Juneau Youth Services’ art show covered the walls of the Baranof Heritage Cafe with all sorts of art.

There were photo realistic drawings of animals, portraits, impressionistic landscapes and mixed-media pieces using cardboard and much, much more.

[Art show needed young artists]

“I honestly don’t know how many pieces there are,” said Lori King, event organizer. “I got so many this year.”

King said she was up until early Friday morning hanging matted artworks.

“I was still getting more today,” King said.

The annual showing, which coincides with Gallery Walk, displays the artwork of students from all walks of life, and multiple age groups. Works from Thunder Mountain High School and Juneau-Douglas High School students were among the more impressive works.

It also allowed space for booths of other organizations such as Racheal MacLeod Christmas Dinner Box Project and the Office of Children’s Services.

Most of the artwork was displayed without full attribution to allow the artists to workout difficult emotion with anonymity.

However, featured young artist CJ Washburn, a 12-year-old Juneau Community Charter School student, was more than happy to talk about several of his pieces that were on display.

Many of the paintings were based on characters similar to Washburn, but a few were alien faces with more eyes and horns than the standard-issue 12-year-old.

“I really like drawing aliens,” Washburn said. “I got really inspired by ‘Invader Zim.’”

Washburn said both the comic and cartoon iterations of the character were inspiration.

Additionally, Washburn, who is a budding history buff, contributed to the show a portrait of Brad Pitt’s character from “Inglourious Basterds.”

Depictions of characters Griorgio and Anatoli, for whom Washburn has furnished complete backstories, were also tied to World War II. The characters, a Western Italian with mob ties and a Russian military leader, are both from a book Washburn wrote after researching the conflict.

“I really want to be in the Army,” Washburn said. “I’m really into war movies.”

But it was a different form of media that kicked off Washburn’s interest in art.

“I got really into a video game, and I started drawing the characters,” Washburn said. “Then, I realized I could draw my own characters.”

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• Contact arts and culture reporter Ben Hohenstatt at 523-2243 or bhohenstatt@juneauempire.com.

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