For their first Slow Art Day – as part of the large 2025 citywide event in Mexico City, the contemporary gallery PEANA in Mexico City, Mexico hosted an immersive slow looking experience centered on “Their Silhouettes Bristled With Razors,” the first solo exhibition at the gallery by Mexican artist Naomi Rincón Gallardo.
Rincón Gallardo’s work explores themes of contemporary violence, decolonial thought, and ancient Mesoamerican narratives. The exhibition was presented in a dim, atmospheric environment that invited visitors to slow down and spend time contemplating the symbolic imagery and layered storytelling within the works.
The PEANA team welcomed visitors with a brief introduction and encouraged participants to approach the experience with openness and curiosity. Printed reflection prompts were distributed to guide the slow looking process, asking visitors questions about the symbolism they noticed, their first impressions of the artworks, and how their perceptions evolved as they spent more time observing.
Participants during the Slow Art Day event. Photo courtesy of PEANA.
The prompts also invited creative responses, encouraging participants to draw, write a poem, or describe their reactions after spending time with the artworks. This simple but powerful structure helped visitors move beyond quick viewing and into deeper engagement with the themes and emotional resonance of the exhibition.
Several works from the exhibition served as focal points for slow looking, including Mechatronic Butterfly, Eclipse I, and Me enterraron boca arriba con la lengua fuera (Tlaltecuhtli). These works combine sculptural elements, video, and mythological imagery to create powerful visual narratives rooted in Indigenous cosmologies and contemporary cultural critique.
Mechatronic Butterfly. Photo courtesy of PEANA.Eclipse I. Photo courtesy of PEANA.Me enterraron boca arriba con la lengua fuera (Tlaltecuhtli). Photo courtesy of PEANA.
By pairing immersive artworks with guided reflection prompts, PEANA created an environment where visitors could slow down, contemplate difficult themes, and engage with the artworks in a personal and meaningful way.
Approximately 60 visitors participated in PEANA’s Slow Art Day experience, making a wonderful contribution to Mexico City’s citywide celebration.
We at Slow Art Day HQ are grateful to the team at PEANA and to Constanza Ontiveros Valdés, who organized the 2025 citywide event. And we are amazed that Ontiveros Valdés has already organized more than 35 galleries and museums for Slow Art Day 2026. We can’t wait!
— Ashley, Johanna, Jessica Jane, and Phyl
P.S. If you have not yet registered your museum of gallery for Slow Art Day 2026, please do.
Wow. Constanza Ontiveros Valdés — an art writer and cultural project leader – has done it again, but bigger and better.
For the second citywide Slow Art Day in Mexico City on April 11, 2026, Ontiveros Valdés has organized more than 50 museums, galleries, artist studios, and independent cultural spaces. She and her volunteer team have also created a website just for their citywide. Photos below are part of their impressive site.
Participating institutions include museums such as Museo del Palacio de Bellas Artes, Museo Vivo del Muralismo and Museo Archivo de la Fotografía, as well as galleries, artist studios, and cultural spaces across the city. Each venue will organize its own program — ranging from guided slow-looking sessions and conversations to workshops and informal gatherings.
As noted, the Mexico City initiative continues to be led by Ontiveros Valdés. This year, she is supported by three enthusiastic and talented volunteers: Alejandra Sánchez Catalán, Shalom Hernández Espinosa, and Rebeca Rosales Reyes, whose collaboration has been key to the project’s expansion.
The initiative is further strengthened by the support of GAMA (Galerías de Arte Mexicanas Asociadas), a network of leading contemporary art galleries in Mexico, and by the cultural platform Artists’ Container, founded by curator and producer Gabriela Andrade Gorab, which fosters collaboration and visibility across artistic communities.
This is a remarkable initiative and is definitely one path for the future of Slow Art Day. We now have two committed citywide organizers – one in Illinois and now one in Mexico City. We hope that more emerge inspired by the success of the efforts of Ontiveros Valdés and her team.
