GREEN BAY, Wis (WFRV) – A local artist is using his paintbrush to spread a message of unity.
Quentin Daniels, a Chicago native, has been creating art since he was 7-years-old. Daniels started by drawing cartoons and now he dabbles in some of everything.
Daniels, who has been working with the Art Garage for seven years, found out about the gallery by seeing it across the street one day.
“I found out about the Art Garage through me riding a bike and going to different places. I saw Flowerama and then it was like across the street so I was like, you know, curious. There was this art collective thing that was going on and then I started participating.”
Now Daniels is participating in the gallery’s latest call for art, Unification. He is using a local performing arts group, The Art Hop Collective, as inspiration for his submission piece.
“I did that piece [Seen Above] last year. I took a picture of the actual event at the hip hop collective.”
Daniel’s studio, tucked in the back of the Art Garage, is bright and colorful. It is full of vivid portraits of iconic African-American figures from Sammy Davis Jr. to Stevie Wonder.
If you ask Daniels what his favorite piece of artwork is, it’s difficult for him to choose. He settles on a colorful piece hanging on the wall of two women with albums on their heads with music notes surrounding them.
The Art Garage’s latest exhibition, Unification, is focusing on representing togetherness and unity.
The gallery, accepting 2D and 3D works for the show, wants the pieces’ primary focus to represent togetherness.
Tristin St. Mary, the gallery’s administrative manager, says the Art Garage is releasing the Unification art call now to reflect what’s happening in the country. St. Mary admits she was hesitant about how this art call would be perceived, but the response so far has been positive.
“With everything going on right now we wanted to give our local artists a voice. I think there is a lot of negative right now and with the show, we’re hoping to bring more positivity and looking forward on some good social change that may be happening in the future. We’ve had a great turnout. I think people are really starting to want to get out and do things and support local artists.”
The deadline to submit to the Unification art call is November 19. The Unification exhibit will open in December virtually and in-person. For more information on the call for art, visit the Art Garage’s website.
