The unique interpretive approach of this exhibition invited visitors to savor the experience of slow looking. The exhibition design employed vibrant walls, colorful rugs and plush couches that encouraged visitors to sit back and savor the details, indulging in each painting’s palette, vigorous brushstrokes and rich surface texture. Slow looking activities included creative writing, a listening station, and an audio guide that invited visitors to spend 6 minutes with a single work of art.

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"What I want is an art of purity and tranquility...so that all those who work with their brains...will look on it as something soothing, a kind of cerebral sedative as relaxing in its way as a comfortable armchair." - Henri Matisse

“Without giving one word of history of the artist or the painting, we are free to experience the art in a more complete, visceral way. At first I was a little put off by the [audio] recording telling me to breathe deeply but then I gave in, seduced by the opportunities to enjoy the artwork in a different way.”

— Art Lavah, In Good Taste Denver

What visitors had to say:

"When I experience this, I not just see, but also feel the vibration of energy. It makes me want to throw away my computer and just live in this world of light, color and energy."

"What an incredible way to experience a piece of art. To spend so much time meddling with it, moving into it, moving into memory...you could truly smell the ocean, hear the lapping of waves against the boats and feel the air. Gorgeous. Thank you."

"I really enjoyed the audio experience as it made me pause and think about my perception in a more relaxed way. Matisse’s “Open Window” takes me to a warm, calm place that I hope to visit in the flesh someday!"

"Spending more time with the painting, I became immersed in the view to the horizon and the pinkish hues- taking me beyond my normal senses."