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African Art and Haiku in South Africa

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For their eighth Slow Art Day, Artichoke Gallery at MelonRouge in Magaliesburg, South Africa invited visitors to slow down with art and poetry at an interactive morning titled “Afriku: Slow Visions & Whispered Words.” The event paired slow looking at a curated selection of African artworks with a hands-on Japanese haiku writing workshop led by gallery owner Hannelie Sanders.

On Saturday, April 5, 2025, participants gathered in the gallery’s contemplative space to begin their slow looking experience. The exhibition offered a rich range of African art — from textured mixed-media works and figurative compositions to abstract pieces that emphasize line, pattern, and gesture. The diversity of the artworks created varied visual rhythms: some pieces invited attention to bold color and dynamic shapes; others unfolded quietly, revealing depth and nuance through closer observation.

As participants slowed down with individual works, they were encouraged to engage with formal elements such as surface texture, mark making, and spatial relationships, and with the emotional presence each piece carried. These visual qualities provided fertile ground for deep attention, allowing slow lookers to connect more intimately with what they saw.

After an initial period of quiet observation, Hannelie Sanders introduced the basics of Japanese haiku. Participants were then invited to translate what they noticed in the art into their own three-line poems, using mood, imagery, and sensory detail as inspiration. The morning’s workshop emphasized presence, patience, and creative response, encouraging people to let what they saw inform what they wrote.

Following the haiku writing, the group shared reflections over a light lunch. Many spoke of how slowing down shifted their perception, helping them notice details and relationships within the artworks that might otherwise go unseen. In a further celebration of creative engagement, the haiku poems crafted during the session were displayed alongside the exhibition for the remainder of its run through May 4, allowing poetry and visual art to exist side by side.

At Slow Art Day HQ, we appreciate how Afriku wove visual art with poetry (and lunch!) into the slow looking experience. We love that participants’ poems became part of the exhibition itself.

We look forward to seeing what Artichoke Gallery at MelonRouge comes up with for Slow Art Day 2026.

– Ashley, Johanna, Jessica Jane, and Phyl

P.S. Follow them on Facebook

Mindfulness, Music, and Morning Stillness at Caloundra Regional Gallery in Australia

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For their fourth Slow Art Day, Caloundra Regional Gallery in Australia thoughtfully expanded their event format by introducing guided mindfulness activities to help participants truly slow down before engaging with the art.

Held from 8 – 10am (before regular gallery opening hours), 34 attendees gathered for a guided breathing exercise to help get settled into the experience, soften their gaze, and prepare to look deeply and intentionally.

Using a specially designed worksheet (you can find it below), attendees then spent 8–10 minutes with four selected artworks, plus one artwork of their own choosing.

Featured works included:

  • Peter Harris | Jar | c.1992–3
  • Johanna DeMaine | Bottle | c.1980s
  • Peter Hudson | Girraween After Dark | 2022–23
  • Amanda Western | Country Lane | 2023
  • Miranda Skoczek | Untitled (impala) | 2012
Peter Harris Jar c.1992-3.
Johanna de Maine Bottle c.1980s.
Peter Hudson | Girraween After Dark | 2022-23.
Amanda Western | Country Lane | 2023.
Miranda Skoczek | Untitled (impala) | 2012

The worksheet prompted participants to observe carefully, reflect on emotions, imagine stepping into the scenes, and even sketch details they noticed. As outlined in the worksheet, there was “no right or wrong way to look at art”, just an invitation to notice, feel, and reflect.

Slow Art Day 2025 – WorksheetDownload

After the viewing sessions, guests enjoyed home-baked refreshments and fresh fruit platters generously provided by the Friends of the Gallery. A mindful tea-drinking exercise encouraged participants to extend the slow experience beyond the artwork and into everyday sensory awareness.

Adding to the atmosphere, local musicians Graham and Rowena provided harp and guitar music throughout the morning.

Musicians Graham and Rowena.

Feedback from participants was overwhelmingly positive, with many expressing appreciation for the quiet early-morning setting and the structured yet personal format of the experience.

