Publisher's Desk: Learning a New Way of Art Appreciation through "Slow Art" -- a Free Class at Peninsula School of Art in Door County, WI

I receive brochures regularly from "Pen Art" School in Fish Creek, WI after taking art classes there. The most recent mailing featured a new offering for 2026 called "Slow Art" which got my attention. It is offered free on June 17, 2026, and again on October 14, 2026.

What is SLOW ART? Here's what the brochure states:

"A study conducted by the Metropolitan Museum of Art found that the average amount of time a visitor spends looking at a work of art is between 10 and 27 seconds.

Led by Artist and educator, Kristi Rroenning, Slow Art invites participants to view art in a new and meaningful way -- taking more time digesting what they're seeing. She invites the class to move beyond what they like or dislike, get or don't get by simply spending ten minutes looking at a single work of their choosing within the current exhibition at the school. Kristi provides prompts and simple guidelines to help students slow down, practice being present and heighten your senses.

The class then reconvenes as a group to discuss their newfound questions, curiosities and comments."

Reading about this class structure sounded intriguing to me. I like the idea of slowing down and really noticing the thought, effort, and expertise an artist brings to their work. When you think about the time involved in its creation, a ten-second glance hardly does it justice. And, although most of us are always in a time crunch and ready to move quickly on to the next thing, taking the time for a deeper dive into the appreciation of an art piece in front of you, sounds like a very good idea to me. -- Lynne Kornecki, Publisher

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