SMU student’s art hanging in Smithsonian

Holly Schuh, a SMU senior from Altura, Minn., received the Award of Excellence and $2,000 for her acrylic on canvas, “Pause,” in the “Driven” exhibit, currently on display at the Smithsonian’s Ripley Center.

“Driven,” is an exhibition highlighting the works of emerging artists with disabilities. The exhibit opened Sept. 15 and features the works of 15 finalists, chosen from 204 applicants, ranging in age from 16 to 25. The exhibition closes Dec. 31.
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Schuh aims to portray the emotions of human struggles through the representation of the human figure. Inspired by a mission trip to India and an intense awareness of humanitarian issues, Schuh links art, humanity and human figures in works that emote without words. Schuh said she has changed as an artist after she began exhibiting symptoms of hereditary neuropathy with pressure-point palsies, a rare, slowly progressive hereditary neuromuscular disorder that makes an individual very susceptible to nerve injury from pressure, stretch or repetitive use.

This year’s assignment challenged artists to illustrate the motivational force behind their personal vision — what moves them to create art. The exhibition is a collaboration between VSA arts and Volkswagen of America Inc.