According to the visitor experience team at Tate Modern, Slow Art Day 2019 was “fantastic.”
Participants slowly looking at The Snail by Henri Matisse
They organized two one-hour slow looking sessions split between two artworks and, then, after the sessions, the team invited the visitors to come together for tea, coffee, biscuits, and a discussion about the whole experience.
Here’s what some of the participants said:
“A really interesting session. I’m more mindful of how to observe art in the future.”
“What a wonderful idea!
“I understand now how you can spend so much time in a gallery looking at art!”
“The combination of looking at art slowly and with other people is a real eye opener.”
“Really like the concept. As someone who can feel a bit intimidated by the art world this felt like a really nice way in and gives me more confidence to engage with art in the future.”
“A brilliant concept, lovely to think that this is going on all around the world.”
“I will definitely bring friends next time. Do it again!”
“I felt like a part of a group/community and was an hour well spent.”
“We can’t wait for next year to do it again,” said Adriana Oliveira, Visitor Experience Manager there at Tate Modern.
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.
Florence County Museum in Florence, South Carolina, held its third Slow Art Day on April 5, 2025, continuing its tradition of encouraging thoughtful art engagement. Facilitated by Uschi Jeffcoat, Curator of Education & Community Engagement, the museum offered structured, guided slow-looking at artworks by William H. Johnson, featured in the exhibit Fighters for Freedom: William H. Johnson Picturing Justice, which was organized by the Smithsonian American Art Museum and supported by Art Bridges.
Guests thoughtfully engage in slow-looking during the event. Photo courtesy of Florence County Museum.
Participants visited the Focus Gallery on the second floor, where they engaged in a silent observation exercise for 5-10 minutes, thoughtfully guided by reflection prompts provided by the museum (view the file below). These prompts encouraged visitors to deeply consider elements such as their initial visual impressions, color observations, medium and techniques, and personal connections to the artworks. Questions posed included, “Where did your eye go first and why?” and “What would you ask the artist about this painting?”
Guests thoughtfully engage in slow-looking during the event. Photo courtesy of Florence County Museum.
The calm and supportive environment facilitated by these reflective strategies allowed attendees to comfortably share insights and discuss the deeper meanings discovered in William H. Johnson’s vivid portrayals of African American life from the 1930s and 1940s. Visitors noted that this structured approach significantly improved their confidence in independently engaging with art, positively enhancing their overall museum experience.
Florence County Museum’s ongoing commitment to Slow Art Day continues to inspire visitors, and we look forward to their participation in Slow Art Day 2026!
– Ashley, Johanna, Jessica Jane, and Phyl
P.S. Stay connected with Florence County Museum on Instagram and Facebook.
Köping Museum, a local art and history museum in the small central Swedish town of Köping, celebrated their third Slow Art Day by offering visitors a rich experience slow-looking at “Kedjad val” by P.G. Thelander and an exhibit featuring work by Tanja Ahola Rothmaier.
The event started with a guided session within Tanja Ahola Rothmaier’s exhibits, encouraging visitors to immerse themselves deeply in the viewing process. Following this guided experience, attendees participated in an art analysis exercise focusing specifically on the artwork “Kedjad val” by P.G. Thelander.
Thelander is known for his conceptual and often surrealistic art, frequently exploring themes of constraint, decision-making, and the interplay between freedom and limitation. The title, “Kedjad val” (translated as “Chained Choice”), suggests a commentary on the nature of choice.
Tanja Ahola Rothmaier’s exhibit. Photo provided by Köping Museum. Slow looking setup for “Kedjad val” by P.G. Thelander. Photo provided by Köping Museum.
The session concluded with a relaxed group discussion over coffee, allowing participants to share insights and reflections on the artworks.
Coffee and art. Photo provided by Köping Museum.
Continuing their collaboration from the previous year, Köping’s local library also borrowed an artwork and provided instructional slow-looking cards, allowing library visitors to independently practice slow-looking.
You can download the instruction cards (in Swedish) below:
We love the collaboration between the museum and the library, and thank Celly Paillet and the entire Köping Museum team for their thoughtful event. We eagerly look forward to what they come up with for Slow Art Day 2026.
– Ashley, Johanna, Jessica Jane, and Phyl
P.S. Stay connected with Köping Museum via their Facebook and Instagram @visitkoping.
For their fifth Slow Art Day, Galleria l’arte di seta in Ljubljana, Slovenia, hosted a weeklong series of slow-looking experiences titled Beyond Visible, held April 5–14, 2025. Facilitated by executive coach and gallery founder Lidija Drobež, the event invited small groups to engage in quiet reflection and guided discussion while viewing works of abstract art. This marked the gallery’s first time featuring abstract art for Slow Art Day, expanding from a prior focus on figurative works.
