Flora & Fauna at Gallery A3 in Massachusetts

Gallery A3 in Amherst, Massachusetts, hosted its first Slow Art Day on April 11, 2026. Laura Holland and Nancy Meagher, members of the artists’ cooperative gallery, organized an event where visitors selected a work to look at for five minutes, then used a “viewing tube” to help focus on details, drew what they focused on, and, after looking slowly, were then invited to chat with the artists.

The event began with a welcoming atmosphere, offering participants the added option to consider drawing as a way to engage more deeply with the art. Drawing materials and clipboards were readily available for those who wished to sketch after their five minutes of slow looking. Laura Holland and Nancy Meagher, whose works were currently on exhibit, were present to discuss the experience with visitors.

Participants were invited to choose artworks from the gallery’s current exhibit, “Flora & Fauna,” which featured photography and artist books by Laura Holland and paintings by Nancy Meagher.

The viewing tubes— paper towel tubes wrapped in Slow Art Day posters — helped participants concentrate on specific details. Worksheets with guiding questions were also provided as an optional tool to deepen the observation.

Approximately 15 participants attended the event. One participant said that the experience “made her day” and another called it “the best thing that happened that day.” Many visitors enjoyed the drawing component, with one woman creating five to six small drawings.

Like most Slow Art Day participants everywhere, many expressed surprise at how much they noticed during their focused looking. The artists were delighted by the level of engagement with drawing.

We at Slow Art Day HQ are grateful to Laura Holland and Nancy Meagher for their thoughtful and engaging first Slow Art Day event. We love the viewing tubes. That’s a simple and wonderful innovation.

We look forward to seeing what they come up with for Slow Art Day 2027.

— Ashley, Johanna, Jessica Jane, and Phyl

P.S. Learn more about Gallery A3 on their website.