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.
A new kind of partnership is taking shape — one that connects art and the job search in a powerful way.
Slow Art Day and Never Search Alone are working together to support both museums and job seekers.
Why this partnership matters:
For museums: It brings in new and more diverse visitors — something many are working hard to do.
For job seekers: It creates a space to pause, reflect, and feel connected during what can be a very isolating time.
On Monday, May 19, 2025, Never Search Alone members Stuart Ridgway and Caitlin Thistle hosted one of these special events at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Forty job seekers took part.
They started outside the museum (see photos below), then split into groups of four. Each group moved through the galleries together. One person at a time picked a piece of art. Everyone looked at it slowly — for ten minutes — then they talked about what they saw.
Afterward, everyone met back in the courtyard. They kept talking for hours — forming new friendships and reconnecting with something often lost in the job search: the simple, human experience of looking at art and being with others.
Caitlin, pictured in the left foreground of the group photo above, and Stuart both reported that the group left feeling energized and connected — lifted by the simple yet profound act of looking at art together.
Because the participants meet outside the museums, and break up into groups of four, and buy their own tickets, this is a scalable program that also doesn’t involve complicated group tour arrangements with museums. 50 or 100 job seekers just meet up, get divided into groups of 4, and go slow looking.
I hosted recent events as well at the Brooklyn Museum, with 50 participants, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art where more than 120 Never Search Alone members came together.
Below are photos from the Metropolitan Museum of Art outing.
Already, Never Search Alone members around the country are beginning to plan more events including one coming up at the Seattle Art Museum (more on that in a separate post).
Stay tuned. This is only the beginning.
– Phyl, Ashley, Johanna, and Jessica Jane
P.S. More information about Never Search Alone can be found at Phyl.org.
I’m always looking for thoughtful, interesting, accessible and jargon-free writing about art and the power of slow art.
Thus, when Maggie Levine, who runs the ArtWrite Substack, published a lovely essay on slow art and Slow Art Day, I wanted to bring it to the Slow Art Day community.
Take a moment and enjoy her writing (and photography). I particularly like her description of her trip to Naoshima, an “art island” in the Seto Inland Sea.
Maggie is a teacher and writer who works at the intersection of writing, art, and the creative process. She studied English and art history at Barnard and received her MFA in Fiction from the University of Arizona.
– Phyl
P.S. We are beginning to write up the reports from Slow Art Day 2025. More soon!
The 15th Annual Slow Art Day – with 210+ museums, galleries, churches, and hospitals are – begins tomorrow Saturday, April 5, 2025 (see full list of venues around the world and register yours if you have not yet done so).
New York, Berlin, Mexico City, Paris, Hong Kong, Brussels, Athens, Budapest, Washington, DC, Toronto, Rome, Paris, San Francisco, Sydney, Melbourne, Stockholm, Seoul, Antwerp, Los Angeles, London, Barcelona, Stockholm, Johannesburg, Brazil, Singapore, and many, many other places are participating in Slow Art Day.
We are proud that in this topsy-turvy time, Slow Art Day is a model of global cooperation.
So, yes, while trade barriers, tariffs, and acrimony fill the global political debate, thousands of people across every continent will celebrate the power of art to bring us together.
Here are some highlights from this year’s festival of slowing down to look at and love art.
Mexico City is hosting its first citywide Slow Art Day with more than **40** museums and galleries participating. Read these two articles from CDMX – Ad Magazine and Milenio – to learn more. I also encourage you to check out the Instagram for the Mexico City Slow Art Day – there are a lot of great resources, images, and stories there. Constanza Ontiveros Valdés, writer and cultural projects organizer, has done an amazing job.
Bloomington, Illinois, which started the citywide movement, is now hosting 20+ museums and galleries and a big party to boot. Read this article to learn more or see our post.
Here are two posters from these two citywide events.
Mass MoCA is celebrating again as is the beautiful and wonderful Athenaeum in Boston while the Morgan Library is hosting in New York, and The Barnes Foundation , Glenn Foerd, and the Magic Gardens are all hosting in Philadelphia.
In Washington D.C., the National Museum of Women in the Arts is hosting yet again while the National Museum of Asian Art is joining us for the first time.
Antwerp’s church-based Slow Art movement continues to grow while St. Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne has become a leader in hospital-based Slow Art.
