Juneau, AK – Juneau-Douglas City Museum
San Francisco, CA – de Young Museum
Cross-Exhibition Design at Mildura in Australia
For their fifth Slow Art Day, the Mildura Arts Centre invited visitors to slow down and explore artworks across several of the gallery’s current exhibitions. Rather than focusing on a single piece, participants were encouraged to choose a work from each exhibition and spend five to ten minutes observing it carefully.
The selected exhibitions included: Time and Place by Bruce Munro, Chapter 5 (Mallee Parley) by Aaron Bailey, Alight by Nicola McClelland, and works from the Mildura Arts Centre Collection. This approach allowed participants to experience a variety of artistic styles and perspectives while practicing slow looking.
Visitors were encouraged to bring a journal and pencil to jot down thoughts and questions while observing the artworks. Others attended with friends and discussed their reflections together afterward. The experience often continued beyond the gallery walls, with participants gathering for refreshments at the Vista Café Bar onsite to continue their conversations.
Slow Art Day also connected naturally with other events happening at the centre that day. Visitors were invited to attend artist talks and exhibition openings, including a presentation by Nicola McClelland, where they could share their observations and continue engaging with the art and artists.
The city of Mildura is known as a cultural hub in regional Australia – Mildura itself is located far north-western Victoria, Australia, on the banks of the Murray River near the New South Wales border.
We at Slow Art Day HQ love the simple cross-exhibition design of their Slow Art Day and would love ourselves to someday visit this wonderful center for art and theater (they have a 500 seat theater) and we look forward to what they come up with for Slow Art Day 2026.
– Ashley, Jessica Jane, Johanna, and Phyl
MASS MoCA: Looking Beyond 21 Seconds
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.
Second Slow Art Day at Sint-Andrieskerk in Antwerp, Belgium
For Slow Art Day 2025, Sint-Andrieskerk (Saint Andrew’s Church) in Antwerp, Belgium hosted a small and intimate gathering centered on slow looking, reflection, and shared meaning. The event was coordinated by Viviane Vandenbroucke and thoughtfully led by members of the church community.
The experience embodied the core spirit of Slow Art Day: slowing down, looking closely, and engaging in meaningful dialogue.
For adult visitors, the session was led by Father Rudi Mannaerts, priest of Sint-Andrieskerk. Participants were guided in slow looking at the modello of the Crucifixion of Saint Andrew.
Under Father Mannaerts’ leadership, visitors were encouraged to take time with the work, observing details, reflecting on its symbolism, and discussing how the artwork connects visual form and spiritual meaning.
Interestingly, the painter of this modello – Otto van Veen – was not only the most celebrated painter in Antwerp in the late 16th century, he was also Peter Paul Rubens’ *teacher*. So when the Slow Art Day participants looked slowly at this painting, they were also seeing some of what Rubens’ himself saw centuries ago.
For children, guide Wiske Claus led a parallel experience in the Sacristy. Young participants were introduced to the garments worn by priests and learned about their meanings and uses within the church year.
By engaging directly with these objects, children were invited to look carefully, ask questions, and connect visual elements with deeper significance — a hands-on approach aligned with Slow Art Day’s emphasis on attentive observation.
Sint-Andrieskerk demonstrated how Slow Art Day can thrive in intimate, religious settings as well museums and galleries. The church is already planning its 2026 event, where visitors will gather to slowly contemplate What is the truth? (2012), a contemporary painting by French artist Alain Senez. Inspired by Pontius Pilate’s famous question before the death sentence of Jesus, the work reflects on how media and perception shape what we believe to be true. Led once again by Father Rudi Mannaerts, the church will host multiple sessions throughout the afternoon, continuing its thoughtful approach of connecting historical faith spaces with modern artistic questions.
We are especially grateful to Viviane Vandenbroucke, Father Rudi Mannaerts, and Wiske Claus for continuing to support Slow Art Day within the church community. Sint-Andrieskerk has been an important participant in bringing Slow Art Day into sacred spaces, helping inspire the growing church movement within our global network.
We hope that more churches and sacred spaces join our movement in 2026, and we certainly look forward to hearing about Sint-Andrieskerk’s event on April 11th.
— Ashley, Johanna, Jessica Jane, and Phyl