Perham's grandfather Hiram Clifford arrived in California during the Gold Rush era, made a fortune, and founded a dairy in San Francisco known as the Boston Ranch.[2][3].
[8] During World War I, Ina Perham was actively involved with the San Mateo County Women's Committee of the National and State Defense[9].
In the early 1920s, Ina Perham Story moved to Monterey, where she became a pupil of Armin Hansen and shared a studio in the Robert Louis Stevenson House with C. S.
Upon her return in 1926, the Club Beaux Arts in San Francisco presented Quelvée's paintings, watercolors, and brush drawings, which were brought from Europe by Perham[17].
In December 1927, the Oakland Tribune published her drawing titled Carmel Mission, noting her work for its rich black tones and featured in the Beaux Arts holiday exhibition[18].
Her first solo show in 1928, hosted by Beatrice Judd Ryan of the Beaux Art Gallery, was well-received by critics for her depictions of New Mexico landscapes and cityscapes[21].
In 1929, her works were noted as "other drawings of power"[24], and it was reported that despite spending most of the year in Monterey, she was also a part of the summer artistic colony in Berkeley[25].
During the 54th annual exhibition of the San Francisco Art Association in 1932, she received the first award in watercolor paintings for her work Calla Lilies, recognized as a study in a modern mood[27].
She also won a $25 prize at the Society of Women Artists annual public exhibit at the San Francisco Museum of Art for her watercolor White Barn, featuring two horses and a man[30].
In April 1947, her work was displayed at the Art in Action Shop, City of Paris store, alongside artists like Midori Hanamura, George Harris, David Park, and Florence Swift.
Her career was notably enhanced by her travels and studies abroad, including time spent in Tahiti, Europe, and various parts of the United States, which greatly enriched her experience and artistic work.