Studio Snapshot

• Last month I went to Art Basel and the Venice Biennale for the first time! Both were incredible opportunities to see the art world in another context. My favorite works were the Lithuanina Pavilion Sun & Sea (see 100 Words below), Arthur Jafa’s video The White Album, Haris Epaminonda’s installation at the Arsenale, The Decorated Shed by Alex Da Corte, and Andreas Lolis’ marble sculptures.
• Visit me and Ctrl+P at the Artist Books, Prints, Multiples & Editions Fair in the parking garage on Charles Street at Artscape July 19-21. The hours are 11am-9pm Friday & Saturday, and 11am-7pm Sunday.
• Rejections T_T (with odds): Trawick Prize (8 finalists out of 300 applicants, or ~2.7% chance)

Five Faves ~ All Things Italian Edition

1. Lake Como. OMG. Go. Now. There is a 1-hour €7 train from Milan to Varenna. The breathtaking view from the castle (top left photo) is my new iPhone background! And from there you can take a ferry to Bellagio and other towns around the lake.
2. Jasmine-lined streets a-plenty.
3. Melone e prosciutto.
4. Gelateria Alaska in Venice, with flavors like celery, turmeric, and Adriatic sea (courtesy of David Horvitz).
5. The lunch menu at Un Posto a Milano. A focaccia buffet, an appetizer (I chose the smoked mozzarella, which was an entire ball of mozzarella), and an entree (I had a thick tuna steak, pink in the middle), with sparkling water, followed by an espresso was €15! Italy is cheaper than you think.

100 Words

Sun & Sea (Marina) by Lina Lapelyte, Vaiva Grainyte and Rugile Barzdziukaite

Standing on the second floor of the Lithuanian Pavilion at the Venice Biennale, I watched an opera unfold below me. Set on a stage of artificial sand, it gives collective voice to individual suffering, like getting sand in your suit or workplace expectations. The performers are just like any other beachgoers—children play in a kiddie pool, a gray-haired group does yoga in the corner, twins scroll their phones. The scene is mundane, yet one that many of us strive for: a beach vacation. Relaxation. Escape. Which leads to the existential dread that comes with too much time on your hands.

Deadline Details

• DUE JULY 31: Ruby's Artist Grants; Up to $10,000 in funding for Baltimore-based artists; Free to apply.
• DUE JULY 31: The Municipal Art Society of Baltimore City Artist Travel Prize; $6,000 travel grant for artists living in Baltimore City; Free to apply.
• Rolling Deadline: MD State Creativity Grants; $1000-$3500 grants for Individual Artists or Small Organizations in Maryland; free to apply.