Saturday, April 17, 2010
Slow Art Washington D.C.
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Eighth and F Streets NW
Washington, D.C.
Metro: Gallery Place - Chinatown 

11:30AM - 1:00PM - art viewing (museum opens at 11:30AM)
1:15 - 2:30PM - Lunch in the Luce Foundation Center (3^rd floor)
Note: you may bring in your own food

Host:
Mary Tait

Fee: Admission to the Smithsonian American Art Museum is free, but you will need to pay for your own lunch.

Did you know the average person pauses less than 8 seconds to take in a work of art? Break the cycle of speeding through museums with Slow Art. Reflect at length upon an artwork of your choice in the galleries then gather in Luce Foundation Center at 1:15 p.m. for a lunchtime discussion with other participants. Purchase lunch from the Courtyard Cafe or bring your own. Call (202) 633-5435 for more information.

Slow Art Day 2010 * Cities and info * Host Slow Art * Reviews * Press * Photos
Slow Art Day is a project of the nonprofit Reading Odyssey, Inc.  Sign-up for our e-mail newsletter.

1. What is Slow Art Day?

Run by volunteer hosts around the world, Slow Art is a global grassroots movement aimed at helping people see art in a new way. Our mission is to reach people who are *not* regular museumgoers (and include those that are). We want to create the context for Slow Art participants to have a better experience visiting their local museums. 

In Slow Art, we slow the experience down. We encourage people to spend 5 or 10 minutes or more looking at a piece of art. The result is that participants get "inspired not tired" and want to return again and again. 

2. Why was Slow Art Day started?

To improve the experience of looking at art.

Most people who visit museums go only once every two years or so for the blockbuster exhibits (and that's only those who do attend - many never go to a museum at all). But, those who do visit skip through the museum and typically see each piece of work only briefly (some estimates say *8* seconds only). At the end of the visit, they are often tired and grumpy and not inclined to visit again. 

Museums have spent the time and money to build these wonderful collections of art. Slow Art aims only to help more people enjoy those collections.

3. How does it work?

It's simple:

- Participants register for Slow Art Day through the web - http://www.SlowArtDay.com 
- Then, they meet at their local museum at the appointed hour on Saturday, April 17, 2010  (and pay the fee for admission if there is one)
- They look at a few pieces of art for 5 or 10 minutes each (the pieces are pre-selected by the volunteer host)
- And, to finish, they have lunch with other participants to talk about their experience

4. How many cities and museums are participating in Slow Art Day April 17, 2010?

From Boston and Boca Raton to Belgrade and Sao Paulo, LA and Jakarta, Slow Art Days are happening everywhere.

To see the latest list of cities click here:
http://www.facebook.com/SlowArt?v=app_10442206389

5. Do the participants like it?

"I was inspired, not tired!"

To be honest, we were surprised by how much people loved it. We thought it was a good idea but we really had no notion how well it would be received.

Read some testimonials for yourself:
http://www.facebook.com/SlowArt?v=app_6261817190 

6. Who started Slow Art? Who runs it?

Reading Odyssey - a New York-based nonprofit - started Slow Art in the summer of 2009 as an experiment. The first Slow Art day in October 2009 was so successful that we decided to expand and continue Slow Art in 2010. If you are interested in writing about Slow Art or want more information, then contact Reading Odyssey cofounder and chairman (and Slow Art founder), Phil Terry at pterry at reading odyssey dot com.

Slow Art is run entirely by volunteers and is one of the many free programs hosted by the nonprofit Reading Odyssey. Reading Odyssey programs aim to reignite curiosity. 

7. Reading Odyssey newsletter

To keep informed of Slow Art Day and the other activities of the Reading Odyssey, please sign up for the Reading Odyssey newsletter here: