one in Illinois and now one in Mexico City. We hope that more emerge inspired by the success of the efforts of Ontiveros Valdés and her team.

With love and sequins,

Phyl, Ashley, Jessica Jane, Johanna, and Maggie (the Slow Art Day core volunteer team)

P.S. Below are the participating venues:

·   ALDO ISLAS ESTUDIO
·   ALEJANDRA TOPETE GALLERY
·   ALMANAQUE
·   AMPLIA GALERIA
·   ARRÓNIZ ARTE CONTEMPORÁNEO
·   ARTE ABIERTO
·   CAM GALERÍA
·   CASA ENNEA
·   ENCARTE
·   ETHRA GALERÍA
·   ESTUDIO LA DALIA
·   ESTUDIO MARTE
·   FIERA ARTE NO DOMESTICADO
·   FUNDACION TTAMAYO
·   GALERÍA ANDREA POZZO, IBERO
·   GALERÍA CAMPECHE
·   GALERIA CLAROSCURO
·   GALERÍA HILARIO GALGUERA
·   GALERIA KAREN HUBER
·   GALERIA RGR
·   KÖNIG GALERIE
· KURIMANZUTTO
·   LAGO ALGO
·   LE LABORATOIRE
·   LUAN MUSEO EMOCIONAL
·   LS GALERÍA
·   MARIANE IBRAHIM GALLERY
·   MISFIT ART ALLIANCE
·   MUSEO ARCHIVO DE LA FOTOGRAFÍA
·   MUSEO CASA DE CARRANZA
·   MUSEO DEL PALACIO DE BELLAS ARTES
·   MUSEO SOUMAYA
·   MUSEO TAMAYO ARTE CONTEMPORÁNEO
·   MUSEO VIVO DEL MURALISMO
·   OMR
·   PATRICIA CONDE GALERÍA
·   PEANA
·   PLAYA ESCANDÓN
·   PROYECTO PARALELO
·   PROYECTO N.A.S.A.L
·   SAENGER GALERÍA
·   STUDIO MITOTE
·   TALLER CRISTINA TORRES
·   TERRENO BALDÍO
·   THIRD BORN
·   ART TRIGGERIA (HAAB PROJECT CONDESA)
·   TINTA NARANJA GALERÍA
·    YUNQUE FÁBRICA DE ARTE
·     ZONA DE RIESGO

Slow Looking and Slow Walking at Museo Universidad de Navarra in Spain

Posted on March 21, 2026 by Phyl Terry

For their third Slow Art Day in 2025, the Museo Universidad de Navarra in Pamplona, Spain organized two free events — one for adults and another for children — both exploring different ways of slowing down with art.

Featured works included:

• “Incendi” by Antoni Tàpies
• Walking route map artwork by Hamish Fulton

First, nine adults gathered in front of the abstract painting “Incendi” (1991) by Antoni Tàpies for a slow looking session guided by a museum educator. Participants spent extended time contemplating the work before sharing their observations and reflections together in discussion.

*Adult session held in front of Incendi by Antoni Tàpies (1991); photo by Tamara Garcés.*

The museum also hosted a Slow Art Day workshop for nine children aged 8-12, inspired by the work of the “walking artist” Hamish Fulton, who has walked the Camino de Santiago several times.

The workshop had two parts. First, participants carried out a “slow walk” exercise inside the museum inspired by Fulton’s artistic practice. Then the group went outside and walked a small section of the Camino de Santiago, which passes through the University of Navarra campus near the museum.

Through this combination of walking, observation, and conversation, the children explored how movement and place can become part of artistic experience.

*Children’s session — Map artwork documenting walking routes by the walking artist Hamish Fulton, including walks along the Camino de Santiago; photo by Manuel Castells.*

At Slow Art Day HQ, we love seeing hosts expand the idea of slow looking in creative ways. By combining careful observation with walking and place-based exploration, the Museo Universidad de Navarra created two thoughtful experiences that helped adults and children connect with art in different ways.

We look forward to seeing what Museo Universidad de Navarra comes up with for Slow Art Day 2026.