A heartfelt thank you to Senior Learning and Engagement Officer Jenny Jones, the Caloundra Regional Gallery team, the Friends of the Gallery, and the talented musicians for creating such a thoughtful Slow Art Day.

We look forward to what they come up with for Slow Art Day 2026.

— Ashley, Johanna, Jessica Jane, and Phyl

P.S. View them on Instagram and Facebook.

Slow Art Club Visits De Iorio Collection in Verona

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To celebrate Slow Art Day 2025, the Slow Art Club in Italy organized a special visit to the De Iorio Collection in Verona — one of the largest private contemporary art collections in Italy, with more than 700 works by artists from around the world.

The collection is displayed across several exhibition venues, including a striking former sawmill in Verona that has been thoughtfully renovated by the collector, Mauro De Iorio. The visit was reserved exclusively for the Slow Art Club.

The event began with a presentation by De Iorio, who spoke passionately about his motivations for collecting. He shared that his primary criterion when selecting artworks is their emotional impact, along with a shared interest with artists in social and psychological themes — an approach that closely aligns with the ethos of Slow Art Day, which centers on deep, intentional engagement with art.

Mauro De Iorio talks with Slow Art Day participants

Following the introduction, the experience unfolded in two parts: first, individual slow observation of selected artworks; then small-group discussions where attendees shared reflections and insights. The works chosen for the Slow Art experience were all created by female artists and reflected the collector’s personal interests.

Here are some of the artworks they slowly viewed:

Celeste Dupuy-Spencer, Full Fathom Thy Father Lies nothing of him that doth fade, but doth suffer
a seachange, into something rich and strange, 2023, oil on linen and mixed media.
Miriam Cahn, o.t. 17.8.13, 2013, oil on canvas
Danica Lundy, I like the boys and the boys like me, 2023, oil on canvas
Xinyi Cheng, Incroyable (Monroe), 2019, oil on canvas

As is tradition, the group concluded the Slow Art event with a lovely lunch shared by all.

The Slow Art Club in Rovereto, Italy, founded by Piero Consolati, promotes slow-looking with events at different museums and collections across Italy.

Piero tells us that news about the Slow Art Club continues to spread far and wide across Italy and that, for example, one new member traveled 500 kilometers to participate in the 2025 event.

At Slow Art Day HQ, we celebrate the Slow Art Club of Italy, hope more Slow Art Clubs spring up around the world, and look forward to seeing what Piero Consolati and the club comes up with for Slow Art Day 2026.

— Jessica Jane, Ashley and Phyl

Art, Performance, and Community in Alkiza, Spain

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For their 10th Slow Art Day, Ur mara Museoa in Alkiza, Spain, hosted a gathering that combined exhibition, performance, and a shared meal in a single, community-centered experience.

The event featured an exhibition by artists Ruth Anne Lopez, Amaia Conde, and Ainhoa Apezteguia, alongside a live performance by Leire Ugalde.

They put together a terrific video summary of the full day, which you can watch below.

Highlights included:

– A poetic reflection on touch and memory (0:59-2:08), using the metaphor of raindrops to explore how we interact with and preserve moments.

– An artistic piece focusing on skies and images (2:18-2:38), highlighting how images can capture what life cannot.

– An interview with artist Amaya Condechirt (2:51-3:36), who discusses her passion for wood carving and how her sculptures (3:03-3:18) explore the human form and complex life themes to bridge communication gaps in society.

– A sculptural work featuring older individuals and children (3:37-3:47), with one child breaking the fourth wall to question what they are being told, adding a touch of adolescent humor (3:48-3:56).

– A brief moment of reflection on new ideas and connections (4:41-4:50).

In addition, here are some still photos of the event.

As always with Ur Mara Museo, slow food was a part of the full day experience.

Thus, following the exhibition opening and performance, the museum organized a community lunch that brought together artists and visitors. The day as a whole reflected Ur mara Museoa’s mission, which we love, to connect contemporary artistic practice with local community life.

Below is their flyer for the event.

https://28kanala.tok-md.com/argazkiak/Gwx/cache/urmara_aprilak_5_tokikom_700x700.jpg

The museum shared documentation of the day through its social media channels, capturing both the exhibition and the collective atmosphere of the event.