With love and sequins,
Phyl, Ashley, Jessica Jane, Johanna, and Maggie (the Slow Art Day core volunteer team)
P.S. Below are the participating venues:
· ALDO ISLAS ESTUDIO · ALEJANDRA TOPETE GALLERY · ALMANAQUE · AMPLIA GALERIA · ARRÓNIZ ARTE CONTEMPORÁNEO · ARTE ABIERTO · CAM GALERÍA · CASA ENNEA · ENCARTE · ETHRA GALERÍA · ESTUDIO LA DALIA · ESTUDIO MARTE · FIERA ARTE NO DOMESTICADO · FUNDACION TTAMAYO · GALERÍA ANDREA POZZO, IBERO · GALERÍA CAMPECHE · GALERIA CLAROSCURO · GALERÍA HILARIO GALGUERA · GALERIA KAREN HUBER · GALERIA RGR · KÖNIG GALERIE · KURIMANZUTTO · LAGO ALGO · LE LABORATOIRE · LUAN MUSEO EMOCIONAL · LS GALERÍA · MARIANE IBRAHIM GALLERY · MISFIT ART ALLIANCE · MUSEO ARCHIVO DE LA FOTOGRAFÍA · MUSEO CASA DE CARRANZA · MUSEO DEL PALACIO DE BELLAS ARTES · MUSEO SOUMAYA · MUSEO TAMAYO ARTE CONTEMPORÁNEO · MUSEO VIVO DEL MURALISMO · OMR · PATRICIA CONDE GALERÍA · PEANA · PLAYA ESCANDÓN · PROYECTO PARALELO · PROYECTO N.A.S.A.L · SAENGER GALERÍA · STUDIO MITOTE · TALLER CRISTINA TORRES · TERRENO BALDÍO · THIRD BORN · ART TRIGGERIA (HAAB PROJECT CONDESA) · TINTA NARANJA GALERÍA · YUNQUE FÁBRICA DE ARTE · ZONA DE RIESGO
In 2025, Mexico City hosted its first city-wide Slow Art Day – and what may be the largest city-wide in the world – with 35 participating venues, coordinated by art writer and cultural organizer Constanza Ontiveros Valdés.
Ontiveros Valdés organized an unexpectedly wide range of participants, from established museums and galleries to alternative and emerging cultural spaces across the city.
The venues offered a rich mix of programming, including yoga, meditation, aromatherapy, workshops, panel discussions, and multidisciplinary artistic happenings. She noted that the accessibility and inclusiveness of Slow Art Day encouraged participation across diverse spaces, all eager to explore slow looking in ways that felt authentic to their communities.
We received reports from seven of the 35. Below are those highlights.
Galería Oscar Román featured an artist-led conversation titled “Sombras del Pintor” (Shadows of the Painter) with artist Saúl Kaminer, followed by a guided visit to his exhibition “La Tierra en el Cielo” (The Earth in the Sky). Kaminer shared insights into his creative process and the narratives behind his work, inviting participants to engage slowly through conversation and close observation. The session encouraged reflection on the relationship between art and nature, with visitors spending extended time discussing individual works.
Arte Abierto Reported by: Guadalupe Salcedo, Communications
Arte Abierto‘s Public Programs Team designed a Slow Art Day experience around the exhibition long last happy by Swiss artist Ugo Rondinone. Participants engaged in contemplative observation of the large format sculptures the sun and the moon (2022), followed by individual and group body activations inspired by dance and performance. The program invited participants to explore the idea of opposing forces through both stillness and body movement. Adults and children took part, and the event received significant public and media engagement.
Host: Constanza Ontiveros Valdés, Art Writer and Cultural Projects Coordinator Venue contact: Julia Villaseñor, Communications and Media Director
At kurimanzutto, participants were introduced to Slow Art Day through breathing and relaxation exercises before engaging in close looking with works by Haegue Yang from the exhibition Arcane Abstractions. The group explored intricate paper collages from the Mesmerizing Mesh series and interacted physically with the sculptural installation Mesmerizing Votive Pagoda Lantern. The session concluded with a hands-on activity in which participants created visual responses to their observations and shared reflections.
Natalia Martinez Aanaya, Communications Manager shared that Alejandra Topete Gallery participated with Between Threads and Stories, featuring works by Jason Kriegler and Claribel Calderius. The program included individual meditation sessions throughout the day and an empowering roundtable discussion led by Maria Ortiz, Cultural Mediator. Visitors were encouraged to form personal connections with the artworks through guided dialogue and slow observation.
