As much as I enjoy making art , I enjoy teaching it even more! Currently I teach classes at the Evanston Art Center, Evanston, IL, and workshops the Wustum Art Museum, Racine, WI, this summer I am teaching workshops at the Peninsula School of Art, Fish Creek, WI
I also work with elders at the Presbyterian Homes retirement community in Evanston, IL as an Activities Specialist in Art and crafts.
Leslie Perrino was born in Philadelphia in 1959. A creative child in many ways, She began her artistic career by studying theatre, which detoured into a study of nursing, during which she became interested in the visual arts.

This led her to complete a degree in art while working full time as an RN. It was during this time that she was first introduced to metals and jewelry, which subsequently knocked her socks off and quickly became her media of choice, and love of her life.

She moved to Chicago in 1989 and while still working in nursing, became involved with the Evanston Art Center, taking classes, running the jewelry masters program there and serving on the school board, exploring the art opportunities and making connections with a variety of artists.

Feeling called to create, teach and inspire others on a more full time basis, she retired from nursing in 1995 to pursue graduate studies, returning to Chicago in 1997 as a full time artist and teacher while completing a Masters degree in Metals and jewelry from the Savanna College of Art and Design. She has taught teens, college age, adults and the elderly. She established her studio at the 3rd Floor Studios in the Ravenswood nieghborhood, with several emerging and established Chicago artists.

In 2003 she moved to Racine, Wisconsin, where she maintains her own home studio. She continues to exhibit nationally and internationally. She is currently teaching in both the Chicago and Racine areas and remains involved with many local and national metal and enameling organizations.


Education
test 2008 – Present
MA/metals, Savannah College of Art and Design 2001
Metals Grad Studies, Ball State University May 1986 – May 1988
BA/metals, Purdue University 1986
ADN Nursing, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Illinois 1982
Performance art studies, Purdue University 1977 – 1979
Affiliations/awards/publications
Enamelists Society 1997
Chicago Metal Arts Guild 2002
Society of North American Goldsmiths (SNAG) 1992
Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities 1997
"500 Earrings" Juror; Alan Revere, published by Lark Books 2007
Award: "Barking Dogma", National Juried Exhibition, Chicago, Illinois
Chicago Artist Coalition , Chicago, Illinois 1998
Exhibitions
Steppin' Out exhibition/auction, Cramer Foundation, Racine, Wisconsin October 2007
Anti war medals show Thomas Mann Gallery I/O, New Orleans, Louisiana October 2007
Inspired Treasures Exhibition, Ridley Gallery, Rocklin, California September 2007
11th Biennial international exhibition, Enamelists Society, Columbus Art Center, Columbus, Ohio August 2007
Evanston Art Center Faculty exhibition (Biannual)
Chair Show, Wustum Gallery, Racine, Wisconsin 2007
Insect and animal group exhibition, Lillstreet Gallery, chicago, Illinois March 2007
The Influence of Rock & Roll, Rock & Roll Museum, Cleveland, Ohio June 2006
"Stitched in Time and Place", Mess Hall Gallery, Chicago, Illinois 2006
Martini Squared, Thomas Mann Gallery I/O, New Orleans, Louisiana 2006
"Parameters of Preciousness", Glen Ellyn, Illinois May 2006
Bag and Shoe show, Thomas Mann gallery I/O,, New Orleans, Louisiana March 2006
Hyde Park Community Art Fair, Chicago, Illinois June 1997 – June 2005
Anti War Medals, Europrean tour: london, spain, netherlands June 2004
Anti War Medals- Velvet da Vinci Gallery, San Francisco, California November 2003
Digitally Speaking-Woman made Gallery, Chicago, Illinois September 2003
Spring benefit-exhibition/auction Evanston Art Center, Illinois May 2003
Unbreakable Heart -Lill Street Gallery, Chicago, Illinois February 2003
Material Explorations, Munson Proctor Williams Art Center,, Ithica, New York June 2002
Shrine and Altar Show, Domont Gallery, Indianapolis, Indiana December 2001
The Artful Ear, Artworks Gallery, Bozeman, Montana November 2001
Barking Dogma, Union Street Gallery, Chicago Heights, Illinois October 2001
Millenial Tramp Art; Picking up after the Industrial Age, Artisans Center of Virginia, Waynesboro, Virginia
National Organization of Women benefit auction,, Chicago, Illinois September 2001
Peter Jones Gallery-The Neighbors Exhibition, Chicago, Illinois October 2000
Cafe 28, 3rd floor Studio Group Show, Chicago, Illinois October 1999
Small Works-Exhibition, Savannah, Georgia 1998
Noyes Cultural Art Center Tenants Exhibition, Evanston, Illinois 1997
Savannah College of Art and Design, Exhibit A Gallery, Savannah, Georgia 1996
Evanston Art Center Student Show, Evanston, Illinois July 1994
Artful angles Gallery, Evanston, Illinois 1993 – 1994
Metals 3, Traveling Exhibition Muncie, West Lafayette Indiana, Oxford, Ohio 1987 – 1988
Jewelry USA, Joan Michelin Gallery, New York, New York 1988