Juraj Dobrović, second abstract painting.(Photo courtesy of Galleria l’arte di seta)Juraj Dobrović, abstract geometric work.(Photo courtesy of Galleria l’arte di seta)
The exhibition featured two works by Croatian artist Juraj Dobrović (b. 1928), a key figure in Geometric Abstraction and Neo-Constructivism. Dobrović’s art explores structured geometries across painting, sculpture, and graphic media. He has exhibited at major international venues including the Venice Biennale (1972) and São Paulo Biennale (1973). Though the gallery also included figurative works, guests naturally gravitated toward Dobrović’s abstract pieces for their slow-looking sessions.
Each session began with 15 minutes of silent viewing, followed by a guided group discussion. Participants were encouraged to remain in quiet reflection even after completing their own viewing. The works inspired rich personal interpretations:
“I noticed how I hang on lines, these lines here, not to be pulled through… I slowly moved with my eyes along the white line. This was a safety line.”
“I am used to geometrical forms. They are beautiful,” shared one guest, an architect.
Others reported joyful transformations: seeing toys dance or birds singing in a garden.
One called the experience “a pure harmony. A mathematical solution, the highest form of mathematics.”
Visitors slow looking at Juraj Dobrović’s work.(Photo courtesy of Galleria l’arte di seta)Participant observing a single piece.(Photo courtesy of Galleria l’arte di seta)
Beyond this annual event, Galleria l’arte di seta has expanded its commitment to slowness through a year-round series called Meetings with Art, now part of the Slow Art Club Galleria l’arte di seta. These sessions are built on a shared structure:
30 minutes of gathering and small talk
60 minutes of slow engagement (art, poetry, embodiment)
30 minutes of group reflection and farewell
The themes range from slow poetry readings to embodied responses to artwork, yet all share the values of facilitated dialogue, mindful presence, and deep connection.
Galleria l’arte di seta’s thoughtful curation of abstract art and their expanding year-round programming reflect a deep and evolving commitment to slow looking. We are grateful for their creative leadership and look forward to seeing what they design for Slow Art Day 2026.
For their third Slow Art Day, Concordia in Enschede, Netherlands, created an experience that embraced independent reflection and cinematic viewing.
While the originally scheduled artist talk had to be canceled due to personal reasons of the artist, the team thoughtfully adapted the event. They provided seating within the gallery space so visitors could independently spend time quietly viewing the works on display. Concordia also published tips online about how to look slowly at art, which many guests reviewed ahead of their visit. Additional prompts at the venue helped guide individual reflection and deepen the viewing experience.
Promotional graphic for Concordia’s Slow Art Day. (Courtesy of Concordia)
To conclude the day, visitors were invited to a screening of The Mirror by filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky — a contemplative cinematic work that echoes the principles of Slow Art Day.
Photos from the exhibition:
Alexandra Leykauf – All together now, video.(Photo courtesy of Concordia)Alexandra Leykauf – Drie Stenen II. (Photo courtesy of Concordia)Sara Rajaei – Veronica and Chantur.(Photo courtesy of Concordia)
We at Slow Art Day HQ applaud Concordia for turning unexpected changes into an opportunity to highlight the power of self-guided reflection and film. We look forward to seeing what they do for Slow Art Day 2026.
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.
For their first Slow Art Day, the Freer Gallery of Art, part of the Smithsonian Asian Art Museum in Washington, D.C., hosted a day-long celebration focused on slowing the mind, body, and spirit.
Visitors were invited to participate in a series of immersive activities held in the Freer’s galleries and courtyard, designed to deepen observation and foster mindfulness through art and nature. The day offered both guided and self-guided experiences, welcoming adults and families alike.
Featured activities included:
Guided Slow Looking sessions in Gallery 5, focusing on Japanese screens (11:30 a.m. family session; 1:30 p.m. adults-only session)
Forest Bathing mindfulness walks in the courtyard led by naturalist and certified forest therapy guide Ana Ka’ahanui from Capital Nature (1 p.m. family session; 2 p.m. adults-only session)
Qigong practice in the courtyard, or Gallery 17 in case of rain (12–1 p.m.)
Self-Guided Slow Looking with sketching, writing, and conversational prompts available to encourage personal exploration at one’s own pace
Image courtesy of Create Calm
Each session offered participants an opportunity to slow down, open their senses, and form a deeper, more personal connection with the art and environment around them.
Throughout the day, participants could be seen sketching quietly before the intricate screens, breathing mindfully in the courtyard, and moving gracefully through Qigong sequences that mirrored the flow of nature. The museum’s thoughtful integration of art, nature, and mindfulness—including the leadership of Ana Ka’ahanui in the forest bathing sessions—beautifully embodied the spirit of Slow Art Day.
We at Slow Art Day HQ love how the Freer Gallery of Art created such a great mix of events and wish we had been there to participate. We can’t wait to see what they come up with for Slow Art Day 2026.
