April 17 2010 is International Slow Art day. 46 cities around the world are participating in this growing sensation, and Boston has joined the list. I'm hosting this event on Saturday April 17 2010, at the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) , followed by lunch at their Cafe to discuss what we've seen.
What is SlowArt?
I think Slow Art can be best defined as an occasion to look at art… slowly – and then to discuss it – casually. There is this wonderful movie group I belong to and I have enjoyed so much doing this activity with a movie.
The idea behind SlowArt, founded by the Reading Odyssey last summer in New York, is to get people to spend a bit longer looking at single works of art, as research shows that people spend as little as 8 seconds looking at each work in a museum.
It's a whole different experience when you actually take the time to stop and look for longer at art. Maybe not every piece is worth your time, and maybe not each item will interest you. But if you examine a piece more closely, perhaps with a set of questions to consider, you’ll soon learn more about the work just from the visual information that it provides. Second, talking about what you see with other people is a really helpful exercise. It doesn’t matter if neither you, nor the other person, are experts. Sometimes it’s better that way.
Can anyone participate?
Yes. You do not need to know anything about art to come to Slow Art day, but you should be open to the idea of learning!

How it works: You are going to go to the gallery ON YOUR OWN. The suggested time of entry is 11am on Saturday, but you are ABSOLUTELY welcome to start earlier in the day and take longer in the galleries.
You are supposed to look at the mandatory pieces for at least 9 minutes – . Use the list and map provided (you’ll get one before the event if you’ve signed up) to efficiently locate the works to look at.
When you’re done, we will be waiting in the café by 12:00 and we can start by talking with other participants about your experience.
I am in Boston and I want to come!
Great! It is free to attend – you only pay for your museum admission. You can register for SlowArt Boston here http://SlowArtBoston2... . I ask that you kindly cancel your space if you find that you cannot attend, so I have a realistic idea of how many are attending. Remember that signing up on EventBrite is a commitment to attend.
Hope to see you there! If you know anyone that might be interested, feel free to forward this invite to them. The more the merrier!

I will send the list of mandatory and suggested Art pieces out to the Yes RSVP's..

Diane