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Home » News » Glenn Simmions: Reborn, Faith Based Art

Glenn Simmions: Reborn, Faith Based Art

Published January 12, 2016

Simmions_CherryStreetFSU Art MFA ‘80 Glenn Simmions show, Reborn, Faith Based Art, is opening this Friday, 6pm, at the Gadsden Arts Center. He will be showing with internationally acclaimed artist Dean Mitchell.

For over 40 years, Georgia-based artist Glenn Simmions has considered his art a journey to enlightenment and self-discovery. Through financial loses and severe heath concerns, Simmions clung to his art and his faith to carry him through the dark times. The artist mostly depicts images of early rural to modern urban African-American life in his paintings; his metal and glass sculptures more commonly explore the people and things around him. The sculptures are created from discarded and found materials, likening the use as a metaphor for, “how Christ is able to take broken lives and make them whole.”

 

Georgia based artist Glenn Simmions (MFA ’80) will be exhibiting paintings and sculpture in the Zoe Golloway Exhibit Hall at the Gadsden Arts Center, Quincy, FL, January 15 – April 2, 2016. Simmions, a student of painter Trevor Bell, began his career exploring color theory and color-field style of abstract painting. After a series of devastating losses and severe health concerns Simmions began to depict images from memory of his early life in rural south Georgia. He clung to his art and faith to carry him through the dark times and considered his art a journey to enlightenment and self-discovery. His metal and glass sculptures created from discarded and found materials explore the people and things around him. He likens the use of these materials as a metaphor for “how Christ is able to take broken lives and make them whole.”

In 2014 fellow student Dawn McMillan (MFA ’79) wandered into Simmions’ studio in downtown Quitman, GA. Simmions was bending wire, making the armature for a  larger-than-life-size sculpture of a Blues guitarist that was covered with broken beer bottle glass. His studio was filled with paintings and sculpture that appeared to be folk art. They didn’t recognize each other, but got into a lively discussion about art. When he mentioned college McMillan asked “Where did you go to school?” He responded jokingly “Oh, a school you may not have heard about — FSU.” Once the connection was established they realized that they had been fellow students sharing studio space in the old MFA warehouse at Railroad Square. McMillan, Board member and chairman of the exhibit committee at the Gadsden Arts Center returned with curator Angie Barry and together they arranged to show Simmions’ work.

Simmions will be exhibiting alongside internationally known painter, Dean Mitchell. The exhibit runs through April 2, 2016.

Gadsden Arts Center