According to published reports museum goers spend just 30 seconds in front of a painting (reading the wall label?) before moving on. Ouch. Sooo maybe just a quick glance at the actual work?

Bianca Bosker, the author of “Get the Picture,” found a better way. While researching her book about the NYC art scene she heard some simple advice: “just walk up to the piece and try to think of five things that it brings up...either in the work or how it makes you feel.” And oh, 86 the wall label.

I tried this out recently at the Tucson Museum of Art’s “Time Traveler’s” show.