Saturday, April 17, 2010 is International Slow Art Day

What: an occasion to look at art... slowly. And then talk about it... casually. (Read this article for a longer explanation.))

Un'occasione per guardare l'arte... lentamente; e poi di discuterne... senza impegno. (Ecco un articolo che ho scritto in inglese per spiegarlo meglio.)

Date and Time: Saturday April 17 2010
Art viewing:
4:00PM - 5:15PM, Church of Santa Croce
Piazza di Santa Croce, 16, Firenze Italia
NB the church starts closing at 5pm; you will be encouraged by staff to proceed to the courtyard and museum, and to be outside of the complex by 5:30. When you're done just head over to BRAC...

followed by an Aperitivo:
5:30PM - 7:30PM vegetarian aperitivo at nearby Libreria Brac (contemporary art bookstore cafe)
Via dei vagellai 18r 50122 firenze

Host:
TuscanyArts / the voglio vivere cosi' social media team
contact name: Alexandra Korey

Language: conversation may be in English or Italian (or any other language you wish!) - don't be shy! Please come whether you are a tourist or a resident, an amateur or an expert of art.

La conversazione sara' in Italiano, Inglese, o qualsiasi altra lingua - non siate timidi!

Fee:
Entry into Santa Croce: free for residents of Florence with ID; 5 euros per adult
GROUP FEE: 3 euros for a group of 15+. Please meet the group under the statue of Dante at 3:50pm if you wish to enter together and qualify for the group discount, and please bring exact change.

Please note that you are absolutely welcome to enter the church earlier and on your own, too.

Agreed-upon fee for aperitivo at Brac: 5/6 euros (TBA) per drink gives you access to buffet.

Fees are paid directly to the provider - museum admission to Santa Croce, aperitivo consumption to Brac. Neither TuscanyArts nor Reading Odyssey collect any money from this event.
By signing up on this site you commit to attend and to pay for your ticket and aperitivo; this is necessary for the minimum guarantee for the food.

Il costo dell'entrata a Santa Croce e' gratis per residenti di Firenze, 5 euro per adulti, 3 euro per membri di un gruppo di 15+ persone. Se volete entrare con lo sconto gruppo per favore presentatevi alle 17:50 sotto la statua di Dante con contanti precisi.

Il costo dell'aperitivo a Brac e' di 5/6 euro al consumo che vi da accesso al buffet.

Tutto e' pagato direttamente al fornitore (museo o Brac); ne TuscanyArts ne Reading Odyssey guadagna o raccoglie soldi per questo evento.
Iscrivendosi al'evento tramite questo sito vi impegnate a partecipare all'evento e a pagare il vostro biglietto e aperitivi; il numero ci serve per la garanzia a Brac.

NB re church: please note that you may take photos without flash, and please turn off your cell phone.

Please download and PRINT these instructions (with pictures ;-) ) as you will need them on Saturday:

English: http://www.turismo.intoscana.it/allthingstuscany/tuscanyarts/files/2010/04/Slow-Art-Florence-instructions.pdf

oppure italiano: http://www.turismo.intoscana.it/allthingstuscany/tuscanyarts/files/2010/04/Slow-Art-Florence-ITA.pdf

+ THE VERY USEFUL MAP!/ mappa essenziale!: http://www.turismo.intoscana.it/allthingstuscany/tuscanyarts/files/2010/04/scroce_slowart-map.pdf

Slow Art Day 2010 * Cities and info * Host Slow Art * Reviews * Press * Photos
Slow Art Day is a project of the nonprofit Reading Odyssey, Inc.  Sign-up for our e-mail newsletter.

1. What is Slow Art Day?

Run by volunteer hosts around the world, Slow Art is a global grassroots movement aimed at helping people see art in a new way. Our mission is to reach people who are *not* regular museumgoers (and include those that are). We want to create the context for Slow Art participants to have a better experience visiting their local museums. 

In Slow Art, we slow the experience down. We encourage people to spend 5 or 10 minutes or more looking at a piece of art. The result is that participants get "inspired not tired" and want to return again and again. 

2. Why was Slow Art Day started?

To improve the experience of looking at art.

Most people who visit museums go only once every two years or so for the blockbuster exhibits (and that's only those who do attend - many never go to a museum at all). But, those who do visit skip through the museum and typically see each piece of work only briefly (some estimates say *8* seconds only). At the end of the visit, they are often tired and grumpy and not inclined to visit again. 

Museums have spent the time and money to build these wonderful collections of art. Slow Art aims only to help more people enjoy those collections.

3. How does it work?

It's simple:

- Participants register for Slow Art Day through the web - http://www.SlowArtDay.com 
- Then, they meet at their local museum at the appointed hour on Saturday, April 17, 2010  (and pay the fee for admission if there is one)
- They look at a few pieces of art for 5 or 10 minutes each (the pieces are pre-selected by the volunteer host - you will receive further information before the event)
- And, to finish, they enjoy a drink and food with other participants to talk about their experience

4. How many cities and museums are participating in Slow Art Day April 17, 2010?

From Boston and Boca Raton to Belgrade and Sao Paulo, LA and Jakarta, Slow Art Days are happening everywhere.

To see the latest list of cities click here:
http://www.facebook.com/SlowArt?v=app_10442206389

5. Do the participants like it?

"I was inspired, not tired!"

To be honest, we were surprised by how much people loved it. We thought it was a good idea but we really had no notion how well it would be received.

Read some testimonials for yourself:
http://www.facebook.com/SlowArt?v=app_6261817190 

6. Who started Slow Art? Who runs it?

Reading Odyssey - a New York-based nonprofit - started Slow Art in the summer of 2009 as an experiment. The first Slow Art day in October 2009 was so successful that we decided to expand and continue Slow Art in 2010. If you are interested in writing about Slow Art or want more information, then contact Reading Odyssey cofounder and chairman (and Slow Art founder), Phil Terry at pterry at reading odyssey dot com.

Slow Art is run entirely by volunteers and is one of the many free programs hosted by the nonprofit Reading Odyssey. Reading Odyssey programs aim to reignite curiosity. 

7. Reading Odyssey newsletter

To keep informed of Slow Art Day and the other activities of the Reading Odyssey, please sign up for the Reading Odyssey newsletter here: