Francine Simonin facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Francine Simonin
Simonin in 1990
Born	2 October 1936 Lausanne, Switzerland
Died	9 October 2020(2020-10-09) (aged 84) Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Nationality	Swiss-Canadian
Occupation	Artist

Francine Simonin (born October 2, 1936 – died October 9, 2020) was a talented artist. She was a painter, engraver, and designer from Switzerland and Canada. People often called her an expressionist artist. This means her art showed strong feelings and ideas.

About Francine Simonin

Early Life and Art School

Francine Simonin grew up surrounded by art. She loved painting, books, and music. As a child, she often moved between Lausanne and Champex in Switzerland.

In 1953, she started studying art. She went to the École cantonale d'art de Lausanne. From 1958 to 1960, she learned in the studio of Casimir Reymond. Throughout her life, she traveled a lot in Europe. She became good friends with famous writer Marguerite Duras. They were very close until the 1980s. She was also friends with Janette Laverrière.

Developing Her Art

Between 1958 and 1966, Simonin mostly focused on engraving. This is a way of making art by carving designs. She often worked on wood and copper. In Pully, she worked at the studio of Pierre Cailler. He was the person who started the Guilde de la gravure.

In 1964, she received a special painting grant. This helped her continue her art. The next year, she had her first art show. It was at the Galerie Maurice Bridel in Lausanne. By 1970, her art was shown in more galleries. These included Galerie Numaga in Auvernier and Chez Nane Cailler in Pully.

Moving to Canada

In 1971, Francine Simonin moved to Montreal, Canada. She received a grant from the Canada Council to do this. In Montreal, she met other famous artists. These included Jean-Paul Riopelle and Serge Lemoyne.

From 1971 to 1994, she taught art. She was a professor at the Université du Québec in Trois-Rivières. She also created art for public places. Her works can be seen in buildings like the Palais de Justice in Longueuil. You can also find her art at Université Laval in Sainte-Foy–Sillery–Cap–Rouge. She even created panels for the Auditorium Stravinsky in Montreux.

In 1989, she made art for a music festival. It was for the Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville. In 1995, she created stage designs for a play. The play was called Palindrome by Philippe Saire.

Later Works and Collections

Simonin's art was often shown at Galerie Lacerte in Montreal. She also created many works in Évian-les-Bains. Her art is now part of many collections. These are both private and public.

Some places that own her art include:

• Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec
• Musée Jenisch
• Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec
• Cantonal and University Library of Lausanne
• Fondation Pierre Gianadda
• Bibliothèque nationale de France

Francine Simonin passed away in Montreal. She died on October 9, 2020, at the age of 84.

Awards and Recognition

Francine Simonin received several important awards for her art:

• In 1986, she won the Prize of the Fondation Irène Reymond.
• In 1990, she received the Grand Prix Beaux-Arts. This was from the Fondation vaudoise pour la culture.
• She also won the Prize of the Fondation Monique et Robert Parizeau. This award recognized her important work in printmaking in Quebec.