The Ur Mara Museo in Spain’s Basque country holds its 10th Slow Art Day with another full day of slow looking, cooking, eating, and dancing. While Ur Mara Museo has been celebrating Slow Art Day for a decade in the Basque country, The Altes Museum (English: Old Museum), a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the heart of Berlin’s museum island, holds their second Slow Art Day tomorrow.
The Goulandris Museum of Contemporary Art in Athens also holds their second Slow Art Day while The AGO in Toronto , one of the largest museums in North America, hosts their 10th Slow Art Day.
Australia has 11 participating museums, galleries and hospitals. The first Slow Art Day is being hosted at the De Young Museum in San Francisco (hosted by Slow Art Day pioneer, Carol Rossi).
There is so much happening all over the world, it’s impossible to summarize effectively.
But you can check out our 2024 Annual Report to get a sense of the range of activities from last year (and get inspired for this year).
Have a great 15th Annual Slow Art Day.
This is certainly a year we all really need to slow down, look at and love art, and love each other.
For the 15th anniversary year of Slow Art Day, the Yellowstone Art Museum (YAM), Montana’s largest contemporary art museum, will host its first event this Saturday, April 5, 2025 at the same time as hundreds of museums and galleries around the world.
And they are going all out with a full day of activities designed to encourage visitors to experience art slowly and mindfully.
The festivities begin with yoga at the YAM from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., featuring a unique session that integrates slow observation of art in the museum’s Murdock Gallery.
At 11:30 a.m., Krista Leigh Pasini, owner of Rain Soul Studio and former YAM Artist-in-Residence, will lead a guided meditation in the museum’s newest exhibition, “Tyler Joseph Krasowski: Everything Becomes Something.” Krista will conduct another meditation session later in the afternoon from 2 to 3 p.m.
Throughout the day, local artists known as the Copyists will paint selected works by Gennie DeWeese from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and again from 1 to 4 p.m. Additionally, the Billings Urban Sketchers will be actively sketching around the museum campus.
Museum admission and all Slow Art Day activities are free and open to the public. No registration is required.
We are happy to welcome the Yellowstone Art Museum to Slow Art Day and look forward to hearing to getting a report on their first event.
Best,
– Phyl
P.S. The 15th anniversary Slow Art Day is coming up this Saturday, April 5, 2025 – with hundreds of museums, galleries, churches, sculpture parks and other venues – be sure to register your event if you have not yet done so.
The 15th anniversary Slow Art Day is coming up this Saturday, April 5 – with hundreds of museums, galleries, churches, sculpture parks and other venues (be sure to register your museum, gallery, church, hospital, sculpture garden or other venue).
One location this year will be en plein air so to speak – in a hectic shopping center – hosted by the West Cheshire Museums in England.
They are bringing art outside to the heart of the city center and thereby making both the art and the art of slow looking more accessible.
Museum staff and community groups (including their dementia-inclusive Meet and Make group) have set questions for the public to encourage a slower look at the images.
They have chosen three art works out of their multiple galleries to bring to the Grosvenor Shopping Centre in Chester. The art they have chosen depict the city in different eras of its development – early 18th century (first image below), the Victorian era (second image below), and 2017.
The West Cheshire Museums are a diverse group of museums, which includes Grovesnor Museum, and other locations like a working watermill and a restored salt production site. Their collections cover a large slice of Cheshire’s history and tell the stories of the area’s people and places, from prehistoric times to the present day.
The West Cheshire Museums have been celebrating Slow Art Day since 2017 and we are happy to welcome them back for our 15th anniversary year – especially with their program to bring art out to the people.
– Phyl
P.S. We are proud this is now the 15th anniversary of Slow Art Day – the movement has grown and we continue to be delighted by the creative and innovative ways that museums, galleries, churches, hospitals and other venues choose to celebrate this day dedicated to looking at and loving art.
Slow Art Day 2025 is coming up April 5 – with hundreds of museums, galleries, churches, sculpture parks and other venues (be sure to register your museum, gallery, church, hospital, sculpture garden or other venue).
One of these locations this year will be The House of European History in Brussels, which is focusing on “Our Family Garden” by Smirna Kulenović, a citizen-led photographic project designed to heal collective trauma from the Bosnian War.