Naranjo 141 gathered participants to look slowly at five selected works from their current exhibition. The session began with a brief introduction to Slow Art Day and the gallery’s residency program. Visitors then spent six to seven minutes in silent observation with each of five selected works:
Lily Alice Baker, Mothers’ Meeting (2024)
Colleen Herman, Blood Bloom in a Blue Field (2024)
Lee Maxey, Face the Front (2024)
Kataria Riesing, Holster (2024)
Pauline Shaw, Blackout (2025)
After slow looking, participants came together for a facilitated group discussion, sharing observations and personal responses over light refreshments. The session concluded with informal conversation and continued engagement with the exhibition.
Lee Maxey, Face the Front (2024)Lily Alice Baker, Mothers’ Meeting (2024)
Tinta Naranja focused on close observation of graphic design and visual culture. Participants explored original materials related to the Mexico 1968 Olympic design system, discussing the origins and historical context of the typography and imagery. The session concluded with a participatory activity in which attendees designed their own names using Olympic-inspired typographic forms.
Zona de Riesgo Art hosted a free evening program that combined slow looking, guided meditation, sound art, and collective reflection. The event opened with a brief introduction, then featured two guided meditative experiences led by artist Mónica Martz M.
The first, Realm of the Devas, combined guided meditation with sound art by Bruno Bresani and the projection of two visual works by Mónica Martz M.
After a short pause, Mónica Martz M. led a second meditation that explored The Human Realm, accompanied by sound art from Mercedes Balard and Montserrat Coltello, alongside projected works by Bruno Bresani.
Following the meditations, participants gathered for an open conversation, sharing sensations, images, and reflections that emerged during the experience. The evening concluded with expressions of gratitude among artists and attendees, highlighting the value of creating spaces for stillness, contemplation, and shared presence.
Together, these seven reports represent just a portion of the 35 venues that participated in Mexico City’s first citywide Slow Art Day. The range of formats—artist talks, guided observation, movement-based practices, meditation, and slow making—demonstrates how Slow Art Day can scale across a major global city while remaining grounded in local artistic practice. Check out a great article summarizing the day (in Spanish).
We thank Constanza Ontiveros Valdés for her leadership and all participating venues, artists, facilitators, and visitors for making this inaugural citywide Slow Art Day possible. We look forward to seeing what they come up with for Slow Art Day 2026.
For Slow Art Day 2025, Bloomington–Normal, Illinois once again led a citywide Slow Art Day – they were the first to pioneer citywide events several years ago. Led by Pamela Eaton of Eaton Studio Gallery, the citywide Slow Art Day has grown into a statewide collaboration with a number of sponsors and leaders coming together. See the beautiful poster below.
The collaborative citywide scope of the event was documented by the Illinois Route 66 Scenic Byway. These photographs captured the range of venues and the conversations taking place across the city during the Slow Art Day weekend.
Here are a few reports we received from across the 2025 Citywide.
Eaton Studio Gallery At the Eaton Gallery, their Slow Art Day event centered on Star Crossed Pollinators, a refurbished sculpture by artist Herb Eaton originally created in 2000 for Bloomington’s Sesquicentennial celebrations. The work was on view during Slow Art Day as part of its refurbishment process ahead of its planned move to a permanent location at the McLean County Museum of History.
Photos below are of artist Herb Eaton with the original sculpture in 2000 on the left, and the new version in 2025 on the right.
Inside Out Accessible Art (IOAA) IOAA hosted artists demonstrating their techniques alongside other artists who brought individual works to discuss with patrons. The open format encouraged dialogue and allowed visitors to spend time with both artistic process and finished work. Photographs of the event below were taken by Shelley Schultz.
Red Raccoon Games Red Racoon in downtown Bloomington hosted artist Gina LaMonica, whose works were shown via the table setup below.
The Bloomington–Normal Slow Art Day demonstrated how a coordinated, multi-site approach can support slow looking at scale while remaining grounded in local artists, studios, and shared civic spaces. We thank Pamela Eaton, Eaton Studio Gallery, Inside Out Accessible Art, and all participating organizations and artists for making this citywide Slow Art Day possible. We look forward to seeing what they come up with for their citywide Slow Art Day in 2026.
The fourth annual citywide Slow Art Day on Route 66 is being hosted by the twin cities of Bloomington-Normal, Illinois this year.
