If you need to find a gift for a traveler with elevated taste and broad cultural knowledge, you might want to steal recommendations from one of the coolest leaders in arts and culture media, Marina Cashdan. As the VP of Editorial and Creative at Artsy, Cashdan globe-trots year-round to art fairs and events, and knows just what a person traveling for the arts might need.
As for her art travel goals? “There are a few destinations that I haven’t yet traveled to but that I’m determined to go to in the next ten years,” she says. “Highest on my list are Inhotim in Brazil, Naoshima in Japan, and the La Colombe d’Or hotel in southern France.”
See below for Cashdan’s gift picks.
I always bring a notebook and pens with me when I travel, particularly to locations where I’m seeing art. It allows me to write down my observations and thoughts versus relying on taking photos; I feel this is a more meaningful way to remember a place. It’s also something I can pass on to my children, and their children, in the future. I particularly love the paper quality, design, and binding of Postalco notebooks. My husband first introduced me to this brand years ago when he bought me one of their notebooks. I also bought one to use as my son’s baby book, for writing down milestones and thoughts in journal form versus a ‘typical’ baby book. I particularly love this notebook they collaborated on with the Calder Foundation.
I slip several New Yorkers into my carry-on bag when I travel. They’re lightweight but substantive, perfect to dive into while on the plane. (This also reduces my guilt for the stack that piles up throughout the year. Having a young child and working full time, with only a short commute to the office, means I don’t often get the time to read an issue from cover to cover.)
I always travel with my insulated Klean Kanteen water bottle. I’ve been making my effort not to contribute to plastic and coffee-cup waste, and I find this to be the perfect bottle, as it keeps cold liquids cold and hot liquids hot. Plus, the wide mouth means you can take it to a coffee shop and not create a headache for the baristas trying to fill it. These days, most coffee shops will welcome them (vs. using a takeaway cup) and most airports, train stations, or rest stops have bottle-designed water fountains to fill up.
A cashmere scarf is the perfect, multifunctional travel accessory: It’s handy on a plane or train, where it can be used as a cover, but it’s also a go-to extra layer when you touch down at your location. I’ve been eyeing this cashmere scarf by artist Kerry James Marshall. Marshall is one of the greatest living artists, in my opinion, so having this bold, wearable work of his adds warmth and color. Additionally, the proceeds go toward a good art cause—an artist residency run by a nonprofit in Vancouver. So it’s a smart and feel-good travel accessory.
Finally, you can’t travel without at least one pair of comfortable shoes. I try to be efficient by making my trainers ones that I can use to run in the mornings but also wear as a regular day-time shoe. Nike has always been my go-to for the combination of aesthetics and utility; I like their Nike Free Flyknits.