Today I chanced upon an insightful research study by psychologist Dr. Angela Clow, University of Westminster. Twenty eight office workers in London had participated in a study led by Dr. Clow that involved measuring their stress patterns through questionnaires and samples of cortisol which is a commonly known biomarker of stress – right before and after a visit to an art gallery.
On arrival at the gallery the participants’ levels of cortisol were elevated relative to expected values. After the gallery visit the cortisol concentrations had normalized to those expected for the time of day. The observed drop in cortisol was rapid and substantial. Under normal circumstances it would have taken about 5 hours for cortisol levels to decline to this extent. Self-reported stress levels in the questionnaire had also reduced by a factor of nearing 1x.
While the scale of participants involved in the study is not a large group, these findings could help us discover how a seemly casual outing to an art gallery would enhance personal wellbeing.
So if you are a professional in the healthcare sector, student, or an individual like me hoping to uncover a new ways to modulate the daily stressors of life, this could be a good time to check out the art galleries in your community right now, alternatively plan for a visit over the upcoming weekend.
Well, if there are no art galleries nearby your area with exhibition themes that appeal to you, you may like to have a go at these popular galleries or museums that offer visitors an experience of a virtual visit. Although a virtual visit would not be comparable to the rich and in-depth experience of a physical one, it could still be an enjoyable activity to do especially if the weather is kinda muggy. Besides, all you need is a laptop and nice cuppa of Arabica brew.
Catch up on other of our blog post featured in Wellness Chums, check out this short read on A Secret to "Satisfied" Living - Journaling
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Have an awesome week !
Virtual Visits of Popular Art Galleries, Museums
1. Guggenheim Museum, New York
An internationally renowned art museum and one of the most significant architectural icons of the 20th century, the Guggenheim Museum in New York is at once a vital cultural center, an educational institution, and the heart of an international network of museums.
As the repository for over 5,000 years of Korean art, culture and history, the National Museum of Korea preserves, researches, exhibits and globally promotes the significant and essential cultural heritage of Korea ranging from the GOJOSEON period by ancient Korean kingdom to the JOSEON dynasty, the last and most recent dynasty of Korea, so that visitors can appreciate and understand the chronology of Korean history and arts.
3. Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam
Amsterdam Van Gogh Museum maintains the world’s largest collection of the works of the world’s most popular artist - Vincent van Gogh (1853-1890), his paintings, drawings and letters, completed with the art of his contemporaries. Each year, 1.6 million visitors come to the Van Gogh Museum, making it one of the 25 most popular museums in the world.
4. Uffizi Gallery, Florence
The Uffizi Gallery is famous worldwide for its outstanding collections of ancient sculptures and paintings (from the Middle Ages to the Modern period). The collections of paintings from the 14th-century and Renaissance period include some absolute masterpieces: Giotto, Simone Martini, Piero della Francesca, Beato Angelico, Filippo Lippi, Botticelli, Mantegna, Correggio, Leonardo, Raffaello, Michelangelo and Caravaggio, in addition to many precious works by European painters (mainly German, Dutch and Flemish).
5. Museu de Arte de Sao Paulo, Brazil
Founded in 1947, the Museu de Arte de São Paulo Assis Chateaubriand is home to the most important collection of modern and classical western art outside Europe and North America, comprised of around 8000 works primarily acquired in the 1940s and 1950s.
6. The Louvre, Paris
There are plenty of reasons to visit the Louvre. So many works of art to discover in this wonderful museum that used to be a palace!
7. Acropolis Museum, Greece
The Acropolis Museum is consistently rated as one of the best museums in the world. Devoted to the Parthenon and its surrounding temples, it is cleverly perched above Athens like a luminous box.
The collection of the National Museum of Art, Architecture, and Design is pretty diverse and consists of about 47,000 pieces, 5,000 of which are on exhibition in the museum’s galleries.
Yet, the centerpiece of the National Museum is arguably its large collection of Norwegian and international painting, and especially the room dedicated to famous Norwegian artist Edvard Munch.
9. The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo
The National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo (also known as MOMAT), is one of Japan's largest art museums. Its collection include masterpieces by modern and contemporary Japanese artists, and Important Cultural Properties.
The MART- Museo d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea di Trento e Rovereto is one of the largest and most important museums of modern and contemporary art in Italy. The permanent collection of the MART museum is composed of approximately 30,000 artworks, dating from the late 19th century to the present day. The collection is mostly focused on Italian modern and contemporary artists and avant-garde art movements – such as Futurism and Arte Povera
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