** 20 ** local arts organizations are coming together for their citywide Slow Art Day, led by BN Artists, the grassroots, artist-led coalition of small business owners, nonprofit workers, and other culturally engaged citizens working collaboratively to promote the vibrant art scene in Bloomington-Normal.
Led by Pamala Eaton and others, BN Artists pioneered citywide events and have inspired other cities around the world to do it, including Rome and Mexico City (Mexico City is also their first citywide this year and bringing together 20 galleries and museums and they specifically cited Bloomington-Normal).
In Bloomington-Normal, guests will have a chance to explore the art studios and galleries of Downtown Bloomington artists, enter a world built of discarded machinery and scrap parts at 410 Sculpture Park and the House on Garling, and experience art viewing and artmaking in Normal at Illinois Art Station, the Children’s Discovery Museum, and Ryburn Place at Sprague’s Super Service.
See the wonderful poster below –
Santino Lamancusa, owner of The Hangar Art Company (who also designed the poster) explained his passion for Slow Art Day: “You don’t have to know anything about art to be able to enjoy it. Slow Art Day’s purpose is to allow you the time to look and make your own discoveries about what you see and how art makes you feel. It’s all about your interaction with the artist and what your experience is with their art. It’s not about anyone else’s opinion but your own. Slow Art Day is an opportunity to experience art for yourself.”
Pamala Eaton, gallerist and owner of Herb Eaton Studio and Gallery said Slow Art Day has helped to build the local art scene, “Collaborating with the other artists and galleries in our community for Slow Art Day has given our local art scene more visibility and we are now attracting more local and out of town visitors to our art locations.”
We at Slow Art Day love what Pamala, Santino, and others have done to get the whole city involved.
They are truly an inspiration for the world!
– Phyl and the Slow Art Day team
P.S. Slow Art Day 2025 is coming up on April 5. If you have not done so, please register your museum, gallery, church, sculpture park or movie theater here: https://www.slowartday.com/be-a-host/
This year’s Slow Art Day is coming up Saturday, April 5, and I’m happy to report a major development for our 15th year: Mexico City is officially joining the citywide Slow Art Day movement.
Thanks to Constanza Ontiveros Valdés, a Mexican art writer and cultural project leader, CDMX (the initials used in Mexico for Mexico City) will be hosting what appears to be now 37 venues across the city.
Wow! ¡Increíble! ¡Chingón!
Ontiveros has worked to organize art galleries, cultural centers, and museums to participate and create workshops, slow looking tours, and related programs. She reports taking inspiration from other successful initiatives such as the one in Bloomington, Illinois, as well as Rome, Antwerp, Philadelphia, and Saratoga in California.
The list of participating venues continues to grow, but as of today, the venues confirmed for Mexico City’s Slow Art Day include:
Alejandra Topete Gallery: A recently opened gallery focusing on innovative curatorial projects that engage diverse media and concepts. It also integrates the owner’s restoration practice.
Amplia Gallery: A hybrid space dedicated to contemporary artistic practices, offering exhibitions, talks, and collaborations that foster dialogue and experimentation.
Arróniz Contemporary Art Gallery: Established in 2006, the gallery focuses on contemporary Latin American art, representing both emerging and mid-career artists with diverse exhibitions.
Arte Abierto – Cultural Space: Situated within the Artz Pedregal shopping center, this cultural space is designed to accommodate large-scale installations and promote contemporary art.
Arte Uno Gallery: A multidisciplinary gallery committed to showcasing Mexican contemporary art through curated exhibitions and creative community outreach.
CAM Gallery: A contemporary art gallery that showcases a diverse range of artists, focusing on innovative and thought-provoking exhibitions.
Casa Wabi Sabino: This beautiful space in Mexico City is part of Fundación Casa Wabi, integrating the Bosco Sodi Studio with a program of temporary contemporary art exhibitions.
Claroscuro Gallery: Specializing in contemporary art, Claroscuro showcases diverse artists and media, aiming to promote innovation and stimulate reflection.
Color CDMX Gallery: A gallery dedicated to promoting the work of Antonio Tovar (In Memory) and serving as an open space for new artists and different concepts.
Enrique Guerrero Gallery: Established in 1997, this gallery specializes in contemporary Latin American art, representing both established and emerging artists.
Ethra Gallery: Focused on contemporary art, Ethra represents a mix of established and emerging artists, highlighting innovative practices and diverse media.
