In June of 2019 I was selected to participate in the Marist Venice Biennale Program. During my time in Venice, I worked on a body of work, which was featured in the Marist LdM Biennale 2019 Exhibition at the end of June. While there, I also had the opportunity to experience the work of contemporary artists who were featured at the Biennale and visit museums where I was surrounded by works of the past. My time in Italy was an experience which expended my views on what art can be, and the messages an artist can create through powerful works.

I grew up in the American southwest where I am surrounded by beautiful natural rock formations, red cliffs, multi-story skylines and alluring canyons. In Venice the landscape is replaced by meandering canals, gondolas and magnificent floating buildings built upon wooden platforms. My work created during my time in Venice was very influenced by the environment, and the evidence is clear especially in the work Untitled Venice. In this piece, I recreated the textures and objects from the city, which became familiar and significant to me during my stay.