The Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies is pleased to announce that Ornela Ramašauskaitė has been awarded the 2024-2025 Baumanis Grant for Creative Projects in Baltic Studies for her project “Art Across Borders: The Baltic Visual Legacy Project.”
The Baumanis Grant is an award made to honor Velta Marija Baumanis of Mount Brydges, Ontario, who left a generous bequest to AABS at the end of her career as an architect. An award of up to $7,000 is available for any creative project (e.g., book, film, exhibit, etc.) that promotes Baltic studies. Preference is given to topics with a pan-Baltic or comparative aspect. Applicants must be members of the AABS at the time of application.
The 2024 applications were evaluated by the AABS 2022–2024 Grants Committee consisting of AABS VP for Professional Development Dr. Kaarel Piirimäe, AABS President Dr. Dovilė Budrytė, AABS Director-at-Large Dr. Daunis Auers, and AABS Treasurer Uģis Sprūdžs, CFA. Learn about the other 2024-2025 recipients here.
© Eglė Senderovienė
Ornela Ramašauskaitė is a researcher, PhD candidate, art curator, and art market expert with extensive international experience. Her educational background includes a Bachelor’s degree in Photography and Media Art and a Master’s degree in UNESCO cultural management and cultural policy studies from the Vilnius Academy of Arts (VDA) in Lithuania. Ramašauskaitė is pursuing her PhD at Mykolas Romeris University, focusing on modeling art investment strategies in the context of geopolitical conflicts.
Ramašauskaitė’s expertise has been recognized through her roles as a board member of the Amedeo Modigliani Foundation in Italy and a member of The Strategic Council for Lithuania’s Image. She has also served as an expert and evaluator for various international culture and creative industries hubs, programs, and accelerators.
Project Abstract
The project “Art Across Borders: The Baltic Visual Legacy Project” aims to create a comprehensive online database showcasing the finest painters from Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia over the past 50 years. This project will cover the Soviet, post-Soviet, and Independence periods, featuring a curated selection of 60 artists per country, with equal representation of gender and 20 artists from each era. The project’s primary goal is to provide art historians, curators, collectors, and enthusiasts with a valuable resource that offers crucial insights into the Baltic region’s visual arts landscape.
“Art Across Borders” is unique in its comprehensive and systematic approach to documenting and presenting half a century of Baltic art, a period marked by significant political and cultural shifts. By capturing the artistic evolution from the Soviet era through the post-Soviet period to the present, this project fills a critical gap in the global art narrative, where Eastern European art, particularly from smaller nations like the Baltic states, often remains underrepresented.
The project’s significance extends beyond its role as a cultural archive. It serves as an essential educational resource for academic institutions, offering students and researchers detailed insights into the development of Baltic art. Moreover, by highlighting contemporary artists alongside historical figures, “Art Across Borders” supports the careers of living artists, increasing their visibility and accessibility to international galleries, museums, and collectors. The platform also encourages artistic exchange and dialogue between the Baltic states and the wider world, fostering a better understanding of the region’s creative contributions and historical context.
Through this project, I aim to promote cultural exchange, preserve the Baltic region’s artistic heritage, and contribute significantly to the advancement of Baltic Studies by providing a multidimensional platform for interdisciplinary research and collaboration.
–Ornela Ramašauskaitė
Ornela Ramašauskaitė