Sarah Simmons
Your parents, were they involved in your creativity as a child? Did they take notice of your talent?
My parents both worked in scientific fields, but always supported my creativity. They always said they didn’t understand where I got my creativity, but my mom taught me how to sew and my father made sure I had a work bench of my own to store my materials and a surface to create.
Material plays an important role in sculpture, what is your favorite?
Fiber all the way! Fabric, paper, paper, and paper, maybe mix in some other found objects and more fiber.
Are you influenced by conversations, politics, stories etc….?
I am heavily influenced by language, especially in written form. It can come from a book, short story, poem, mythology, unpublished
diaries, social media postings and I really enjoy dictionaries. The inspiration could come from the way a novel is organized, like The Shipping News, where each chapter begins with a knot. It could be the way a writer uses a word. I borrowed the title Dig from A.S. King. I may reference the imagery, borrow a plot element, or even directly pull from works, by utilizing book pages as
physical material, like I did with several diaries of strangers. I have also tucked direct quotes and snippets within art works.
Speaking of books, what authors or types of books do you read?
There are several authors who have heavily influenced or inspired my work. Top on my list is Margaret Atwood. Reading Cat’s
Eye when I was sixteen changed forever the way I viewed literature and my understanding of how words can impact our lives. Other writers whose work I highly admire include Octavia E. Butler, A.S. King, Neil Stephenson, Bernard Cornwell, N.K. Jemisin, and Laurie Halse Anderson. As far as genres, I prefer science fiction and historical fiction asking the questions what possibilities can the future hold? and how did we get here?
My parents both worked in scientific fields, but always supported my creativity. They always said they didn’t understand where I got my creativity, but my mom taught me how to sew and my father made sure I had a work bench of my own to store my materials and a surface to create.
Material plays an important role in sculpture, what is your favorite?
Fiber all the way! Fabric, paper, paper, and paper, maybe mix in some other found objects and more fiber.
Are you influenced by conversations, politics, stories etc….?
I am heavily influenced by language, especially in written form. It can come from a book, short story, poem, mythology, unpublished
diaries, social media postings and I really enjoy dictionaries. The inspiration could come from the way a novel is organized, like The Shipping News, where each chapter begins with a knot. It could be the way a writer uses a word. I borrowed the title Dig from A.S. King. I may reference the imagery, borrow a plot element, or even directly pull from works, by utilizing book pages as
physical material, like I did with several diaries of strangers. I have also tucked direct quotes and snippets within art works.
Speaking of books, what authors or types of books do you read?
There are several authors who have heavily influenced or inspired my work. Top on my list is Margaret Atwood. Reading Cat’s
Eye when I was sixteen changed forever the way I viewed literature and my understanding of how words can impact our lives. Other writers whose work I highly admire include Octavia E. Butler, A.S. King, Neil Stephenson, Bernard Cornwell, N.K. Jemisin, and Laurie Halse Anderson. As far as genres, I prefer science fiction and historical fiction asking the questions what possibilities can the future hold? and how did we get here?
Biography
Sarah Simmons is an artist and literacy educator. Verbal, visual, and written communication lie at the heart of all her work. Her sculptural work incorporates recycled materials with a focus on using fiber, including the reuse of books and clothing. Sarah has always incorporated text and recycled materials in her creative practice. She graduated with an Associate of Arts in Studio Art from Montgomery College in Maryland. She moved to Pennsylvania to attend Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, where she earned a BFA with a concentration in metalsmithing and art education.
Sarah has exhibited as a member of Pittsburgh Society of Sculptors and Associated Artists of Pittsburgh, as well as in exhibitions at the Westmoreland Museum of American Art, Minnesota Center for Book Arts, and as a part of the Anthropology of Motherhood. Her first solo exhibit of her work was fittingly at Sewickley Public Library in 2014. How we communicate and how we are perceived, especially as women and caregivers, are common themes found in Sarah’s work.
Sarah currently lives and works in Moon Township Pennsylvania, where since 2017 she continues to grow her Bookgarden, a place where discarded books go to decay and transform. She works at Moon Township Public Library as a children’s library assistant and resident artist, and always finds too many books to read. Sarah is also a certified Orton Gillingham tutor who teaches dyslexic children to read and hopefully love books. She believes that words matter, how we communicate matters, and that literacy is a basic human right.
Sarah has exhibited as a member of Pittsburgh Society of Sculptors and Associated Artists of Pittsburgh, as well as in exhibitions at the Westmoreland Museum of American Art, Minnesota Center for Book Arts, and as a part of the Anthropology of Motherhood. Her first solo exhibit of her work was fittingly at Sewickley Public Library in 2014. How we communicate and how we are perceived, especially as women and caregivers, are common themes found in Sarah’s work.
Sarah currently lives and works in Moon Township Pennsylvania, where since 2017 she continues to grow her Bookgarden, a place where discarded books go to decay and transform. She works at Moon Township Public Library as a children’s library assistant and resident artist, and always finds too many books to read. Sarah is also a certified Orton Gillingham tutor who teaches dyslexic children to read and hopefully love books. She believes that words matter, how we communicate matters, and that literacy is a basic human right.