We thank the team at Ur mara Museoa for their dedicated 10 years of leadership in the Slow Art Day movement. We look forward to seeing what they come up with for Slow Art Day 2026.

– Ashley, Johanna, Jessica Jane, and Phyl

P.S. Follow Ur mara Museoa on Instagram

Meditations on A.I. in Vänersborg, Sweden

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For Slow Art Day 2025, Vänersborgs konsthall in Vänersborg, Sweden, hosted a guided slow-looking event centered on the exhibition A.I. vs Själen (A.I. vs the Soul). The program combined meditation, independent observation, and group dialogue in a focused gallery setting.

Participants engaging in slow looking and discussion during Slow Art Day at Vänersborgs konsthall. Photo courtesy of Vänersborgs konsthall.

Selected artworks were chosen by participants from two designated walls within the exhibition A.I. vs Själen (A.I vs the Soul)

Eleven participants took part in the free event. The session began with a short introduction to slow looking as a practice, followed by a guided meditation designed to help participants settle into the experience. From there, facilitators offered simple, structured prompts to support a 10-minute slow looking exercise. Participants then gathered to share reflections and discuss their thoughts. Conversations focused on perception, attention, and how the themes of technology, AI, and the human soul emerged through extended looking.

Following the discussion, the gallery invited participants to continue the conversation over a traditional Swedish fika, offering coffee and biscuits in a relaxed social setting.

Poster for the event.

We thank Hanna Tobiasson, Cultural Coordinator at Vänersborgs konsthall, for creating a Slow Art Day experience that thoughtfully engaged questions around technology and its growing influence on how art is created, perceived, and discussed today. We look forward to seeing what the team at Vänersborgs konsthall comes up with for Slow Art Day 2026.

– Ashley, Johanna, Jessica Jane, and Phyl

P.S. Follow Vänersborgs konsthall on Facebook.

From Canvas to Table: Slow Art and Slow Food at The Mart

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For their 5th Slow Art Day, the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art of Trento and Rovereto (The Mart), Italy, organized an event in collaboration with a local Slow Food collective, an association committed to restoring value to food – respecting those who produce it in harmony with the environment and ecosystems – while enhancing the knowledge preserved by local territories and traditions.

This is the second collaboration between The Mart and Slow Food, with the first occurring during their 2023 Slow Art Day. For this event, five local producers focused on cheese, chili, preserves, wine and baked goods.

For the 2025 event planning, the Slow Food producers were invited a week earlier to look slowly at the two works of art selected for Slow Art Day. Afterwards, they were asked to associate one of their food products with each work they had just observed – so cool.

Two of the local producers observing and discussing “Gianfilippo Usellini, Il Carnevale dei poveri, 1941”

On the day of the event, twenty “Amici del Mart” (Friends of The Mart who are enrolled in The Mart’s Membership program) repeated the slow looking experience with the same art works, taking time to observe them on their own before group discussions.

They were then divided into five groups, each with some “veteran slow lookers” as well as first-time participants. The groups discussed the works and assigned scores from 0 to 5 against emotions and aesthetics connected to the pieces (prompted by the question “Would you put this work in your home?”).

Friends of The Mart (Amici del Mart) sharing their opinions on “Piero Dorazio, Senza titolo, 1974”

Afterwards, participants enjoyed a tasting with the five local producers, who paired food with the artworks based on color, atmosphere and emotions evoked. During that tasting, the producers shared the story behind their pairing choices, offering a personal and creative look at the link between the artworks and food. What a great design.

All the Amici and the producers (almost) ready to start the tasting experience

The event proved to be a wonderful way to bring food and art together, while giving visibility to local food producers.

We at Slow Art Day HQ have always believed that Slow Food and Slow Art belong together and love what The Mart is doing to lead the way. We look forward to seeing what they come up with for Slow Art Day 2026.

– Jessica Jane, Ashley, Johanna, and Phyl

P.S. Explore The Mart on their Facebook and Instagram.

