The work of local artist Viola Linley is now on display in the art gallery at the Suzette Brumleve Memorial Effingham Public Library.
The artist, a 13-year-old Sacred Heart student, is showing a selection of her work through Dec. 30.
Linley, who has been drawing “since I could hold a pencil,” she said, works in a variety of disciplines, including painting with acrylics and creating digital art on an iPad. She recently has learned to sew, as well.
The young artist finds much of her inspiration “from Pinterest, with all the pretty outfits and crafts and scenery on there,” she said. “I do find inspiration in my friends and the general world around me, as well. I also like to take music I listen to and draw the vibe of the song as a character or a scene.”
She added: “I think art is important to society because it inspires us to think outside the box and to express ourselves. I’m talking about all kinds of art such as music, stories, poetry, sewing, drawing, etc. All this artwork truly fills us with personality and allows us to connect with each other in so many ways. It allows us to express our cultures and ideas.”
“Art has helped me make friends many times. This summer I was on a plane to Arizona for vacation. I sat next to this middle aged guy who was really nice. The two of us ended up having a nice conversation about the type of music we like to listen to. We found out we both liked to listen to Grunge music. I would have never expected to have that conversation that day but it was pretty amazing. We both probably had really different stories and ideas, but we came together over the type of art we enjoy. It’s truly a wonderful thing.”
The art exhibit is free and a library card is not required to view the exhibit.
Contact Oran Colwell, Art Gallery/Technical Services Coordinator, at 217-342-2464 or oran@effinghamlibrary.org for more information.
