Join a Museum Studies PhD candidate in exploring how looking at ordinary life with the same embodied gaze we use with art in a museum can open us up to wonder, wholehearted living, and empowerment.

The idea—to look at life like art—was born out of a need to nourish myself in the midst of a challenging season.

When museums closed at the beginning of the pandemic, I became curious about what it would mean to look at my daily life with the same attention I used when looking at an artwork. As a Museum Studies PhD candidate, I've spent a lot of time learning about the benefits of encountering art, and I wondered if that experience could be translated to ordinary life.

Playing with new ways of paying attention is a powerful (and fun) practice, and it can lead us on the path home to ourselves.

When you subscribe to The Museum Gaze, you’ll receive:

• Emails about looking at life like a work of art, playing with new ways of paying attention, and reconnecting with wonder

• Seasonal series that explore different themes, including:

  • What we can learn about navigating periods of wilderness from artists who engage with difficult experiences through their art

  • How parents of little kids can nourish themselves by looking at their lives like art

How people describe Marina’s writing

“Engaging, full, and juicy”

“Insightful, hopeful, clear-eyed, empowering”

“Full of surprises. Luscious.”

“Like a warm hug”

About Marina

Marina Gross-Hoy (she/her/elle) is a writer, Museum Studies PhD candidate, and mother. She takes playing in museums very seriously.

Originally from Michigan, Marina moved to museum-saturated Paris to complete a master's in muséologie at the École du Louvre and work in the education department of a Parisian museum. She moved back to North America for a PhD program in Museum Studies at the Université de Québec à Montréal, focusing on how museums develop digital projects to create engaging experiences for visitors. She also serves on the board of the Committee for Education and Cultural Action within the International Council of Museums (ICOM).

Marina writes about playing with new ways of paying attention to embodied experience. Her writing has appeared in Khôra, Mothering Spirit, and Anthrow Circus.

She currently lives in the Eastern Townships of Québec with her family.

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