Every year since 2010, museums and galleries across the world have encouraged visitors to slow down and explore select pieces of art for just a little bit longer in order to discover what they might otherwise miss on Slow Art Day.
If you visit the Rubin Museum of Art in New York City this Saturday for Slow Art Day 2017, you’ll have two meditation teachers to help you concentrate and hone in on the details by using mindfulness techniques.
On April 8, the Rubin will launch a new guided audio tour narrated by meditation teachers Sharon Salzberg and Kate Johnson.
“This is an opportunity for visitors to slow down, to take time and make personal connections with artwork in a new way. At the museum, we do this every single day. It’s a part of our ethos,” said Jamie Lawyer, manager of interpretation and engagement at the Rubin.
Salzberg and Johnson guide visitors through mindfulness practices on the audio tour, including a breathing exercise and body scan, to ground the visitor in the space. Then, they invite viewers to focus in on a single aspect of the piece, such as line or color, or give them a historical context to consider. This way, Lawyer said, museum-goers aren’t overwhelmed by all the elements at once.
The audio tour, which features about 10 pieces of art, can be accessed on devices at the museum or downloaded directly via a free iTunes or Google Play app.
Slow Art Day at the Rubin Museum of Art is free with admission and will be held from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 8. More information on the event is available here.