By Tiannah Garcia
On the 4th floor of Raleigh J. Finkelstein Hall at Grand Rapids Community College is the Paul Collins Art Gallery, where artistic talent is showcased every semester.
The Collins Art Gallery offers a variety of art throughout the year, featuring artists from across the country.
Matthew Schenk is an Associate Professor of Digital Art and 2D Design here at GRCC. He is also the gallery director and has the responsibility to find and book the artists to show their work in the gallery. “I look for artists all year long, and I schedule throughout the year,” Schenk said. “I know a lot of artists, and then they know a lot of artists.”
As the gallery director, Schenk looks for many types of art to show in the gallery. In recent months, the gallery has had art made with pen/ink and graphic design.
This month, the gallery is featuring its Student Show until April 22. The Student Show represents GRCC students and their artwork created throughout the year. Artwork is selected from each art class by all the faculty in the art department.
“There are a couple underrepresented classes just because they’re hard to display in the gallery, which is interior design,” Schenk said.
This is the last art rotation in the gallery for the year until the fall semester, when exhibits will resume with ArtPrize.
Schenk encourages those who haven’t checked out the gallery to do so.
“Everybody likes to look at, like, objects and pictures, so I would just encourage you to look. It’s open to everybody, it’s free,” Schenk said.
The gallery is open to the public Monday through Thursday from 12 to 6 p.m.
