Being Present with Art: Cultivating Equanimity for Spring

About the Class

Being Present with Art is a method for integrating mindfulness-based stress reduction, or MBSR, meditation with art pedagogical exercises, such as guided close looking and drawing. Developed by Filipowska, the method has been shown to lower stress while increasing awareness and a sense of belonging.

Cultivate equanimity, or mental calmness, in this workshop, designed to coincide with the spring equinox. We will open with a guided equanimity meditation, a genre of meditation within MBSR, and spend ample time with three artworks from the collection that resonate with the theme of finding balance amid change. In syncing an equanimity practice with the seasonal cycle, participants can apply these exercises beyond the workshop to continue to observe the emerging signs of spring in their neighborhoods.

No prior experience with art or meditation is required. This workshop will highlight artwork that has not been the focus of previous BPWA classes, so returning students are warmly invited to enroll to deepen their practice.

Capacity: 25

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Barnes classes will:

• Sharpen your observational and critical thinking skills.
• Improve your ability to communicate about art.
• Deepen your appreciation for cultures and histories outside your own.

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What Our Students Say

“The instructor is a gifted individual who is able to [engage] with all different kinds of learners and motivate us to want to learn more, see more, and experience more. I would highly recommend any course by this instructor.” —Collection Concentration: Medieval Modern with Kaelin Jewell

“Martha Lucy knows how to balance her lecture with fact, excellent painting selections, and inclusion of the students.” —The Art and Life of Toulouse-Lautrec with Martha Lucy

“The best class to understand the elements of art. The instructor’s expertise and warmth, along with the excellent discussions with my classmates, made it a truly wonderful experience.” —The Elements of Art with William Perthes

“This class offered rich insight into Picasso and his contemporaries—the gallery scene, turn-of-the-century politics, Catalan culture, along with Picasso’s approach to composition and contemporary European culture. It was so informative.” —Picasso in Focus: New Discoveries at the Barnes with Christine Romano and Naina Saligram

“Caterina loves the material she presents and infuses all her classes—of which I have taken many—with that infectious enthusiasm.” —Rendez-vous au Café: Café Culture in 19th-Century Art with Caterina Pierre