– Ashley, Johanna, Jessica Jane, and Phyl

See–Think–Wonder at Museum of Chelmsford

Posted on March 21, 2026 by Phyl Terry

For their first Slow Art Day, the Museum of Chelmsford in Essex, United Kingdom invited visitors to slow down with art using a simple framework: See – Think – Wonder. The activity took place within the exhibition Shifting Perspectives: Exploring Art Together, which ran in the museum’s temporary gallery space through November 2, 2025.

To guide visitors, the museum created a set of “See Think Wonder” cards that guests could pick up in the gallery. The cards encouraged people to slow down and consider different ways of engaging with artworks — an approach that works not only in museums but whenever people encounter art in daily life.

Visitors were invited to explore artworks through three stages of looking.

See — what catches your eye? Look at the colors the artist used. Explore the atmosphere of the picture. Can you copy the pose or expression of any figures you see?

Think — can you imagine yourself inside the picture? What might the artist be trying to say to us? Does the title change how you see the picture?

Wonder — what might happen next in the picture? What conversations might be taking shape? What unanswered questions do you have about the picture?

This simple structure gave visitors permission to take their time and engage with artworks through curiosity rather than expertise.

Featured works included:

• “Cecil Collins at the CSA” by Rosalind Cuthbert
• “Point of View” by Doris Boulton-Maude (1892–1976)

*Visitors slowing down with Cecil Collins at the CSA by Rosalind Cuthbert.*

Visitors engaging with Point of View by Doris Boulton-Maude (1892–1976).

The museum’s See–Think–Wonder cards were inspired by the I Picture This toolkit developed by the The Wallace Collection, a past Slow Art Day participant.

At Slow Art Day HQ we love the simple See–Think–Wonder cards – they are easy to use with any artwork, and help shift the experience from passive viewing to active discovery. We encourage other museums and galleries to copy these.

Since this was the Museum of Chelmsford’s first Slow Art Day, we’re especially happy to welcome them to the global Slow Art Day movement and look forward to seeing what the Museum of Chelmsford comes up with for Slow Art Day 2026.

– Ashley, Johanna, Jessica Jane, and Phyl

Meditation, Tea, and Slow Looking at Frederiksbergmuseerne in Denmark

Posted on March 20, 2026 by Phyl Terry

For Slow Art Day 2025, Frederiksbergmuseerne in Frederiksberg, Denmark invited participants to step into a slower rhythm of being through a sensory-rich morning program at Bakkehuset (one of four museums) centered on art, presence, and reflection. The program gently guided visitors toward deeper awareness, encouraging attentiveness to both inner experience and artistic detail.

*One key artwork from the day: The Como Lake with Villa Plinia in the Background by artist H. Hess, 1795; photo taken by Siw Aldershvile Nielsen of the Frederiksbergmuseerne.*

The day began with a softly guided morning meditation, held in the atmospheric rooms of Bakkehuset, where light and shadow played across historic interiors. This session opened the senses and prepared participants for a mindful encounter with art and environment.

*Slow Art Day participants beginning the day with meditation*; *photo taken by Siw Aldershvile Nielsen of the Frederiksbergmuseerne.*

Next, guests took part in a tea experience that activated taste, smell, and touch — deepening sensory awareness and setting a calm, attentive tone. While briefly introduced to the cultural background of Matcha, the focus remained on being fully present with the experience.

*Tea experience; photo taken by Siw Aldershvile Nielsen of the Frederiksbergmuseerne.*

The morning culminated in a session of Slow Looking and creative reflection, where participants engaged deeply with the museum’s art and design elements. In a quiet, unhurried atmosphere, they explored visual details and textures, allowing time for intuitive insights and personal resonance. The experience was extended through writing exercises that captured impressions, emotions, and thoughts stirred by the art.

Each element of the program supported the others, with sensory openness cultivated in the meditation and tea experience enriching the final artistic encounter. The day as a whole emphasized slowness as a method for connecting more profoundly with both art and oneself.

Frederiksbergmuseerne’s contribution to Slow Art Day was also part of a national phenomenological slow looking research project, “From Challenge to Opportunity.” This initiative explores how Slow Looking can promote well-being and deeper cultural engagement.

