A combination of anthropology and poetry made for a unique experience for Slow Art Day 2012 at Arizona State Museum in the United States. Rather than displaying artifacts as stand-alone pieces, this anthropology-focused museum uses them in context to illustrate cultural and historical stories. So weaving storytelling into Slow Art Day made for a unique approach to this event.

Working with the docents from the University of Arizona Poetry Center, the museum invited visitors to read a haiku poem written by one of the docents and find the object that it described or to discover a piece on exhibit that interested them. They were asked to really look at the piece slowly and then write their own haiku poem about it.

Some suggestions to help visitors look at the exhibits deeper included:

• Imagine using your five senses to get to know the piece—how would it feel, smell, sound, taste? What colors is it? What is it made of?
• Imagine having a dialogue with the object—what action words would express its story?
• Think about its history—how it might have been made, used or experienced and by who?
• Look at the label and make connections.

Over 100 poems were written and transcribed onto a large piece of butcher paper, which is now on display at the Poetry Center to encourage people who see it to visit the the museum and figure out which objects inspired them.

This interactive approach was a great success in helping visitors experience the exhibits in new ways. As one visitor reported: “Although I was reluctant to participate at the time (my wife cajoled me into it), in retrospect I can see that the methodology is a good one for getting people to begin to look a little deeper at a piece of art. As a retired scientist and military guy, I tend to focus more on what can be seen, measured, etc. and this exercise did, in fact, make me slow down for a second.”

For more on Arizona State Museum’s Slow Art Day experience, visit their blog.

–Report by Lisa Falk, Arizona State Museum’s Director of Education. Edited by Slow Art Day blog editor Jennafer Martin. Photographs courtesy Christine Baines and Arizona State Museum.

An open studios event, Slow Art Day 2012 at the Chinese Arts Center in Manchester, United Kingdom, saw a steady stream of 88 visitors slowly enjoying art while interacting with the artists and enjoying a snack of slowly made food (10-day sourdough, Amish Friendship Bread, tea eggs, cheese, radish seedleaves, and ginger beer).  Hosted by a collective of artists in residence, the pieces visitors viewed were all contemporary, nontraditional works-in-progress by members of the Life Friendly Collective, including many interactive elements, such as a collaborative story on the gallery wall initiated by Elizabeth Wewiora (pictured below).

Photo by Erinma Ochu

Visitors felt the context of Slow Art Day made them more likely to spend time thinking about as well as participating in the art pieces, and the overall response was very positive!

–Report by Jessica Mautner, on behalf of Life Friendly Collective. Edited by Slow Art Day blog editor Jennafer Martin

Slow Art Day 2012 is today, Saturday, April 28.

Events have already occurred in China, India, and all over Australia. As I write this, Slow Art Day events are happening in Rome, Paris, London, Copenhagen and all over Europe.

Slow Art Day events are about to start in North and South America.

Have a good and slow day of looking and loving art.

– Phil

Phil Terry
Founder, Slow Art Day

P.S. If you need anything or have any questions about today’s events, get in touch via e-mail here.

Watch

Created by Scribbler’s Club, hosts for Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery Slow Art Day.

Mim Scalin is an artist who teaches workshops on creativity at the Virginia Museum of Fine Art studio school using Mail Art as the medium. An active member of the International Union of Mail Artists, which connects her with people throughout the world, this is her first time hosting Slow Art Day.

Slow Art Day: What does Slow Art Day mean to you and why did you get involved?

Mim: This is my first time as a host for Slow Art day.  My son told me about it and I thought, “wow, like the Slow Food movement. This will be great fun.” Slowing down to participate in something seems like a good idea at a time when we all seem to be have a lot going on and rarely slow down.

Slow Art Day: What’s one artwork that has had a big impact on you?

Mim: I grew up in Chicago and was often taken to the Chicago Art Institute as a child. Among the many fabulous works of art, I saw Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte, by Seurat, and I think that had a big influence on me. I was fascinated by how the artist could create something like this, and I wanted to make art, too.

Slow Art Day: Tell us about your Slow Art Day event.

Mim: I really enjoy the Virginia Museum of Fine Art, and I go there lots since it’s near my home. The museum has undergone a major renovation recently and there are works on display now that I’d never seen before, or perhaps hadn’t paid attention to.

I’ve chosen 5 works from the American collection. I included 3 portraits, a landscape and a still-life. Most of the artists are not well-known, which is a benefit as the work will be “fresh.”  I went many times over the past couple of months trying to limit choices. I had a friend join me and we had the best time looking at work slowly and determining the final selection.

After viewing the work, we’ll meet up at the museum cafe for lunch and share the experience of viewing art slowly.

Join Mim to peruse American Art for Slow Art Day in Richmond, Virginia, Saturday, April 28, 2012.