One of the unexpected benefits of this little adventure into podcasting has been happening since I have started chronicling my artist dates. Being a bit of a planner, it’s been interesting to see how many cool things there are to do in just a couple of hours and that was definitely the case with this episode.

I’m no stranger to Philadelphia’s The Barnes Foundation, but I was a stranger to Slow Art Day, which as it turns out, is a real thing. It seems we now have a “day” for everything: National Chocolate Cake Day (January 27), National Postage Stamp Day (July 1), even the appropriately-time National Doorbell Day (October 31).

But Slow Art Day was new to me. According to the Slow Art Day website, their mission is simple: to help more people discover for themselves the joy of looking at and loving art. The rules are also simple: sing up at a local museum or gallery, attend and look at four pieces of art slowly, discuss your experience with the host.

Turns out, going slow has some real advantages, when looking at art, and when doing other things too. The Barnes Foundation has a wonderful collection of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist and Modernist artworks. A trick to making the most of its many rooms and numerous sights to see: go slow…

From the top left to right, the four works viewed during International Slow Art Day: Edouard Manet’s Laundry, Jules Pascin’s Cuban Hospitality, Henri Rousseau’s Scouts Attacked by a Tiger and Henri Matisse’s Dishes and Melon.  Details of each of the four paintings, and a portrait of Dr. Albert C. Barnes by Giorgio de Chirico. All paintings are oil on canvas.

Read the ARTnews article about the beginning of International Slow Art Day.

A transcript of Episode 102: Going Slow at The Barnes Foundation can be downloaded here.