On Display at GRCC’s Paul Collins Art Gallery During ArtPrize 2024 Everyone has a different reason for creating art. For Daniel, it started as a way to process post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Now he uses his art to help others who have mental health challenges. “Torn” is a 6’x10’ digital artwork based on a photo of a flight paramedic that Daniel took in Las Vegas. Then he added details using digital tools. The result is something that viewers have to look at twice. Is it a photo? Is it a painting? That questioning is part of the experience. “I experienced PTSD and other mental health issues as a result of being a first responder,” Sundahl said. “My psychologist recommended that I use art to process the trauma I had experienced. I was a little skeptical at first, but expressing my feelings in this way helped me process and recover.” Daniel acknowledges that “Torn” might be disturbing to some people. He’s actually okay with that. In “Torn,” the flight paramedic is pulled from one side by the devil, who represents the suicidal thoughts he has experienced. On the other side are his peers, fighting to save him because he has lost the ability to save himself.   “I want people who see my art to feel something,” Sundahl said. “I don’t intentionally try to make them feel bad, but I would rather have them feel uncomfortable than feel nothing. Hopefully they will see that hope and peer support can conquer even the ultimate hopelessness that drives people to suicide.” Daniel says he has been doing this work for approximately 10 years, and it has touched a nerve in the first responder community. He’s excited to share it in this, his first ArtPrize experience. “I find that my art resonates with people who have experienced trauma,” Sundahl said. “In addition to being an artist, I am also a therapist and a speaker. I understand how hard it is to recover from trauma. But I can truly say that I am a better person now, after my experiences, than I was before.” Daniel believes that art in general, and ArtPrize in particular, are wonderful celebrations. “This event brings hundreds of artists together and celebrates what they do,” Sundahl said. “Exploring artistic expression is so good for our mental wellbeing. Personally, I love to understand the ‘why’ behind the work. This is a great opportunity for artists to express what they feel and for the public to experience it.” At the end of the day, Daniel hopes people see one thing in “Torn.” “This is a message of hope for people who are suffering and have lost the capacity to find their way out,” Sundahl said. “Rely on the people who are there to help and support you when you don’t have the ability to help yourself.” You can learn more about Daniel and his work via his website . GRCC will be hosting six ArtPrize entries in the Paul Collins Art Gallery, located on the fourth floor of the Raleigh J. Finkelstein Hall at 143 Bostwick Ave. NE. ArtPrize is open to the public from September 13-28, 2024. Learn more about the competition, venues, artists and voting .    

On Display at GRCC’s Paul Collins Art Gallery During ArtPrize 2024  “Speaking the Words Without Knowing the Language” is an electroformed 3D printed sculpture. While Matthew isn’t sure where the idea came from, he does hint at his motivations in the name. “Artificial intelligence is spawning big conversations in the art world,” Schenk said. “We have these systems that can write text or create imagery. But they don’t have context. They’re just following rules. It gets really confusing to think about. Do these things, created by rules, really have meaning?”   In a bit of a play on AI, Schenk took the human figure from his entry last year and repurposed it into a standalone sculpture. The caveat? The person has been removed from the original context. You don’t know why it is there, or what it represents. “I want people to be confused by this sculpture,” Schenk said. “If it has meaning, it’s because the viewer layers meaning onto it.” Matthew has a lot of experience with getting people to think. That’s because he does it all the time as an art professor at GRCC. “I don’t tell students exactly what to do,” Schenk said. “My design class involves critical thinking. Students have to figure out what they want to convey and how to share that message. Most of them get really engaged through that process.” Matthew has participated in ArtPrize for many years, and hopes that it continues to evolve. “I like being able to have my students go look at art, evaluate it, and think about it,” Schenk said. “I would love to see ArtPrize continue to improve and attract more artists from around the world. This event has the potential to expose people to really excellent art.” You can learn more about Matthew and his work via his Instagram page . GRCC is hosting six ArtPrize entries in the Paul Collins Art Gallery, located on the fourth floor of the Raleigh J. Finkelstein Hall at 143 Bostwick Ave. NE. ArtPrize is open to the public from September 13-28. Learn more about the competition, venues, artists and voting .  

On Display at GRCC’s Paul Collins Art Gallery During ArtPrize 2024 We look at screens more than we look at people. Is that a problem? This is one of the big questions Erin Reinholtz hopes viewers will think about as they consider her work during  ArtPrize .  “10,000 Followers” is a series of five large portraits drawn in charcoal and oil. The impetus for this work stemmed in part from big conversations about the long-term social impacts of screen addiction and cell phone use. “My work is a visual pondering about the consequences of social media on human interaction,” Reinholtz said. “So many people aspire to have thousands of followers on Facebook but have fewer and fewer meaningful friendships. I want us to ask ourselves: Is this healthy?” Reinholtz chose to focus on the eyes in her portraits to spark a dialogue about how we connect with others. “Eye contact is something you automatically understand,” Reinholtz said. “When we make space to connect with real people, in person, we develop deeper and more compassionate relationships. We see below the surface.” The five portraits in this work represent real people. Reinholtz put out a call for self-portraits in the small town of Lowell. She got a great response, even though she didn’t know any of the people personally.  “I tried to feel a deep connection to the people I painted,” Reinholtz said. “I chose colors based on the vibe I got as I looked into their eyes. I’m trying to convey a message and help others feel that same connection.” Her compelling desire for eye contact also comes from personal experience. “About nine years ago, I started having issues with my eyes,” Reinholtz said. “I gradually lost the ability to drive and to read. I was in a tremendous amount of pain.” Thankfully, she was able to get a diagnosis, and treatment eventually restored her vision. That experience provided a catalyst for Erin to take art back up again.  “I had put my art on hold while raising a family,” Reinholtz said. “After the scare that I might lose my eyesight, I realized I have a story to share through my work. I felt like I wasn’t using my gift—that I had acted as if I would always have a chance to paint again. To not share my work with others was selfish.” Erin thinks ArtPrize is a wonderful way to elevate the importance of art.  “This kind of city-wide experience is very different from visiting a single gallery,” Reinholtz said. “Being able to see art in many different places encourages curiosity. It helps people enjoy art in a way they didn’t expect. It also helps them start to appreciate what they like as they see art from all walks of life.” Erin hopes people who experience “10,000 Followers” feel inspired and grateful in the moment. “We live in a society driven by power and money, but life is about more than that. No matter how hard life gets, I try to be grateful and appreciate what I have.”  You can learn more about Erin and her work via her  erinreinholtz.com .  GRCC is hosting six ArtPrize entries in the Paul Collins Art Gallery, located on the fourth floor of the Raleigh J. Finkelstein Hall at 143 Bostwick Ave. NE. ArtPrize is open to the public from September 13-28, 2024. Learn more about the competition, venues, artists and voting  here .