December 2021 Youth Artist of the Month - Julia Barker
YOUTH ARTIST OF THE MONTH
Julia Barker
ON VIEW THROUGHOUT DECEMBER
Ever since I was young, creating artwork has been a source of joy. Experimenting with new mediums, learning different techniques, and testing out ideas is an outlet for my creativity. I find solace in creating visual art, and over the years, creating art has helped me become a more confident person and enthusiastic artist. During my time volunteering at The Collaborative, I found sanctuary in the art scene of Warren, Rhode Island, pushing me to meet and work with artists of all ages. Engaging with others through art is vital to my creative process; this engagement helps me to become a more serious artist, allowing me the chance to have fun while meeting new people, giving me the opportunity to show others the fluidity and versatility of art in the world today. I find inspiration to create art from my personal experiences as well as the world around me. Memories from my childhood of days spent outside with friends and family fuel me to create artwork. These memories push me to engage with my community and share my love of the arts. Creating and interacting with visual art in the town of Warren has given me confidence as a young artist. My time spent volunteering at The Collaborative has given me a way to interact with other artists and people, helping to reveal the impact that the arts have on the community and the opportunities that the arts offer for community building. The chosen pieces included in this show are experiments in color, texture, and mediums. Art is a form of expressing myself. Through the years, this freedom of self-expression has offered me newfound independence as an artist and young thinker, making me more critical and observational of the world around me. My love of the arts inspires me to continue creating art and pushes me to share my work and knowledge with the community. Through my time volunteering at The Collaborative, I am able to extend my love of arts and music to a larger audience, developing a stronger bond with my community, witnessing, first hand, the impact that the arts have on society. I hope that my time as the December Featured Youth Artist at The Collaborative sparks others to engage in Warren's arts and music, helping to increase The Collaborative's growing network of supporters. ~Julia Barker