Eli Blasko is a mixed media visual artist based in Mercer Pennsylvanian. Blasko was selected as an artist-in-residence during the NEA grant year and stayed in Paducah during the month of January 2013. “Throughout my development as an artist, I have come to discover that travel plays an essential role in my work. Meeting with new people from different locations and cultures, and learning how other artists view the world allows my artwork to expand as a more wide‐reaching and influential visual language.”