Slow Art Day 2025 at Sawdust Art Festival in Laguna Beach

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The Sawdust Art Festival in Laguna Beach, California, celebrated Slow Art Day on April 5, 2025, as part of their three-day Spring Fling pop-up show. The event was organized by host and artist Hedy Buzan, a founding host of Slow Art Day – and a longtime artist-presenter at the Sawdust.

Featured Works:

  • Sager-fired ceramic vessel
  • Stoneware cylinder
  • Two photographs
  • Bronze and enameled dragonfly sculpture
  • Watercolor painting of a neon sign and building
  • Two acrylic paintings
  • Two blown glass artworks

Participants gathered around the counter in Studio One, enjoying coffee during the morning session and wine during the afternoon gathering. Each session began with Hedy Buzan introducing five artworks by different artist, briefly discussing how each was made. Participants chose objects to closely observe in silence for five minutes, guided by the below prompts encouraging reflection on elements such as line, shape, texture, and personal emotional responses.

Slow art Day 2025 PromptsDownload

After individual reflection, attendees exchanged their objects, shifting between two-dimensional and three-dimensional works, allowing everyone to engage with a diverse range of artistic forms. This exchange was followed by a lively group discussion, facilitated by Hedy, who guided conversations by offering positive feedback and insights.

Participants engaging in lively discussion at Studio One. Photo courtesy of Hedy Buzan.

We express heartfelt thanks to Hedy Buzan and the entire Sawdust Art Festival team for their thoughtful planning and enthusiastic facilitation of Slow Art Day 2025. We look forward to what Hedy comes up with for Slow Art Day 2026.

– Ashley, Johanna, Jessica Jane, and Phyl

P.S. Stay connected with Sawdust Art Festival via their Facebook page and Instagram.

Köping Museum’s Third Slow Art Day and Library Collaboration

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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:

Instructions cardsDownload

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.

The Florence County Museum Leads the Way

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For their second Slow Art Day, The Florence County Museum in South Carolina invited visitors to take a slow look at several artworks by local artist William H. Johnson (born 1901), featuring scenes of the everyday life of African Americans during the 1930s and 1940s.

On the day, all visitors were offered a printed slow looking guide (see below) and a Slow Art Day button when entering the museum. Visitors could choose between walking around on their own or taking part in a guided group tour, which were available throughout opening hours 10am-5pm. Refreshments were available in the afternoon (nice touch!).

Here’s the guide:

FCM-Slow-Art-Day-Guide-11×8.5Download

The Florence County Museum did a great job with their Slow Art Day – a simple effective printed guide, a lovely button, focus on one artist, a choice between a formal tour and self-guided reflection, and, finally, even refreshments.

What an effective holistic approach to the day.

Other museums and galleries may want to consider copying their design (or at least their guide).

The Florence County Museum is leading the way in celebrating Slow Art Day and we look forward to what they come up with for Slow Art Day 2024 (registration is open!)

-Johanna, Phyl, Ashley, and Jessica Jane

PS. Stay up to date with the Florence County Museum’s news and exhibitions through their Instagram and Facebook pages.

Slow Art Day with Rosé at the Bula Barua Gallery

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For their first Slow Art Day, the Bula Barua Gallery in St. Petersburg, Florida, hosted an event called “Rosé and Fine Art.”

Arriving guests were welcomed with a glass of wine or water and given a slow tour of The Bula Barua Gallery. Each artwork had a QR code, which revealed the artwork’s story and description. 

Slow looking participant at the Bula Gallery, 2023

The Bula Gallery space

Bula Barua is an artist whose conscientious approach to painting fits in well as a slow making approach. In her own words:

“I take a lot of time to plan out my paintings before I pick up a brush. I first start with a sketch and then graduate to pigments and paints. It often takes hundreds of layers of color to bring my vision to life […] This entire process from start to finish can take weeks or months, depending on the size of my canvas and which materials I use.”

Bula Barua. Statement from the Bula Gallery Website.

At Slow Art Day HQ we hope that more individual artists copy Bula Burua and host Slow Art Day events in their galleries and studios. It’s a great way to deepen their relationship with their followers, fans, and potential buyers.

We look forward to what Bula Burua comes up with for Slow Art Day 2024.

-Johanna, Ashley, Phyl, and Jessica Jane.