Fiera Arte no Domesticado: A nomadic and experimental platform showcasing raw, outsider, and nonconforming artistic voices through immersive exhibitions and events.
Icons Gallery (Íconos Galería): A gallery that highlights iconic and emerging figures in Mexican contemporary art, bridging traditional techniques with current cultural discourses.
Kaluz Museum: Set in a historic building, Kaluz presents a private collection of Mexican art from the 18th to 21st centuries, inviting reflection on landscapes, people, and identity. It also showcases contemporary art.
Karen Huber Gallery: Specializing in contemporary art, the gallery focuses on emerging and mid-career Mexican and international artists, emphasizing innovation.
Kurimanzutto Gallery: Founded in 1999 by Mónica Manzutto and José Kuri, this gallery represents Mexican and international artists with dynamic exhibitions.
Lago Algo: A stunning cultural venue located by Chapultepec Lake, showcasing contemporary art programs that emphasize Latin American practices and public engagement programs.
Le Laboratoire: An experimental and collaborative space located in a creative hub fostering interdisciplinary collaborations and innovative exhibitions.
LS Gallery: A contemporary gallery showcasing innovative practices and diverse media, representing both Mexican and international artists.
Museo Casa de Carranza: A historic house museum exploring the Mexican Revolution and President Venustiano Carranza’s legacy through period settings and archives.
Museo Jumex: A leading institution in Latin America for contemporary art, hosting international exhibitions and showcasing the Jumex Collection.
Museo Vivo del Muralismo: Opened in 2024, this museum in Mexico City’s historic center features over 3,000 square meters of murals by Diego Rivera and other muralists. Located within a UNESCO site, it explores Mexico’s muralist heritage.
Naranjo 141 Gallery: An art space that promotes contemporary art through exhibitions, workshops, and cultural events, supporting emerging talents.
Olivia Foundation: A contemporary exhibition space in Roma showcasing the Olivia Collection, focused on abstract art from the postwar period to today next to other artists experimenting with abstraction.
Oscar Román Gallery: Established in 1991, the gallery specializes in modern and contemporary Mexican art, representing both renowned and emerging artists.
Pablo Goebel Fine Arts: With over 25 years of experience, this gallery presents modern and contemporary art with an emphasis on Mexican and Latin American masters.
Peana Gallery: An art platform and gallery that collaborates with emerging and established artists, offering curated exhibitions and projects on contemporary practices.
Proyecto N.A.S.A.L: An experimental project space exploring the intersections of sound, performance, and visual culture with a focus on process and collaboration.
Proyecto Paralelo Gallery: Emphasizing collaborative projects and experimental exhibitions, the gallery supports local and international artists.
Saenger Gallery: A contemporary art gallery fostering dialogue between emerging and established artists, offering a space for close, thoughtful encounters with current artistic practices.
Soumaya Museum: A museum housing the Soumaya Foundation’s vast private collection, spanning European Old Masters to modern Mexican icons—ideal for discovering unexpected dialogues.
Spark Studio: A creative and cultural center offering craft and art workshops imparted by artists.
Taller Cristina Torres: An art studio and gallery space where Mexican artist Cristina Torres creates abstract art paintings and invites other artists to experiment with abstraction.
Terreno Baldío Gallery: A contemporary art gallery focusing on site-specific works and interdisciplinary projects, engaging with social and environmental issues.
Third Born Gallery: A newly opened space dedicated to contemporary practices, highlighting emerging talents and experimental works across various media.
Tinta Naranja Gallery: Dedicated to contemporary illustration and graphic arts, Tinta Naranja features emerging illustrators and designers.
Zona de Riesgo Art: A space for experimentation and research, focusing on the intersection of art, archives, and error as methodologies for creation.
But there’s more.
Ontiveros is now organizing venues across the country.
So, for example, Carla Negrete Gallery in Tequisquiapan, Querétaro, will participate and the private university Tecnológico de Monterrey will be involved, with participation from the Monterrey and Saltillo campuses through their Punto Blanco initiative, which aims to create accessible spaces for the community, fostering reflection, self-discovery, and spiritual growth.
We at Slow Art Day HQ are excited to welcome Constanza Ontiveros Valdés, Mexico City, and Mexico as a whole, to our 15th annual global celebration.
