January at the PMA 

The Mindful Museum

"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. 

Yoga in the Galleries  
Gretchen Campos of Greener Postures Yoga leads mindful movement sessions designed for all levels amid peaceful museum galleries. Chairs available for adapted practice. Bring your own mat. Pre-registration recommended. 
FRIDAYS | 9:30 AM – 10:15 am  

Mindful Writing Workshops 
Reflect, journal, and turn inspiration into intentions for 2026. Sessions to include intention, meditative, and ekphrastic writing. Select Dates in January.  

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 | Details to come 
JAN 15 | 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM | Details to come 
 
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 Month 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 & 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. 
JAN XX | Details to come 

January Noontime Talks: Slow Art Breaks 
Absorb a single artwork through mindfulness, meditation, and slow looking.  
FRIDAYS | 12:00 pm – 12:30 pm  

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 24 AND 29 
 
Plus: Sound Baths | Guided Meditations | Classical and Jazz Concerts