Karen Perkins
Article by Braden Hirsch
“Those of us who are doing this project have some extra time to think about our community. Even though the pandemic has brought us physically apart from one another, it has shown us that we are connected in other ways. I am fortunate to be in a position where I have time to help support my neighbors.”
Karen is a retired art teacher who has been involved with the mask-making project since early on in its development. She enjoys volunteering and using her skills to give back to the community, so this project was a good opportunity to do that. Although the goal of the project was originally to provide masks for healthcare workers, it has grown to include other groups as well. Karen and some of her colleagues realized that there was additional need around the Eugene community, so they included masks for the homeless as part of the project.
As an experienced art teacher and potter, Karen likes to use some creativity and innovation in her mask-making process. One example is that she has experimented with several different materials in order to find a comfortable alternative to elastic for ear straps. Additionally, she models her mask creation process after her pottery style. By repeating each individual step of the mask instead of making one whole mask at a time, the process becomes streamlined and more efficient. Although mask-making can at times feel tedious, Karen remains motivated by the fact that she is helping her community.