And we are happy to report that their Slow Art Day event will launch Slow Looking Saturday, a monthly guided experience that will focus on a different image from the exhibition, examining topics such as commemorations, historical re-enactments, and personal legacies.
These sessions will continue monthly through the end of the exhibit in November 2026.
We at Slow Art Day love seeing this.
Our goal since day one has been to inspire museums and other venues not only to participate in the annual event, but to create year-round programming that helps visitors slow down.
We’ll note that The House of European History worked with Claire Bown to develop this program. Claire is author of The Art Engager: Reimagining Guided Experiences in Museums.
We are glad to see the House of European History’s year-round commitment to Slow Art Day and look forward to getting updates on their progress.
Have a great Slow Art Day 2025.
Best,
– Phyl
P.S. Slow Art Day 2025 is coming up – be sure to register your museum, gallery, church, hospital, sculpture garden or other venue.
The 15th Anniversary Slow Art Day is coming up Saturday, April 5, 2025 and I’m happy to announce today the publication of our 2024 Annual Report, which details many of the events held last year.
Read it and get inspired to plan your 15th Anniversary Slow Art Day 2025 events (register your museum, gallery, church, sculpture park or movie theater for 2025, if you have not yet done so).
More than 180 museums and galleries participated in 2024 (plus many more that ran Slow Art Day sessions but did not register with us). The Slow Art Day volunteer team spent hundreds of hours throughout 2024 and early 2025 researching, writing, and publishing individual reports from 45 of these museums and galleries, all so that curators and educators like you can take inspiration from each other.
Read the report and you will see the impressive citywide event held in Bloomington, Illinois (more than 20 galleries, museums, libraries and other sites participated in 2024). This is the same event that has now inspired Mexico City to host a 33-venue Slow Art Day in 2025.
You’ll see how The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Met Cloisters hosted again while Mass MoCA in North Adams celebrated Slow Art Day for the 10th time or so. The beautiful and wonderful Athenaeum in Boston hosted for the first time while Philadelphia’s The Barnes Foundation, Glenn Foerd, and the Magic Gardens all hosted Slow Art Day events.
In Washington D.C., the National Museum of Women in the Arts hosted yet again (they are one the founding museums for Slow Art Day) while Florida hosted 7 different venues including the Frost Art Museum and the Lowe Art Museum both in Miami.
Antwerp’s church-based Slow Art movement grew to four churches – and we hope will grow into a global movement of churches, synagogues, mosques, and other religious organizations.
St. Vincent’s Hospital in Melbourne continued to innovate the art and patient experience (hint: they designed six “slow art cards” with photos of works from their St Vincent’s Art Collection) and in 2025 are reaching out to more hospitals to get them involved.
The Ur Mara Museo in Spain’s Basque country held its 9th Slow Art Day with another full day of slow looking, cooking, eating, and dancing (though we don’t have a report from them this year).
While Ur Mara Museo has been celebrating Slow Art Day for nine years in the Basque country, The Altes Museum (English: Old Museum), a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the heart of Berlin’s museum island, held their Slow Art Day. And check this – the “prerequisite” for participation in this workshop was “curiosity and goodwill towards yourself.”
The Goulandris Museum of Contemporary Art in Athens held the first Slow Art Day in the Greek capital (other Greek cities have hosted – but this year is a first for Athens) while The AGO in Toronto, one of the largest museums in North America, hosted their 9th Slow Art Day.
Europe held three citywide Slow Art Days – Antwerp, Belgium (8 locations), Reims, France (4 locations), Rome, Italy (3 museums).
Belgium hosted 11 locations, Sweden 8, Italy 7, England 6, Germany 5. Read on to get inspired about all the various events around the world.
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.
They all do this amazing work for one reason: to grow the Slow Art Day movement around the world so that more people can learn to look at and love art.
Please join me in giving thanks and appreciation to them. They deserve all the kudos we can give them and more.
And have a great 15th anniversary Slow Art Day coming up April 5.
Best,
Phyl and the Slow Art Day team
P.S. Again, if you have not yet registered your 2025 Slow Art Day with us, please do so.
The fourth annual citywide Slow Art Day on Route 66 is being hosted by the twin cities of Bloomington-Normal, Illinois this year.
