Perpich Student Work Featured at Golden Valley Library

March 5, 2025

Work by Perpich Visual Arts and Media Arts students will be on display at the Golden Valley Library through April, 2025. The exhibition features work from some current students and many previous Perpich students.

Work by Rowan Dupay (Visual Arts 2025) is included in the exhibition.

Rowan Dupay (Visual Arts 2025) works at the Golden Valley Library as a teen specialist. “The role is geared towards students in high school who are interested in the library system, and how it works,” said Rowan. “I mainly work on shelving, sorting books, and answering questions that patrons have. I’ve worked there since last May, so a bit less than a year at this point.” Rowan had been interested in putting up artwork at the library in the past, and mentioned it to the head librarian, Georgeann Eisenberg. Rowan knew “that there would also be some of my classmates at Perpich that may also be interested, if they knew about it.” She put Georgeann in contact with Kathryn D’Elia, Studio Arts Chair and Visual Arts Instructor.

“After getting in contact with Georgeann, I toured the space and we signed up for the March and April time slot and have selected a number of works from current and recent Perpich students for display,” said Kathryn. She laid out the exhibition and installed it with the help of Rowan and Ajay Nicholas (Visual Arts 2026). “When selecting work to show, it was important to show the range of what students create at Perpich with the diversity of medium used, but also the wide range of the concept explored in their art-making. I really enjoyed working with Rowan and Ajay with laying out the exhibition. We were able to set things out, plan for a color story and flow of work between types of media, and discuss our preferences and edits to make. Laying out a show is an invaluable skill for an artist and I am so glad we explore this skill as part of this show and in our regular exhibition setup at Perpich.”

Ajay Nicholas thought installing work for the Golden Valley Exhibition was an exciting experience. “I enjoyed seeing the variety of artworks selected for this gallery and being able to organize them into different displays around the library,” he said. “I hope that Golden Valley Library visitors can discover the awesome art around the building.”

Rowan Dupay (Visual Arts 2025) and Ajay Nicholas (Visual Arts 2026) pose for a selfie with Kathryn D’Elia, Studio Arts Chair and Visual Arts Instructor.

Both Rowan and Ajay are members of the National Art Honor Society (NAHS) at Perpich. “Perpich’s National Art Honor Society is a fairly new group that has been meeting every Tuesday to provide students with an opportunity to connect with people through art,” said Ajay. “As the secretary of NAHS, I am happy to see that this group has shown such strong interest in participating in art-based projects with the community. We have some exciting events to partake in soon and I’m excited to see what activities we’ll do in the future.”

Rowan shares Ajay’s excitement about the group. “I’ve been very intrigued in the National Art Honor Society so far. I’m curious to see what we can do as a group to reach out to the community and other schools and other people for collaboration,” said Rowan. “I’m excited about some of the ideas we have come up with, and I’m looking forward to continuing to work with the community!”

Rebecca Bullen, Arts High School Principal, is pleased with the exhibition experience at the library. “This exhibition is a wonderful opportunity for our students and I’m proud of our team and their commitment to creativity and student leadership,” said Bullen. “Our National Art Honor Society group was excited to support the installation of this exhibition as a way for our students’ work to be seen within the community. Having this exhibition travel around the state offers a chance to highlight the work of Perpich artists in diverse spaces. We hope to continue expanding these opportunities for additional exposure and community engagement.”

Rowan Dupay (Visual Arts 2025) is from Brooklyn Park, MN. She previously attended Robbinsdale Cooper High School in New Hope, MN.

Ajay Nicholas (Visual Arts 2026) is from Minneapolis, MN. He previously attended St. Anthony Village High School in St. Anthony, MN.

The Golden Valley Library is part of the Hennepin County Library system. Located in Golden Valley Village Hall from 1958-71, Golden Valley Library opened in its current location in 1971. The library is situated in a park-like setting overlooking scenic Bassett Creek. It was the first library to be funded entirely by Hennepin County after the State Legislature authorized the county’s long-range building program in 1969.