Slow Art Day is a worldwide annual museum event dedicated to slowing down, reflecting, and finding the joy in art.
According to the event’s website: “Why slow? When people look slowly at a piece of art they make discoveries. The most important discovery they make is that they can see and experience art without an expert (or expertise). And that’s an exciting discovery. It unlocks passion and creativity and helps to create more art lovers.”
This year, the event was scheduled to take place on Saturday, April 4, but due to the museum’s closure in an effort to stop the spread of coronavirus, we wanted to bring the event to you! In this blog, we’ve shared tips and activities designed to keep you focused on art, no matter what age you are.
Keep reading to find scavenger hunts, coloring book pages, close-looking prompts to artworks in the museum’s collection, and meditative guides for art sculptures out on the trails (which are open!).
Did you know you can view the entire Crystal Bridges collection digitally on eMuseum? Below, we have created two scavenger hunt cards for two of our eMuseum collections. Using eMuseum, can you find the titles and authors of each painting in the puzzle?
Artist Self-Portraits collection (Level: Beginner)
Drawings and Watercolors: 18th and 19th Century collection (Level: Intermediate)
Color in two artworks from the Crystal Bridges collection: Kindred Spirits by Asher B. Durand and Untitled by Joan Mitchell. Populate color into these scenes and when you’re done, share them with us on social media by tagging @crystalbridgesmuseum!
Click on the picture below to grab downloadable PDFs of the coloring pages.
We’re all slowing down in quarantine, and we encourage you to use that time to explore new things, especially art! Take some time to look at the artworks posted below and participate in the activities and questions that come with them. These questions are designed to get you thinking deeply about each artwork and engage with them in a whole new way, thanks to the museum’s Education team.
Francis Guy found artistic inspiration in the daily activity of his Brooklyn neighborhood. Here, he depicted specific buildings, people, and even animals as seen from the window of his second-floor residence. What scenes can you find in this painting? Write a short story about the residents of this neighborhood going about their day.
Francis Guy, Winter Scene in Brooklyn, 1820, 58 x 106 in. (147.3 x 269.2 cm), Oil on canvas, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas, 2006.98.
Tom Uttech imbues his grand-scale landscape paintings with a sense of mystery and awe. Take some time to look deeply at this painting. What kind of birds do you see? How many can you identify? How many can you count?
Drawing Activity! Use this activity sheet to draw your own frame around Enassamishhinjijweian.
Tom Uttech, Enassamishhinjijweian, 2009, 103 x 112 in., Oil on linen, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas, 2009.19.
Joan Mitchell painted from her own experience, using remembered feelings as inspiration. What feelings does this painting evoke for you? Write down all the emotions you feel while looking deeply at this painting.
Joan Mitchell, Untitled, 1952-1953, 77 1/2 x 71 1/2 in., Oil on canvas, Promised Gift to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas.
Ghosts of Consumption by Pam Longobardi
Sourcing her materials from the plastic trash that litters the ocean, Pam Longobardi’s artwork transforms recognizable materials into something to be admired on the wall. Take some time to look at the objects that make up this piece. How many can you identify? Do any of the objects evoke emotions or memories?
Pam Longobardi, Ghosts of Consumption (for Piet M.), 2013, 75 × 110 × 5 in., Found ocean plastic from Hawaii, Alaska, Greece, Costa Rica, Italy, and the Gulf of Mexico, Courtesy Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas.
Au Café (Synchromy) by Stanton MacDonald Wright
Take a few moments to look at the vivid colors in this scene. Do they make you hear music? Pick a song that you think sounds like this painting, then play that song while you look at the artwork.
Stanton Macdonald-Wright, Au Café (Synchromy), 1918, 50 x 28 in., Oil on canvas, Promised Gift to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas.
Although the museum is closed, the trails and grounds around Crystal Bridges remain open! Stretch your legs and spend some time strolling the grounds and interacting with the art sculptures you find along the way.
If you do choose to take a walk, please remember to practice good social distancing and wash your hands before and after going outside.
Use these meditative guides below to engage your body and mind with specific artworks found on the Crystal Bridges trails, thanks to yoga instructor Anna Peterson.
Alyson Shotz, Scattering Screen, 2016, 108 in. × 18ft. × 28 in., Stainless steel and stainless steel wire, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas, 2017.14.
Learn more about this artist/artwork here:
Nancy Rubins, Monochrome II, 2010-2018, 33 × 55 × 35 ft, Stainless steel, stainless steel wire, and aluminum, Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas, 2017.21.
Learn more about this artist/artwork here:
Enjoy slowing down with art!
Youth and family programming is supported in part by: AMP Sign & Banner, Arthur J. Gallagher Risk Management Services, Juan, Marcy and Joaquin Camacho, The Coca-Cola Company, iHeart Media, JTH Productions, Northwest Arkansas Naturals, Pinnacle Car Services, Procter & Gamble, Gordon and Carole Segal, The Simmons Family Fund, and ViacomCBS Consumer Products.
1 Comment
What a wonderfully imaginative offering to.help with our boredom. Thank you