– Ashley, Johanna, Jessica Jane, and Phyl
P.S. You can learn more about the Freer Gallery’s events and exhibits by visiting their website. You can also follow them on:
For their third Slow Art Day, RiverBrink Art Museum, located in Queenston, Ontario (Canada), invited visitors to slow down and deepen their connection with three selected artworks from their permanent collection. Guests were welcomed into the gallery and encouraged to sit quietly with each artwork, observing closely for five minutes before joining a facilitated group discussion led by Programming and Curatorial Assistant Moyu Chen.
Featured works included:
“Effet de Pluie, Pont Aven” by Gustave Loiseau (n.d.)
“Portrait of Frances Davis” by Francis Cotes (c. 1760)
“Settlers’ Cabin in the Foothills [Early Canadian Settler]” by Cornelius Krieghoff (1859)
“Effet de Pluie, Pont Aven” by Gustave Loiseau.(Photo courtesy of RiverBrink Art Museum)“Portrait of Frances Davis” by Francis Cotes.(Photo courtesy of RiverBrink Art Museum)“Settlers’ Cabin in the Foothills [Early Canadian Settler]” by Cornelius Krieghoff.(Photo courtesy of RiverBrink Art Museum)
Participants reflected on visual details, brushwork, subject matter, and emotional tone. The museum provided extra seating to ensure an accessible and comfortable environment for slow looking, and a helpful handout (featured below) with observation questions created by the museum team.
Gallery setup for Slow Art Day at RiverBrink Art Museum, featuring “Effet de Pluie, Pont Aven” by Gustave Loiseau.* (Photo courtesy of RiverBrink Art Museum)
We at Slow Art Day HQ love the art, the simple design and the ongoing partnership with RiverBrink. We look forward to what they come up with for Slow Art Day 2026.
For their second year participating in Slow Art Day, Moderna Museet Malmö once again hosted a deeply reflective and engaging event that beautifully combined meditation with slow looking.
In the vibrant exhibition Vivian Suter – I Am Godzilla, participants gathered for a guided meditation session led by Ana María Bermeo, an artist, museologist, and certified meditation teacher. Through simple breathing and mindfulness exercises, Bermeo encouraged participants to slow their pace, immerse themselves in Suter’s rich visual world, and reconnect with their own inner experiences.
Slow looking and meditation surrounded by expressive, immersive works in the Vivian Suter exhibition. (Photo: Susanne Lindblad/Moderna Museet Malmö)
No prior experience with meditation was required — only a willingness to pause, breathe, and look slowly.
Attendees reported embracing the moment of silence and reflection, letting go of performance and expectation, and allowing themselves to experience both the art and their sensory impressions in a deeper, more contemplative way.
Participants meditating amidst the colorful canvases of the Vivian Suter exhibition at Moderna Museet Malmö.(Photo: Susanne Lindblad/Moderna Museet Malmö)
The bold, colorful canvases of Vivian Suter’s exhibition created a powerful backdrop for the session. For us at Slow Art Day HQ, it is particularly striking to witness participants seated quietly in a circle around these vibrant works, each deeply absorbed in silent meditation and reflection.
We are so grateful to Moderna Museet Malmö and to host Susanne Lindblad for continuing to be a valued part of the Slow Art Day movement. We can’t wait to see what they create for Slow Art Day 2026!
For their second year participating in Slow Art Day, the Boston Athenaeum hosted a full day of slow looking and community reflection centered around the works of Boston artists Allan Rohan Crite (1910 – 2007) and Polly Thayer Starr (1904 – 2006).
Visitors were invited to explore the Athenaeum’s first floor galleries freely throughout the day or join one of four scheduled guided sessions at 11 am, 1 pm, 2 pm (a family session), and 3 pm. Each session began with 10 minutes of slow, close looking at a selected work, followed by a docent-led conversation encouraging participants to share their observations and experiences.
Visitors participating in a slow looking session inside the historic Boston Athenaeum during Slow Art Day 2025.(Photo courtesy of the Boston Athenaeum)
Self-guided visitors were encouraged to select their own piece of art and use a printed Slow Art Day handout (below) featuring guiding questions for deeper reflection.
Screenshot of the Boston Athenaeum’s social media post for the event. (Photo courtesy of the Boston Athenaeum)
On the day, the United States witnessed the largest coordinated protest since President Trump’s return to office, and the Athenaeum provided a space for contemplation and connection. The choice to highlight the works of Crite, an African American artist, and Starr, a female artist, resonated deeply on a day when issues of representation, equity, and justice were at the forefront of national discourse.
We at Slow Art Day HQ extend our gratitude to the Boston Athenaeum, and to all Slow Art Day hosts, this year for providing a sanctuary for reflection and dialogue during a pivotal moment in the world’s political discourse.
We look forward to seeing what the Boston Athenaeum designs for 2026!
