"Spending time with art allows the brain to rest, reflect, and restore focus."
— Dr. Karen Alexander, International Arts + Mind Lab at Johns Hopkins University \ Source: Psychology Today
Welcome 2026 with calm, reflection, gratitude, and creativity at the museum!
Our January programs are designed to help you slow down, recharge, and reconnect to yourself. Studies show that engaging with art can reduce stress, lower blood pressure, and boost mood making museum visits restorative for both mind and body.
David C. Driskell (American, 1931–2020), Frost and Ice, Maine, 1977, gouache and watercolor on paper, 29 7/8 x 22 1/4 inches. Gift of The Thelma Driskell Trust, 2025.14.2
Yoga in the Galleries
Gretchen Campos of Greener Postures Yoga leads mindful movement sessions designed for all levels amid peaceful museum galleries. Stools are available for adapted practice. Bring your own mat. Water not allowed in the galleries. Space limited: pre-registration required.
FRIDAYS in January | 9:30 AM–10:15 AM | $5 PMA Members, $10 Public
January Noontime Talks: Slow Art Breaks
Absorb a single artwork through mindfulness, meditation, and slow looking.
EVERY FRIDAY | 12:00 PM–12:30 PM | Drop-in Only
In Conversation: Medicine Through the Arts
Explore a groundbreaking collaboration between the Portland Museum of Art and Maine Medical Center—where art is reshaping how clinicians see, listen, and care. This Mindful Museum program highlights a decade of partnership that brings medical practitioners into the galleries to sharpen perception, deepen empathy, and cultivate more attentive, human-centered practice. Join Dr. Sam Woodworth, Hospitalist at Maine Medical Center, and Meghan Quigley Graham, Director of Learning and Teaching at the PMA, as they reflect on how this cross-disciplinary exchange began, how it’s evolving, and why art has become an essential tool in medical training and mindful clinical care.
SATURDAY, JAN 24 | 10:30 AM–11:30 AM | Free, Registration Required
Bernard Osher Foundation Auditorium
Artmaking For Wellness
Led by artist Cat LaBarre. Cat’s artmaking guidance focuses on awareness of emotions, physical sensations in the body, and consciousness.
JAN 9 | 11:00 AM–12:00 PM
JAN 15 | 6:00 PM–8:00 PM
Details to come.
Mindful Writing Workshops
Life can also be a constant ebb and flow of processing information and reacting to events happening around us, much of which is outside of our control. In response, we can set forth positive intentions that help us stay grounded and motivated to accomplish what we hope to do and pave the road to the life we hope to live. Intentions help us practice mindfulness, navigate life and set forth goals of what we hope to achieve. Join us to reflect on the highs and lows of the past year, finding out what we’ve learned, setting forth goals to transform into intentions, and discovering what we’d like to manifest in the New Year.
THURSDAY, JAN 15 | $5 PMA Members $10 Public | Registration Required
SATURDAY, JAN 17 | $5 PMA Members $10 Public | Registration Required
12PM to 1PM
PMA Films Mindful Museum Series: “Reflections”
A curated selection that slows down time and opens space for contemplation.
MUSEUM HOURS (2012) | JAN 4
24 FRAMES (2017) | JAN 10 AND 15
MEMORIA (2021) | JAN 17 AND 22
WISDOM OF HAPPINESS (2025) | JAN 23, 24, 29
To register for programs, please email hello@portlandmuseum.org or call 207-775-6148.
Program registrations are opening gradually. Visit the page above for the latest updates.
Mindful Programs
