Everything you need to know about Slow Art Day in Philadelphia

In a world of information overload and never-ending to-do lists, it can be hard to simply stop and take a minute to sit with art.

That is where Slow Art Day comes in. Created in 2010 by author Phyl Terry as a partnership between museums and galleries around the world, the volunteer-run annual event encourages art lovers take at least 5 minutes to experience artworks more deliberately and intentionally, to analyze and create space to think and talk about them.

Every year, volunteers work with 700 participating museums, galleries, and art studios to hold about 1,500 events worldwide. As Philadelphia-based volunteer Ashley Moran describes it, this “helps people discover the joy of looking at and loving art.”

The kind of art varies from place to place but participating in Slow Arts Day demands that you spend 5 to 10 minutes to look at each piece. Then, participate in a conversation about the experience.

On Slow Art Day 2023, April 15, Philly will play host to five events.

The Barnes has been participating in Slow Art Day since 2017, with a three-year hiatus due to the pandemic. According to Bill Perthes, the foundation’s Bernard C. Watson director of adult education, the Barnes was created for an event like this. “We don’t have levels, there is nothing to tell you what to think about a painting,” said Perthes. “It’s about what you think, and gives space to ask each other about the experience of looking at art.”

The self-guided Barnes experience will include The Card Players (Paul Cézanne), Le Bonheur de vivre (Henri Matisse), Les Ribaudes (Honoré Daumier), and Pablo Picasso’s Acrobat and Young Harlequin and Girl with a Goat. Slow Art Day participants will be given an hour to observe the works, after which participants (Perthes expects up to 20 people) will gather in the Herbert and Joyce Kean Family Classroom on the lower level, at noon. There, Michael Williamson, a member of the Barnes faculty and former Germantown Friends School art history teacher, will guide a 30-minute conversation.

Tickets: General admission to the Barnes is free for children under 12 years old, teenagers (13 to 18) pay $5, seniors 65 and over pay $23, and adult tickets cost $25. To participate in Slow Art Day, purchase your timed tickets for 11 a.m.

⌚11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. 📍2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, 📞215-278-7000, 💵 $25 for adults, 🌐barnesfoundation.org

A riot of colors, tiles, and textures define Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens. Although they have been observing Slow Art Day since 2017, this is the first time they will center the discussion around folk art.

According to spokesperson Allison Boyle, the hope is to encourage folks to “take part in the delight of discovery.” This year, the garden anticipates 15 to 20 participants. Between 1:30 to 2:30 p.m., folks will observe four pre-selected, untitled terracotta sculptures (two mermaids and two women) created by the Garcia family of Oaxaca. At 2:30 p.m., Magic Garden educator Samantha Eusebio will guide a conversation focused on folk art, and the importance of passing down family traditions.

Tickets: General admission is free for children under 6 years old, $8 for kids 6 to 12, $12 for students and seniors, and $15 for adults. Make sure to buy a time ticked anywhere between 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. to be part of the Slow Art Day tour. Use the code “SLOWART” to get $2 off.

⌚1:30- 3 p.m. 📍1020 South St, 📞215-733-0390, 💵 $15 for adults, 🌐phillymagicgardens.org

A participant since 2021, Glen Foerd in Torresdale is primarily known as a historic site and arboretum. But, as executive director Ross Mitchell explained, they also have an extensive art collection. Having folks spend time observing their art pieces is something Mitchell hopes will “unlock passion, creativity, and help to create more art lovers.”

For Slow Art Day, Glen Foerd expects between 10 to 20 people. Although there is technically no age restriction, “children under 15 may not be the best participants,” said Mitchell. The mansion and grounds are open for self-guided tours, and participants will look at four artworks: Portrait of Letitia, later Lady Russell (Sir Peter Lely), The Letter (Poppies in Vase) (Hobson Pittman), The Virgin and Child with the Infant St. John the Baptist (Girolamo da Santacroce ), and An Archive of Desire (Jennifer Johnson), and spend 10 to 15 minutes observing them. At 11:30 p.m., visitors will gather for a conversation with Mitchell, discussing aesthetics and themes of each artwork.

Tickets: Admission is free, enter between 10 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Register at glenfoerd.org.

⌚10 a.m., 📍5001 Grant Ave., 📞215-632-5330, 💵 Free, 🌐glenfoerd.org

This Fishtown gallery specializes in international contemporary and modern art. This year, Slow Art Day coincides with the debut of their exhibition “Printed Perspectives,” a collection of printmaking techniques such as silk screening and lithography. Folks can visit for free beginning at 6 p.m., and spend time observing each piece.

⌚6-9 p.m. 📍1315 Frankford Ave., 📞267-519-2339, 💵 Free, 🌐eventbrite.com

Visitors will walk around the Anne d’Harnoncourt Sculpture Garden guided by mindfulness instructor Grady Bates. Bronze Bowl with Lace (Ursula von Rydingsvard) is among the pieces you can look forward to analyzing.

Tickets: The Art Museum had limited space, for a maximum of 35 people. As of April 12, the event is sold out. In case of rain, the tour will take place on April 16.

⌚11 a.m.- noon, 📍2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, 📞 215-763-8100, 💵 $25 for adults, 🌐philamuseum.org