Michelle Dahl and Gina Grice put their influential self-expression on display

By Chris D. Johnson

To celebrate Women’s History Month, Gallery 1075 at the West Sacramento Community Center is hosting the art of two local artists, Michelle Dahl and Gina Grice, for the duration of March.

The opportunity to have their work showcased in an exhibit for Women’s History Month is one that both Dahl and Grice were passionate about.

“It’s kind of awesome because you think of making your mark on history, and maybe this will last,” Dahl said. “Whatever small contribution I can make to helping and uplifting other women, or just making noise. Saying, ‘Hey, women can do this too.’”

Grice said that she hopes she can instill confidence in women.

“It represents being able to speak out and have a voice,” Grice said. “I think sometimes women are afraid, because of upbringing or background, to speak out.”

Both artists also want to ensure there are women in the future of art.

“Make a point to keep creating, even if it’s not being seen,” Grice said. “At some point, you’ll have an opportunity to put your work out there and you’ll be ready.”

Dahl’s sentiment was to advise the artists to trust themselves.

“If something doesn’t feel right, don’t do it,” Dahl said. “Follow that intuition, because you know what’s going to work for you.”

Grice said that her art at the gallery was inspired by a period of considerable change in her life over the last four years.

“I was going through a divorce and going through a career change,” Grice said. “It was my way of processing around that.”

She also spoke about a strong connection to one painting in particular that laid the foundation for her current preferred art style.

Grice said the piece, titled “Gentle Breeze,” was so important to her that it’s not available for sale. The painting is a blend of fantasy and nature made of watercolor and ink.

“That was the beginning of this style,” Grice said. “That’s when I realized that I was actually accessing a very vulnerable part of myself, so that was kind of a turning point for me.”

As someone who teaches art, Grice said she also wants to motivate others to start their own artistic journey.

“You don’t have to be an artist to create,” Grice said. “I think we all have that creative ability within us.”

In Dahl’s case, she said her love for art stems from human connection and building relationships.

“It’s a way to connect with people,” Dahl said. “I don’t always feel like I make those connections, and art gives me that ability.”

Dahl also said she wants to help others feel seen in times of uncertainty.

“I was always the weird kid in the corner, not a lot of friends, but I always had art,” Dahl said. “It’s a way to validate other people’s experience and share what I have experienced too because sometimes I don’t have the words for it.”

She also said that interacting with others is a large part of the message that she wants to convey with her work.

“We’re all one, we all share the vulnerabilities, the hurts and the wins,” Dahl said. “That human condition is a lot more than what we see on these little boxes, reminding people to connect with the real person that’s right next to them.”

Dahl’s original inspiration for wanting to have her own art on display stems from a childhood memory of a family trip to a restaurant.

“We went to a restaurant in San Francisco, and it had this painting,” Dahl said. “I don’t even remember the name of the artist, but it was the first time I saw art that was different.”

Dahl also said this was her awakening for how much freedom is available in the world of art.

“I’d always seen the DaVinci’s and the things that look real,” Dahl said. “But this was the first modern art that sparked the thought, ‘Oh, people just put this on their wall in a restaurant.’”

Dahl would also like to see people getting more involved with their local art scenes.

“See more art in real life,” Dahl said. “Find it on the phone, but go see it in real life.”

The full exhibit including Dahl and Grice’s work will be on display for the duration of Women’s History Month at Gallery 1075 in West Sacramento, with full information available on the Sacramento365 website.

This article was originally posted on The State Hornet