At Slow Art Day HQ, we especially appreciate Frederiksbergmuseerne’s thoughtful integration of meditation, tea, and reflection. Programs like this show how slow looking can engage multiple senses and deepen the experience of art.

We look forward to seeing what Frederiksbergmuseerne comes up with for Slow Art Day 2026.

– Ashley, Johanna, Jessica Jane, and Phyl

Four Museums in Reims, France, Explore Maps, Meditation, and Movement

Posted on March 19, 2026 by Phyl Terry

For their second Slow Art Day, the Musée de Reims organized a coordinated afternoon of slow looking activities across several museums. The events, held on Saturday, April 5, invited visitors to explore collections through quiet observation as well as practices that connected art with mindfulness and movement.

Across the participating museums, a total of 41 visitors took part in the Slow Art Day programs.

At the Museum of the Surrender, 25 participants gathered in the historic military operations room where General Eisenhower’s headquarters were located during the final days of World War II. Visitors were invited to slowly study the large strategic maps used during the war. Using binoculars, they examined details across the maps’ surfaces, discovering markings and geographic elements that would normally escape a quick glance.

At the Saint-Remi Museum, five visitors participated in a small but deeply focused session. Participants first spent time slowly observing a display case dedicated to the museum’s Japanese collections. Following the slow viewing, the group practiced a Do-In session, a traditional Japanese self-massage and breathing practice that encourages calm awareness of the body.

Hall in Saint-Remi Museum, Reims – photo courtesy of The Crazy Tourist, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Two participants took part in a quiet slow-looking visit paired with yoga at the Le Vergeur Museum-Hotel – Maison Hugues Krafft. The small scale of the session created an intimate environment where participants could move slowly between looking, breathing, and reflection.

Finally, nine visitors joined a yoga session followed by a slow visit to the Foujita Chapel, a unique chapel decorated by the Japanese-French artist Tsuguharu Foujita. The combination of yoga and slow viewing encouraged participants to approach the chapel’s artworks with heightened attention and presence.

While the numbers at each location were intentionally limited, organizers noted that the smaller groups contributed to the quality of the experiences. Each program offered participants the opportunity to spend time with art in a focused and thoughtful way.

Organizers also noted that Saturday can be a quieter day for museum attendance in Reims when admission fees apply, making the intimate scale of the programs well suited to the Slow Art Day format.

The Reims museums demonstrated how historical collections, museums, sacred spaces, and mindfulness techniques can come together to create meaningful experiences of art and place. With small groups, the day made it possible for people to really slow down.

We look forward to seeing what the museums of Reims come up with for Slow Art Day 2026.

– Ashley, Johanna, Jessica Jane, and Phyl

MASS MoCA: Looking Beyond 21 Seconds

Posted on March 15, 2026 by Phyl Terry

For their seventh Slow Art Day, Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA) in North Adams, Massachusetts invited visitors to focus on large-scale contemporary installations throughout the museum’s campus, with attention to:

Immersive, room-sized installations
Light-based and spatial works
Sound-producing pieces integrated into gallery environments

Throughout the day, guided slow-looking tours were offered and visitors could also explore independently using prompts provided by museum staff.

MASS MoCA’s programming leaned into the strengths of its unique setting — a converted 19th-century factory campus now housing some of the world’s largest contemporary installations. Rather than focusing on a single object, participants were encouraged to slow down within immersive spaces.

Prompts invited visitors to consider:

What exactly are you seeing?
How does light shape your perception of depth and space?
What happens if you close your eyes and listen to the sounds produced by the installation?
How does your body feel in relation to the work — your feet on the ground, your breathing, your position in space?

In some installations, guests were encouraged to observe subtle blinking sequences of light or shifts in projected imagery. In others, the focus turned toward sound — noticing how ambient or intentional audio elements changed the experience of the visual field.

The museum also incorporated simple mindfulness techniques before viewing: deep breathing, grounding awareness, and a moment of stillness. These small pauses helped participants transition from walking through galleries to inhabiting them more fully.

The event was designed for all ages, and Spanish-language itineraries were typically available, reinforcing MASS MoCA’s commitment to accessibility.

