International Slow Art Day on Route 66 in Bloomington/Normal
April 5 @ 10:00 am - 2:00 pm
Slow Art Day is an annual global event, founded in 2010, to help people slow down and discover the joy of art. In Bloomington-Normal there are 20 participating locations again this year, making it the largest citywide Slow Art Day celebration in the world!
The fourth annual Slow Art Day on Route 66 on Saturday, April 5, 2025 is an inclusive, accessible art education and art appreciation event for all ages, rain or shine. In the twin cities, twenty local arts organizations will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Slow Art Day festivities will take place at museums, galleries, studios, sculpture parks, and other cultural sites across all seven continents. With a simple mission, Slow Art Day aims to help more people discover for themselves the joy of looking at and loving art.
Santino Lamancusa, owner of The Hangar Art Company explains, “You don’t have to know anything about art to be able to enjoy it. Slow Art Day’s purpose is to allow you the time to look and make your own discoveries about what you see and how art makes you feel. It’s all about your interaction with the artist and what your experience is with their art. It’s not about anyone else’s opinion but your own. Slow Art Day is an opportunity to experience art for yourself.”
Pamala Eaton, gallerist and owner of Herb Eaton Studio and Gallery states, “Collaborating with the other artists and galleries in our community for Slow Art Day has given our local art scene more visibility and we are now attracting more local and out of town visitors to our art locations.”
Hannah Johnson, Executive Director of Illinois Art Station reminds, “Slow looking and slow making are invaluable practices and transformative acts in our exceedingly expeditious world. Slow Art Day helps place the emphasis on practice. Take a moment, or a few, to practice being present in life with and through art.”
There’s something for everyone to enjoy on Slow Art Day. This year’s guests will have a chance to explore the art studios and galleries of Downtown Bloomington artists, enter a world built of discarded machinery and scrap parts at 410 Sculpture Park and the House on Garling, and experience art viewing and artmaking in Normal at Illinois Art Station, the Children’s Discovery Museum, and Ryburn Place at Sprague’s Super Service.
Participating Slow Art Day locations include:
410 Sculpture Park, 410 S. Madison St., Bloomington, IL
Angel Ambrose Fine Art Studio, 101 W Monroe St, Suite 201, Bloomington, IL
Art Vortex Studio, 101 W Monroe St., Suite 210, Bloomington, IL
BCAI Cultural Arts and Humanities, 107 E Chestnut St, Bloomington, IL
Children’s Discovery Museum, 101 E Beaufort St., Normal, IL
Dave Fulgum Photographer, 415 N. Main St., Suite 1, Bloomington, IL
Herb Eaton Studio Gallery, 411 N Center St., Bloomington, IL
Hope Studio and Gallery, 200 W. Monroe St, Bloomington, IL
Illinois Art Station, 101 E. Vernon Ave., Normal, IL
Inside Out: Accessible Art, 200 W. Monroe St., Bloomington, IL
Joann Goetzinger Studio Gallery, 313 N. Main St., Bloomington, IL
Main Gallery 404, 404 N. Main St., Bloomington, IL
Mandy Roeing Fine Art Studio and Gallery, 105-A W. Monroe St., Bloomington, IL
McLean County Arts Center, 601 N. East St., Bloomington, IL
McLean County Museum of History, 200 N. Main St., Bloomington, IL
Red Raccoon Games, 301 N. Main St., Bloomington, IL
Ryburn Place at Sprague’s Super Service, 305 Pine Street, Normal, IL
The Hangar Art Company, 105 W. Jefferson St. Bloomington, IL
The House on Garling, 1905 Garling Dr., Bloomington, IL
The Painted Wraith Curiosity Shoppe, 106 W Monroe St., Bloomington, IL
View the interactive map of all participating locations here.
Learn more about the international movement at www.slowartday.com.
Connect with Bloomington-Normal artists, galleries, and arts organizations online via the public Facebook group “Art Scene in McLean County.”
Click here to view the 2025 Facebook Event.
