Tag Archives: Boston

Slow Art Day at the Boston Athenaeum: Honoring Allan Rohan Crite and Polly Thayer Star

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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.

Featured works included:

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.

Slow Art Day handout (3)Download
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!

– Ashley, Johanna, Jessica Jane, and Phyl

P.S. You can follow the Boston Athenaeum on:

Slow-Looking with The ICA, Boston

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For their third Slow Art Day, The Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) in Boston, MA, designed a slow-looking event for participants to try at home.

Guidelines for the slow-looking were created by Amy Briggs Kemeza, Tour Programs Manager at the ICA. On April 4, they were shared to Instagram, Facebook, and the museum website, where they could also be accessed via a PDF.

Participants could choose artwork in their own home for slow-looking, or use one of the suggested artworks from the ICA’s collection such as Caitlin Keogh, Blank Melody, Old Wall (2018).

Caitlin Keogh, Blank Melody, Old Wall, 2018. Acrylic on canvas, 84 x 63 inches (213.4 x 160 cm). Fotene Demoulas and Tom Coté Art Acquisition Fund and Anonymous Art Acquisition Fund. Courtesy the artist and Bortolami, New York. © Caitlin Keogh

The easy-to-follow instructions involved mindful breathing, slow-looking, and stream-of-consciousness note-taking which were well received across the board – with the Instagram post receiving 530+ likes. For anyone wishing to recreate the experience, the material can still be accessed on Instagram, Facebook, and the museum’s website.

Guidelines to the ICA Boston slow-looking event, created by Amy Briggs Kemeza, Tour Programs Manager at ICA Boston. Available here.

One Instagram user commented:

“Happy Slow Art Day! I like the slow art from (artist) Caitlin Keogh very much! Thank you for sharing her work with us in slow motion during this global event, and it fits well with quarantine schedules as it invites us to slow down and enjoy the discoveries art can offer.”

The whole Slow Art Day HQ team was excited by the clear and compelling design of their slow looking instructions as well as by the decision to encourage participants to slowly look at artworks in their home.

We look forward to whatever the ICA Boston comes up with for Slow Art Day 2021.

– Johanna and Ashley