Finding Space to Breathe: Art, Slow Looking, and Reflection at the Olympic Sculpture Park
In-person workshop and guided slow-looking art and nature experience in Seattle
Event details
September 12, 2026
11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Olympic Sculpture Park
Seattle Art Museum
2901 Western Ave Seattle, WA 98121
Event description
In the midst of busy lives, art can offer a space to pause, notice, and reconnect.
Join museum educator and narrative medicine facilitator Lisa Abia-Smith for a restorative experience that combines slow looking, reflective dialogue, and creative exploration amid the sculptures and waterfront landscape of Seattle’s Olympic Sculpture Park.
Through guided observation, reflective writing, and facilitated conversation, participants will discover how engaging with art can foster mindfulness, attention, connection, and wellbeing. Grounded in museum education, narrative medicine, and arts-based wellness practices, this workshop invites participants to experience art not as something to learn about, but as a resource for reflection, renewal, and personal insight.
Open to all. No prior art experience necessary.
Please excuse our oversight that this event date conflicts with a religious holiday for some in our community. We will carefully consider all religious and culturally significant days when scheduling events going forward. We will also be offering a second similar event this winter. Thank you.
Questions? Reach out to Lisa at abia@uoregon.edu.
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Cost:
$50 General Registration
$30 Students/Trainees*
Art supplies included in the registration fee
*Workshop fees allow NWNMC to pay for facilitators, supplies, and event space. However, we do our best to ensure that cost is not a barrier to participation. If you are a student, or are otherwise in need of a scholarship, please reach out to info@nwnmcollaborative.org.
Note: We are not able to issue refunds. Tickets are transferable in the event of a cancellation.
Facilitators
Lisa Abia-Smith is Chief Curator of Education at the Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at the University of Oregon and a Teaching Professor in the School of Planning, Public Policy, and Management. Her interdisciplinary work bridges museum education, narrative medicine, arts and health, and social prescribing, positioning museums as spaces for reflection, connection, and wellbeing.
She is the founder of the internationally recognized Art Heals initiative and co-developer of the ARCC Framework, used in museum-based well-being and medical education programs. Since 2019, Lisa has facilitated trainings and workshops with Northwest Narrative Medicine and curated the organization’s library collection, helping shape arts-based approaches to reflection, observation, and human connection.
Lisa collaborates with healthcare providers, universities, museums, and community organizations nationally and internationally to develop workshops grounded in close looking, reflective dialogue, creativity, and restorative practice through engagement with art. She is co-author of the forthcoming book Harnessing the Power of Museums: A Guide to Programs for Well-Being (Bloomsbury/AAM, 2027).