Art art art, vote vote vote

I know it's summertime, but I'm about to give you guys some homework. Don't worry though, it's pretty cool homework.

As we speak, lovely, lovely artwork is gracing the walls of The Balcony Art Gallery upstairs in the Globe. Not only is it lovely, it's art we've never seen before! It's work by talented local artists who are debuting their work for us for the first time. We sent out a message to all local artists to send us a few pieces of their work to display in the Gallery (on the condition that we'd never displayed it before), and the rest is up to you. Go vote for your favorite! The winner gets a month-long private show. This is how we discovered some of our new favorites, like Patti Backer and Evan Fitzgerald. Voting runs right up until the evening of August 3rd.

I'd like to point out what a great idea this was and how it represents the spirit of Berlin. Encouraging artists to do what they do is so important, and everybody wins. We get brand new art to admire and draw inspiration from, and aspiring artists get the exposure they were looking for. I see Berlin as a community of artists. We've got Jeff Auxer and his glass blowing studio, Patrick Henry who graces us with exhibitions more frequently than we deserve, Patti Backer and her whimsical paintings, Peggy Hagy (who totally does awesome and hilarious colored-pencil work) and even the saints at Baked with those freaking cannolis - I am grateful and terribly upset that I didn't try one until a month before I moved across the bridge, if I'd gotten on that train any sooner I'd weigh 800lbs. Artists see the world in new and beautiful ways and we're lucky to have so

many of them in Berlin to brighten things up for us.

If YOU are an artist, first of all thank you for being so cool and being brave enough to put your talent on display, but get yourself on our email list! You'll hear about our next Call to Local Artists and maybe it'll be your work in the Gallery. I'd like that. Wouldn't you like that?