– Phyl
P.S. Slow Art Day 2025 is coming up on April 5. If you have not done so, please register your museum, gallery, church, sculpture park or movie theater here: https://www.slowartday.com/be-a-host/.
P.P.S. Here’s the poster Ontiveros created for Slow Art Day 2025.
For their 5th Slow Art Day, Eaton Studio Gallery in Bloomington, IL., spearhead another citywide Slow Art Day in 2024, and as one of the *18* locations, invited participants to a sip-n-view followed by a conversation with artist Herb Eaton.
Exterior of the Studio GalleryParticipants slow looking and engaging with artist Herb EatonHerb Eaton with Slow Art Day participants“Scribbler’s Memorial” Bronze & Stainless by Herb EatonAssorted artworks by Herb Eaton
Slow Art Day has become a prominent force across Bloomington during the past few years, and Pamela Eaton, who has spearheaded the citywide Slow Art Day, told us that the whole multi-venue celebration has been transformative for art in Bloomington.
“Collaborating with the other artists and galleries in our community for Slow Art Day has given our local art scene more visibility and we are now attracting more local and out of town visitors to our art locations.”
Pamela Eaton
The citywide event received a promotion grant to help cover the cost of printing promotional materials, and Eaton Gallery itself received an Illinois Tourism grant to promote the Art Trail on Route 66 for Slow Art Day.
To conclude the festivities, all Slow Art Day goers across the 18-venue city-wide Slow Art Day event were invited to a closing reception with a prize giveaway at The Hangar Art Company from 2 to 4 p.m. in Downtown Bloomington.
At Slow Art Day HQ we have been delighted to follow the events by Eaton Studio Gallery since they joined the Slow Art Day movement during the Covid19 Pandemic. From designing a drive-by exhibition in 2020 to now leading a city-wide phenomenon — we can’t wait to see how Slow Art Day grows in Bloomington during the years to come.
For their first city-wide Slow Art Day, the town of Mason City, Illinois lined up three venues to host artwork events for Slow Art Day: the public library, Reimagine Mason City Foundation, and the Arlee Theater.
All three are local nonprofits who are actively involved in youth services and the arts. Even though Mason City is not large enough to need a stop light (with a population of 2500), they still make sure to celebrate local artists. This year’s featured works included pieces from local artists who have passed on, as well as works from four other Central Illinois artists with various ties to Mason City. Most of the entries were paintings, with one sculpture.
This year’s local artworks were:
Unknown titled piece by Andrea Maxson
“Colorful Flowers” by the late Helen Kim
Two untitled pieces by Anastasia Neumann
“Protection” and “Old Warrior” by Rick Kehl
Unknown titled piece by the late Mary Price
Unknown titled piece by the late Mary K. Mangold
“Arcturian Landscape Study in Aluminum” by Paige Price
Untitled work by Anastasia NeumannUntitled work by Anastasia NeumannUntitled work by Andrea Maxson“Colorful Flowers” by Helen KimUntitled work by Mary K. MangoldUntitled work by Mary Price“Arcturian Landscape Study in Aluminum” by Paige Price“Old Warrior” by Rick Kehl “Protection” by Rick Kehl
On Slow Art Day, the artworks were divided across the three selected locations, and tips for looking at art slowly were provided at each venue.
The public library showed their pieces in a special exhibit.
The Reimagine Mason City Foundation hosted a pop-up coffee shop where their works were displayed.
And lastly, the Arlee Theater projected digital versions of all of the works onto the big screen prior to the evening’s show (we have seen several theaters participate over the years, and love this type of venue for slow looking!).
At Slow Art Day HQ, we love to see citywide events – and especially appreciate smaller towns who come together to celebrate the day. We also hope to see more movie theaters join the Slow Art Day movement.
We look forward to seeing what Mason City comes up with for Slow Art Day in 2025.
-Johanna, Ashley, Jessica Jane, and Phyl
P.S. Slow Art Day 2025 is coming up on April 5. If you have not done so, please register your museum, gallery, church, sculpture park or movie theater here: https://www.slowartday.com/be-a-host/
This year the city-wide Slow Art Day phenomenon continued in Bloomington, Illinois, with 20(!) participating museums and art galleries. And, for the third year running, Angel Ambrose Fine Art Studio participated.
For their contribution to the citywide Slow Art Day, Angel Ambrose featured “Tell Me Stories”, a painting that had been on long-term loan at Illinois State University’s Alumni Center on Michigan Avenue in Downtown Chicago.
