Julia Blakely — Youth Arts Collective

Julia Blakely
she/her

As a young girl, I spent hours outside searching for ladybugs in the grass. Each year while visiting Florida, my grandmother shared her love for dragonflies. My 7th grade science teacher spent a year teaching us about monarch butterflies. As I grew, I found that insects, which are rarely acknowledged, began to integrate itself into my life. Insects became symbolic, capturing the true spirit of people in my life.

In this years show, I wanted to showcase a series of portraits featuring my relatives that have passed. I used family heirlooms and stories to identify the bugs that best embody their personalities.

Enjoy!