At Slow Art Day HQ, we love MASS MoCA and have spent time there and appreciate what they did this year to help visitors learn to slow down in immersive spaces and how that can present a different kind of challenge than focusing on a single painting .

We look forward to seeing what MASS MoCA comes up with for Slow Art Day 2026.

– Ashley, Johanna, Jessica Jane, and Phyl

P.S. You can learn more about MASS MoCA’s exhibitions and programming at https://massmoca.org.

BYU Museum of Art: Four Ways to Slow Down in “Crossing the Divide”

Posted on March 8, 2026 by Phyl Terry

For their fourth Slow Art Day, the Brigham Young University Museum of Art in Provo, Utah celebrated from Monday, March 31 through Saturday, April 5 and invited visitors to practice slow looking using four different strategies and a small group of works in the Crossing the Divide exhibition on display on the main level of the museum.

Featured works:

“A Corner Window in a Pawn Shop” by Rose Hartwell (1893)
“Trifloria” by Jeanne Leighton-Lundberg Clarke (c. 1981)
“LOVE” by Robert Indiana (1973)
“View of Monterey Bay” by Raymond Dabb Yelland (1879)
“Great White Throne” by Phillip Henry Barkdull (1930)

Look Big

*Rose Hartwell, A Corner Window in a Pawn Shop (1893), oil on canvas. Brigham Young University Museum of Art.*

Visitors were encouraged to “cast a wide net” and examine every detail in Hartwell’s painting. The prompt challenged them to name ten different items for sale in the shop window — a structured way to slow down and notice complexity.

Narrow Your Focus

Jeanne Leighton-Lundberg Clarke, Trifloria (c. 1981), oil on canvas. Brigham Young University Museum of Art.

Here the instruction was the opposite: limit attention to colors, shapes, and patterns. By narrowing their focus, visitors discovered how repetition, contrast, and structure shape the viewing experience.

Change Your Perspective

Robert Indiana, LOVE (1973), aluminum. Brigham Young University Museum of Art.

Participants were invited to view Indiana’s sculpture from multiple angles, either in person or through online images. Altering physical perspective revealed new alignments of form and shadow.

Compare and Contrast

*Raymond Dabb Yelland, View of Monterey Bay, 1879, oil on canvas*.

Phillip Henry Barkdull, Great White Throne (1930), oil on canvas. Brigham Young University Museum of Art.

Visitors looking, comparing and contrasting Yelland and Barkdull.

Visitors were prompted to compare subject, color, line, and composition between the two landscapes. This strategy encouraged noticing similarities and differences in mood, structure, and visual language.

After completing the activity, participants returned to the front desk to receive a small prize. All visitors selected a postcard or sticker featuring one of the works. Children also received a kaleidoscope, and adults chose between a museum pin or sticker.

At Slow Art Day HQ, we love that The BYU Museum of Art asked visitors to look with four different. That’s a great design for a thoughtful Slow Art Day.

We look forward to seeing what the BYU Museum of Art comes up with for Slow Art Day 2026.

– Ashley, Johanna, Jessica Jane, and Phyl

Salem’s Public Art Commission Hosts Its First Slow Art Day

Posted on March 6, 2026 by Phyl Terry

For their first Slow Art Day, the Salem Public Art Commission in Oregon partnered with the Salem Public Library to invite the community to slow down with three abstract paintings from the City of Salem’s Public Art Collection. The event took place on Saturday, April 5, 2025, from 11:00 AM to 12:00 PM and followed the classic Slow Art Day format: quiet viewing followed by discussion.

Featured works:

Still Life in Flux (2014) by Nancy Lindburg
Dwelling (1965) by Carl Morris
View (1973) by Louis Bunce

*Still Life in Flux* by Nancy Lindburg, 2014.

The Commission selected these three abstract paintings because they are thoughtfully installed within the Salem Public Library and represent artists with strong ties to the Pacific Northwest.

Participants gathered by the window facing Peace Plaza and began with approximately ten minutes of silent viewing per artwork. The group was encouraged simply to look — noticing color relationships, compositional structure, surface texture, and emotional tone before moving into conversation.

