“I create because it is all I know. I am inspired by yesterday, today and tomorrow,” You’ll never catch Emerging Artist Phillip Simpson without his sketchbook, plain and simple. Whether it’s pencil or paint, he wakes up poised to create something new and determined to cause a smile in the process. It’s fitting that Simpson’s latest body of work is entitled “SMILE.” More than a name, it’s his mission. “SMILE.” opens Saturday, June 29th, with an all-ages reception at the Heidelberg Project Studio Gallery from 6-8pm. Hors d’oeuvres and beverages will be served.
Born and raised in Detroit, Simpson has been creating artwork since childhood. He recalls being sentenced to his room as punishment as a kid, no toys or games, and having the revelation that despite restriction, his room was his castle. It was there that his art supplies were stored! Frustrations and dreams spilled onto paper as he began his own form of art therapy. These days, his art isn’t always on paper, but it is certainly still therapy, still healing. Twenty some years later, there are more reasons than one that Phillip was drawn to the Heidelberg Project. You can find his work in galleries, but might also spot his work brightening up an abandoned home. “Sometimes I go to a junkyard or bulk pick-up day and find my canvas. It’s very rewarding to make something out of nothing,”
Still, it is that one signature that motivates him and harkens to him to create as a way to make a mark on our world: the smile. Within each of Simpson’s paintings, a child is smiling. In Simpson’s eyes, these smiles are cultivated by the people closest to children, their families. “As adults we must plant the seed in our children early to smile,” he says. We are our children’s first teachers.”
“SMILE.” is on display through July 26th, before moving to the walls of D:Hive. The Heidelberg Project Gallery is located at 42 Watson in Detroit. Gallery hours are 10:00am -5:00 pm, Monday through Friday. Visit www.heidelberg.org or call 313-974-6894 for more information.
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