Library displays Carson High grad’s artwork

Growing up in Carson City, Julianne Perkins was moved by the desert landscape surrounding her. It has influenced her work as an artist, and that work is on display at the Carson City Library.

“I was born and raised here and the intense heat of the summer, starkly contrasted by the deluge of snow in the winter was always an enigma to me,” Perkins said. “The quick shifts from heat to cold affected my mood, and it soon caused me to associate these changes of mood with color. Even in my early doodles, color was used in an expressive manner to show not only a situation, but also how it felt. Soon I transitioned into non-representational subject matter, which depicted emotion in a way I hoped would be relatable to others.”

Her exhibition, Breaking Free, consisting of 25 abstract paintings, will be in the library’s auditorium until Aug. 15. The auditorium gallery is open to the public during regular library hours, and admission is free.

Perkins, a 2010 Carson High School graduate, is a painter and pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the College of Liberal Arts at Oregon State University. She will join colleagues and faculty in September to study abroad in Sienna, Italy.

“An experience to be around the masters will allow me to learn and grow,” she said. “I still value the influence of my high school art teacher, Mrs. Caston. She taught me to take risks and be a leader.”

This show is a collection of my art work that is, for the most part, accumulated within the past year. I find the pieces uniquely show moments in my life where I pushed myself to take new strides.”

Additionally, in a partnership series with the Carson City Library and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Western Nevada, Perkins is offering three artist clinics exclusively for club teens. Upon completion of the series, club artists are invited to join Perkins’ exhibition and display their work during a closing reception from 4-8 p.m. Aug. 15.

For more information, go to www.carsoncitylibrary.org or call 775-887-2244.