Nancy Lindburg’s Still Life in Flux (2014) presents layered geometric forms in vibrant oranges, blues, and deep neutrals, creating a sense of movement within abstraction. Carl Morris’s Dwelling (1965) offers a vertical composition grounded in earthy browns and textured surfaces, punctuated by small bursts of color. Louis Bunce’s View (1973) introduces architectural structure and rhythmic pattern, balancing a vivid green plane with repeated arch-like motifs and a distant horizon.

The experience was made especially meaningful by the presence of Nancy Lindburg herself — a Salem resident and long-time local arts advocate — who joined the group. After the quiet viewing period, Lindburg shared insights into her artistic process and engaged directly with participants during what coordinators described as a lively post-viewing discussion.

The conversation that followed the silent viewing allowed participants to compare perceptions and discoveries. As often happens on Slow Art Day, viewers noted details they might otherwise have missed — subtle shifts in color, interplay between positive and negative space, and how each painting’s scale influenced their physical experience in the room.

The event was organized by Susan Napack, coordinator for the Salem Public Art Commission, in collaboration with Kathleen Swarm and the library team. The Commission also created a clear and inviting flyer (below) outlining the structure: silent viewing from 11:00–11:30, followed by reflection and discussion from 11:30–12:00 and providing QR codes to the global website and to their event site.

Also, they did a good job of marketing including getting The Statesman Journal, the local newspaper, to cover the event.

At Slow Art Day HQ, we are especially glad to welcome Salem’s Public Art Commission to the global movement. We love when city collections — especially those installed in civic spaces like libraries — become the focus of slow looking. Public art belongs to everyone, and this event demonstrated how simply creating space and time can transform everyday encounters into meaningful experiences. We also appreciate the generosity of artist Nancy Lindburg in participating directly in the conversation.

We look forward to seeing what the Salem Public Art Commission comes up with for Slow Art Day 2026.

– Ashley, Johanna, Jessica Jane, and Phyl

African Art and Haiku in South Africa

Posted on March 4, 2026 by Phyl Terry

For their eighth Slow Art Day, Artichoke Gallery at MelonRouge in Magaliesburg, South Africa invited visitors to slow down with art and poetry at an interactive morning titled “Afriku: Slow Visions & Whispered Words.” The event paired slow looking at a curated selection of African artworks with a hands-on Japanese haiku writing workshop led by gallery owner Hannelie Sanders.

On Saturday, April 5, 2025, participants gathered in the gallery’s contemplative space to begin their slow looking experience. The exhibition offered a rich range of African art — from textured mixed-media works and figurative compositions to abstract pieces that emphasize line, pattern, and gesture. The diversity of the artworks created varied visual rhythms: some pieces invited attention to bold color and dynamic shapes; others unfolded quietly, revealing depth and nuance through closer observation.

As participants slowed down with individual works, they were encouraged to engage with formal elements such as surface texture, mark making, and spatial relationships, and with the emotional presence each piece carried. These visual qualities provided fertile ground for deep attention, allowing slow lookers to connect more intimately with what they saw.

After an initial period of quiet observation, Hannelie Sanders introduced the basics of Japanese haiku. Participants were then invited to translate what they noticed in the art into their own three-line poems, using mood, imagery, and sensory detail as inspiration. The morning’s workshop emphasized presence, patience, and creative response, encouraging people to let what they saw inform what they wrote.

Following the haiku writing, the group shared reflections over a light lunch. Many spoke of how slowing down shifted their perception, helping them notice details and relationships within the artworks that might otherwise go unseen. In a further celebration of creative engagement, the haiku poems crafted during the session were displayed alongside the exhibition for the remainder of its run through May 4, allowing poetry and visual art to exist side by side.

At Slow Art Day HQ, we appreciate how Afriku wove visual art with poetry (and lunch!) into the slow looking experience. We love that participants’ poems became part of the exhibition itself.

We look forward to seeing what Artichoke Gallery at MelonRouge comes up with for Slow Art Day 2026.

– Ashley, Johanna, Jessica Jane, and Phyl

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