For their first Slow Art Day, the Wichita Falls Museum of Art at MSU Texas in Wichita Falls hosted a focused workshop within the exhibition Follow the Waters by Delita Martin, led by Dr. Zora Carrier, Executive Director of the Museum.
Participants were invited to slow down with five selected works from Martin’s exhibition, spending 10–15 minutes in silent observation with each piece. The workshop centered on Martin’s layered mixed-media portraits of Black women, exploring themes of cultural storytelling, symbolism, and spiritual legacy.
Following the slow-looking sessions, the group gathered for a facilitated discussion that encouraged participants to share personal interpretations, reflect on emotional responses, and consider how extended time and dialogue can transform the viewing experience.
To support the process, the Museum provided a structured worksheet titled The Art of Seeing (attached below) that guided participants through observation, implication, analysis, and reflection, prompting them to consider elements of art such as line, color, texture, rhythm, and unity, while also imagining the moments before and after the scene depicted. This layered approach reinforced visual literacy and encouraged deeper engagement beyond first impressions.
(By the way, museums and galleries should feel free to steal some of their lovely worksheet design.)
Feedback from participants was what we have heard from many thousands around the world: One participant discovered layers they might otherwise have missed while another shared that hearing others’ interpretations shifted their own perspective about the art.
We welcome the Wichita Falls Museum of Art to the Slow Art Day community, and look forward to seeing how they build on this strong beginning for Slow Art Day 2026.
— Ashley, Johanna, Jessica Jane, and Phyl