By Patricia Leonard –
The work of Batavia area artist Janet Julianna will be on exhibit through the month at the Batavia Public Library. The exhibit contains photographs, paintings, and three-dimensional works that tell a story of resilience and beauty in the small mining town of Eureka, Utah, where families struggle with poverty, while gold dust glitters in the desert soil.
Julianna lets her artwork tell her stories. Her medium is acrylic on canvas and she adds natural pieces from the Eureka, Utah region to her paintings such as fool’s gold, gold dust, wild sage, and wood from the mines and trees. The three-dimensional effect of the real artifacts enhance the images and help relate the story of the Eureka gem and mining region.
Eureka was originally known as Ruby Hollow and although it developed into a bustling mining town around 1899, the one-time gold and silver mining boomtown has seen better days. It is not quite a ghost town, but much of the downtown is abandoned.
During several visits to Eureka, the artist came to know the residents and realized that while staying in Eureka she would have to adjust to living without all that she took for granted back home in Illinois. Through her artwork, she tells the story of Eureka, Utah, a story of the love of life, resilience in the wild terrain, and the beauty of the majestic mountains.
With art instruction from a cousin, the artist of the month began sketching and painting at a young age. This sparked her love of art and the interest in pursuing more learning. She took college classes in art and continued to paint and sketch while a mother and homemaker. Today she uses acrylic painting, mixed media, and photography in her artistic expression.
For more information, contact the artist at janet.julianna@gmail.com.
—Batavia Public Library