Angel Ambrose, “Tell Me Stories”. Over 3 1/2’ x 4 1/2’.
On Slow Art Day, Angel invited visitors of all ages to the studio gallery to take a slow look and hear about the stories behind the painting between 10 AM – 2 PM.
Angel welcomed all participants and asked them to take 3-5 minutes or more to contemplate “Tell Me Stories” or another artwork using some of the following prompts for slow looking.
She came up with some good prompts, as you see below.
—- Prompts
For your head (objective thought/intellect) you can consider any of the following:
What did you see?
What decisions did you notice that Angel made in her painting—line, color, texture, form, repetition, contrast, etc?
Was there a color scheme/theme apparent?
Notice the paint—can you see individual brushstrokes, or a smooth surface, or perhaps another tool was used to apply the paint?
How was movement used in the artwork?
Was the piece representational, abstracted, or somewhere between? Why do you think Angel chose this format?
For your heart (feelings/emotions), consider the following:
How did you feel when you looked at the work?
Did the colors evoke any emotions?
What did these feelings make you think about?
Did your mood change after looking at the artwork?
Did you experience any personal significance to the piece?
Artist Angel Ambrose and her “Management of Time” triptych at Angel Ambrose Fine Art Studio.
During the day, visitors could also visit any of the 20 Bloomington Slow Art Day locations free of charge. The day concluded with a closing reception at The Hangar Art Co. from 2 – 4 PM for participants from all venues.
The Eaton Gallery was the first to host a Slow Art Day in Bloomington. In 2020 at the height of the pandemic, they organized a walk up/drive by exhibition. Then in 2022 Eaton and other Bloomington galleries pioneered hosting a city-wide Slow Art Day – and Angel Ambrose was in that original group.
At Slow Art Day HQ we have eagerly followed the growth of Slow Art Day in Bloomington along Route 66. We (unsurprisingly) like to take things slow, but the fast spread of the citywide movement in Bloomington (and now around the world) both calms and excites us.
We can’t wait to see what Angel Ambrose Fine Art Studio comes up with for Bloomington’s citywide Slow Art Day in 2025.
-Johanna, Ashley, Jessica Jane, and Phyl
P.S. Stay up to date with events at Angel Ambrose Fine Art Studio via their Facebook page.
P.P.S. We are hearing rumors that the state of Illinois might host a *statewide* Slow Art Day in 2025. Stay tuned.
For their second Slow Art Day, the Eskenazi Museum of Art in Bloomington, Indiana, offered visitors a wide range of activities, including in-gallery sketching, snacks, self guided tours, discussion, and an art-based puzzle contest. Note that the museum is part of the growing Bloomington city-wide Slow Art Day event – which this year included more than 20 museums and galleries across the city (remarkable!).
For the slow looking activity, three artworks were highlighted by Eskenazi, though guests were encouraged to pick any piece in the collection:
“Swing Landscape” by Stuart Davis
“Matter” video by Adam Magyar Below is a still image from the video.
“Flight of a Thousand Birds” by Anila Agha
To facilitate individual slow looking and discussions, the museum re-used their slow looking hand-out from last year (with a few tweaks). We invite all museum curators and Slow Art Day hosts to view the particularly well-designed hand-out below.
Keaton Clulow, Public Experiences Manager, shared that the puzzle contest was particularly popular. For that, guests were asked to spend at least ten minutes with “Swing Landscape” by Stuart Davis before attempting to put together a giant 3D puzzle of the piece from memory.
Visitor viewing “Swing Landscape” by Stuart Davis.
The museum was also successful at involving all generations, including young people (see below).
Slow looking participant viewing an artwork in the museum. Photo by Shanti Knight.
At Slow Art Day HQ we love the creativity the Eskenazi brings to designing its Slow Art Day activities. We know we would enjoy working on the “slow-puzzle.”
We can’t wait to see what the Eskenazi Museum of Art comes up with for next year’s Blooming citywide event (which may turn into a statewide event – stay tuned).
P.P.S. The museum asked us to include this statement: The museum wishes to acknowledge and honor the myaamiaki, Lënape, Bodwéwadmik, and saawanwa people, whose ancestral homelands and resources Indiana University Bloomington occupies.
