In 2001, Lisa and Jeffrey Smith working at the Metropolitan Museum of Art published what would go on to be a highly cited paper contending that the average person views a work of art for 17 seconds. Studies in a variety of circumstances from laboratories to museums have differed widely in their findings since, reporting anything from 3 seconds to a minute...a twenty fold discrepancy. As computerized surveillance technologies trickle down from espionage and policing to be deployed in museums, there is evidence to suggest that while some pieces that draw attention might be viewed for 17 seconds, most pieces in museums don’t get anything more than a fleeting glance *wags finger like an angry old man*.

The Long Look is an almost obnoxiously simple attempt at contravening habits in art viewership. By having a single painting in the room with seating and all the necessary spatial signifiers (lighting and feng shui) we hope to provoke the typical viewer to spend more time than they would otherwise. Each work will be on view by itself for a week (our work week, Wednesday-Saturday) at which time a new work will take its place. All the paintings are by local artists (Joe Ferriso, Laura Rokas, Ana Saygi, Dan Davis, and Robert Falco) and all are concerned (in one way or another) with the act of looking, though they aren’t particularly unified by style or aesthetics, an allowance we’re afforded by the slightly unorthodox rotating display. Each Saturday from 4-6 during the exhibition we’ll have beers in the gallery as we say goodbye to the piece on display and prepare to welcome the next.