Sandisfield artist Jaye Alison Moscariello was one of eleven artists - and the only American - accepted to the 2024 Mark Rothko Painting Symposium at the Mark Rothko Museum in Daugavpils, Latvia.

    She will attend the symposium from September 12-30. She said, "I'll have a studio and will be able to paint without interruption 24/7. Yay!!"

    Two of the works she creates during the symposium will become part of the Mark Rothko Museum permanent collection.

    She said that Latvia is of particular interest to her. "It ties in with my 'Territories Blue' work. Recently I discovered I have some roots in Latvia, part of my Eastern European Jewry heritage (I also have roots in the Middle East in addition to the Italian background). I've been keen to visit the area, and I'll be very close - only 75 miles from the Latvian-Russian border. It will be an exciting time."

    Of the other artists, two are from Poland, three from India, one from Latvia, one from Italy, one from Germany, one from Macedonia, and one from Lithuania. Jaye said, "Thankfully, all of the other artists speak some English."