** 20 ** local arts organizations are coming together for their citywide Slow Art Day, led by BN Artists, the grassroots, artist-led coalition of small business owners, nonprofit workers, and other culturally engaged citizens working collaboratively to promote the vibrant art scene in Bloomington-Normal.
Led by Pamala Eaton and others, BN Artists pioneered citywide events and have inspired other cities around the world to do it, including Rome and Mexico City (Mexico City is also their first citywide this year and bringing together 20 galleries and museums and they specifically cited Bloomington-Normal).
In Bloomington-Normal, guests will have a chance to explore the art studios and galleries of Downtown Bloomington artists, enter a world built of discarded machinery and scrap parts at 410 Sculpture Park and the House on Garling, and experience art viewing and artmaking in Normal at Illinois Art Station, the Children’s Discovery Museum, and Ryburn Place at Sprague’s Super Service.
See the wonderful poster below –
Santino Lamancusa, owner of The Hangar Art Company (who also designed the poster) explained his passion for Slow Art Day: “You don’t have to know anything about art to be able to enjoy it. Slow Art Day’s purpose is to allow you the time to look and make your own discoveries about what you see and how art makes you feel. It’s all about your interaction with the artist and what your experience is with their art. It’s not about anyone else’s opinion but your own. Slow Art Day is an opportunity to experience art for yourself.”
Pamala Eaton, gallerist and owner of Herb Eaton Studio and Gallery said Slow Art Day has helped to build the local art scene, “Collaborating with the other artists and galleries in our community for Slow Art Day has given our local art scene more visibility and we are now attracting more local and out of town visitors to our art locations.”
We at Slow Art Day love what Pamala, Santino, and others have done to get the whole city involved.
They are truly an inspiration for the world!
– Phyl and the Slow Art Day team
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/
This year’s Slow Art Day is coming up Saturday, April 5, and I’m happy to report a major development for our 15th year: Mexico City is officially joining the citywide Slow Art Day movement.
Thanks to Constanza Ontiveros Valdés, a Mexican art writer and cultural project leader, CDMX (the initials used in Mexico for Mexico City) will be hosting what appears to be now 37 venues across the city.
Wow! ¡Increíble! ¡Chingón!
Ontiveros has worked to organize art galleries, cultural centers, and museums to participate and create workshops, slow looking tours, and related programs. She reports taking inspiration from other successful initiatives such as the one in Bloomington, Illinois, as well as Rome, Antwerp, Philadelphia, and Saratoga in California.
The list of participating venues continues to grow, but as of today, the venues confirmed for Mexico City’s Slow Art Day include:
Alejandra Topete Gallery: A recently opened gallery focusing on innovative curatorial projects that engage diverse media and concepts. It also integrates the owner’s restoration practice.
Amplia Gallery: A hybrid space dedicated to contemporary artistic practices, offering exhibitions, talks, and collaborations that foster dialogue and experimentation.
Arróniz Contemporary Art Gallery: Established in 2006, the gallery focuses on contemporary Latin American art, representing both emerging and mid-career artists with diverse exhibitions.
Arte Abierto – Cultural Space: Situated within the Artz Pedregal shopping center, this cultural space is designed to accommodate large-scale installations and promote contemporary art.
Arte Uno Gallery: A multidisciplinary gallery committed to showcasing Mexican contemporary art through curated exhibitions and creative community outreach.
CAM Gallery: A contemporary art gallery that showcases a diverse range of artists, focusing on innovative and thought-provoking exhibitions.
Casa Wabi Sabino: This beautiful space in Mexico City is part of Fundación Casa Wabi, integrating the Bosco Sodi Studio with a program of temporary contemporary art exhibitions.
Claroscuro Gallery: Specializing in contemporary art, Claroscuro showcases diverse artists and media, aiming to promote innovation and stimulate reflection.
Color CDMX Gallery: A gallery dedicated to promoting the work of Antonio Tovar (In Memory) and serving as an open space for new artists and different concepts.
Enrique Guerrero Gallery: Established in 1997, this gallery specializes in contemporary Latin American art, representing both established and emerging artists.
Ethra Gallery: Focused on contemporary art, Ethra represents a mix of established and emerging artists, highlighting innovative practices and diverse media.
Fiera Arte no Domesticado: A nomadic and experimental platform showcasing raw, outsider, and nonconforming artistic voices through immersive exhibitions and events.
Icons Gallery (Íconos Galería): A gallery that highlights iconic and emerging figures in Mexican contemporary art, bridging traditional techniques with current cultural discourses.
Kaluz Museum: Set in a historic building, Kaluz presents a private collection of Mexican art from the 18th to 21st centuries, inviting reflection on landscapes, people, and identity. It also showcases contemporary art.
Karen Huber Gallery: Specializing in contemporary art, the gallery focuses on emerging and mid-career Mexican and international artists, emphasizing innovation.
Kurimanzutto Gallery: Founded in 1999 by Mónica Manzutto and José Kuri, this gallery represents Mexican and international artists with dynamic exhibitions.
Lago Algo: A stunning cultural venue located by Chapultepec Lake, showcasing contemporary art programs that emphasize Latin American practices and public engagement programs.
Le Laboratoire: An experimental and collaborative space located in a creative hub fostering interdisciplinary collaborations and innovative exhibitions.
LS Gallery: A contemporary gallery showcasing innovative practices and diverse media, representing both Mexican and international artists.
Museo Casa de Carranza: A historic house museum exploring the Mexican Revolution and President Venustiano Carranza’s legacy through period settings and archives.
Museo Jumex: A leading institution in Latin America for contemporary art, hosting international exhibitions and showcasing the Jumex Collection.
Museo Vivo del Muralismo: Opened in 2024, this museum in Mexico City’s historic center features over 3,000 square meters of murals by Diego Rivera and other muralists. Located within a UNESCO site, it explores Mexico’s muralist heritage.
Naranjo 141 Gallery: An art space that promotes contemporary art through exhibitions, workshops, and cultural events, supporting emerging talents.
Olivia Foundation: A contemporary exhibition space in Roma showcasing the Olivia Collection, focused on abstract art from the postwar period to today next to other artists experimenting with abstraction.
Oscar Román Gallery: Established in 1991, the gallery specializes in modern and contemporary Mexican art, representing both renowned and emerging artists.
Pablo Goebel Fine Arts: With over 25 years of experience, this gallery presents modern and contemporary art with an emphasis on Mexican and Latin American masters.
Peana Gallery: An art platform and gallery that collaborates with emerging and established artists, offering curated exhibitions and projects on contemporary practices.
Proyecto N.A.S.A.L: An experimental project space exploring the intersections of sound, performance, and visual culture with a focus on process and collaboration.
Proyecto Paralelo Gallery: Emphasizing collaborative projects and experimental exhibitions, the gallery supports local and international artists.
Saenger Gallery: A contemporary art gallery fostering dialogue between emerging and established artists, offering a space for close, thoughtful encounters with current artistic practices.
Soumaya Museum: A museum housing the Soumaya Foundation’s vast private collection, spanning European Old Masters to modern Mexican icons—ideal for discovering unexpected dialogues.
Spark Studio: A creative and cultural center offering craft and art workshops imparted by artists.
Taller Cristina Torres: An art studio and gallery space where Mexican artist Cristina Torres creates abstract art paintings and invites other artists to experiment with abstraction.
Terreno Baldío Gallery: A contemporary art gallery focusing on site-specific works and interdisciplinary projects, engaging with social and environmental issues.
Third Born Gallery: A newly opened space dedicated to contemporary practices, highlighting emerging talents and experimental works across various media.
Tinta Naranja Gallery: Dedicated to contemporary illustration and graphic arts, Tinta Naranja features emerging illustrators and designers.
Zona de Riesgo Art: A space for experimentation and research, focusing on the intersection of art, archives, and error as methodologies for creation.
But there’s more.
Ontiveros is now organizing venues across the country.
So, for example, Carla Negrete Gallery in Tequisquiapan, Querétaro, will participate and the private university Tecnológico de Monterrey will be involved, with participation from the Monterrey and Saltillo campuses through their Punto Blanco initiative, which aims to create accessible spaces for the community, fostering reflection, self-discovery, and spiritual growth.
We at Slow Art Day HQ are excited to welcome Constanza Ontiveros Valdés, Mexico City, and Mexico as a whole, to our 15th annual global celebration.
– 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/.
P.P.S. Here’s the poster Ontiveros created for Slow Art Day 2025.
