Rose B. Simpson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rose B. Simpson
Simpson in 2008
Born	1983 (age 41–42)
Nationality	Santa Clara Pueblo (Tewa)
Education	Institute of American Indian Art, BFA Rhode Island School of Design, MFA
Known for	sculpture, ceramics
Notable work	Maria

Rose B. Simpson is a talented artist born in 1983. She is from the Tewa people of Khaʼpʼoe Ówîngeh, also known as Santa Clara Pueblo. Rose creates art using many different materials. These include clay, metal, fabric, paint, and even music and performances. She lives and works in Santa Clara Pueblo, New Mexico.

Her art has been shown in many famous museums. These include the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York and the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. Her work helps people think about important ideas.

Learning and Education

Rose Simpson studied art at several places. She went to the University of New Mexico. Then, she earned her first art degree (BFA) in 2007 from the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe.

She continued her studies, getting a master's degree (MFA) in Ceramics in 2011. This was from the Rhode Island School of Design. She also earned another master's degree in Creative Non-Fiction in 2018. This was also from the Institute of American Indian Arts. Rose also studied automotive science at Northern New Mexico College.

Exploring Rose Simpson's Art

Rose Simpson is known for her mixed-media artwork. This means she uses many different materials. Her art often explores big questions about humanity. She looks at how we survive in our world, thinking about the past, present, and future.

Some common ideas in her art are identity, motherhood, and family history.

Unique Artistic Style

Rose is an Indigenous artist. However, she wants her art to be seen for itself. She doesn't want it to be limited by what people expect "Native art" to be. She uses traditional techniques and ideas from her family. This helps her challenge common ideas about fine art.

Rose comes from a family of women who are ceramic artists. Her mother, Roxanne Swentzell, and her young daughter often work with her. This sharing of knowledge through generations is important to her. It shows in her art, especially how she focuses on the act of creation.

Rose has her own special way of working with clay. She calls it "slap-slab." She tears thin pieces of clay and puts them together. She purposely leaves marks like fingerprints and brushstrokes visible. For Rose, these marks show the truth of how the art was made. Her style is also inspired by a Japanese idea called kintsugi. This means repairing broken pottery with gold. It represents self-love and forgiveness.

Transformative Performances

Rose also creates performance art. She calls these "transformances." Her goal is to change herself and her audience. In these performances, she works with others. They march in public spaces. They wear special clothing that looks like it's from a future world. This helps to change how people see things.

Important Exhibitions

Rose Simpson's art has been shown in many important exhibitions.

Solo Shows

• In 2021, she had a big solo show called "Countdown." This was at the Savannah College of Art and Design.
• From 2018 to 2019, she had a solo museum show called LIT: The Work of Rose B. Simpson. This was at the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian in Santa Fe.
• In 2016, she had a solo exhibition called Ground. This was at the Pomona College Museum of Art in California. For this show, she also helped choose other historical objects from the museum. She placed them with her own sculptures. She wanted to show that useful objects can also be beautiful art. She believes connecting to the earth helps us feel strong and rooted.
• From 2024 to 2025, she will have a solo exhibition called Strata at the Cleveland Museum of Art. This show will feature very tall sculptures, about 25 feet high. They are made of clay and metal.

Group Shows

• From 2019 to 2020, her work was part of a traveling exhibition called "Hearts of Our People."
• In 2016, her art was in a show called Con Cariño: Artists Inspired by Lowriders. This was at the New Mexico Museum of Art.

Featured Artworks

Maria (2014)

In 2014, Rose Simpson created Maria. This is a customized 1985 Chevrolet El Camino car. The car is special for many reasons. It was inspired by her time living in Española, New Mexico. This town is known as the lowrider capital of the world.

The car's name, Maria, honors the famous potter Maria Martinez. Maria Martinez was known for her "black-on-black" pottery style. Rose used this style on the car's outside. She used matte black paint for the base. Then, she added shiny black paint for traditional designs. Rose's choice of a car as art also shows her studies in automotive technology.

Counterculture (2023)

In 2023, Rose Simpson created Counterculture. This is a special art installation at Field Farm in Massachusetts. It has 12 human-like figures made of concrete. Each figure is 10 feet tall. They have hollow eyes and are decorated with ceramic pieces and other found objects.

Counterculture is important because Field Farm is on the land of the Mohican people. These Indigenous people were forced to leave their homes long ago. Rose created these figures to represent ancestors. They stand as witnesses to the land's history. They also help us remember the Indigenous people who once lived there.

Art Collections

Rose Simpson's artwork is part of many museum collections. This means her art is owned by these museums and can be shown to the public.

Awards and Fellowships

Rose Simpson has received many awards and special opportunities for her art.

• 2021 – Joan Mitchell Fellowship from the Joan Mitchell Foundation
• 2021 – Production and Exhibition Grant, Via Art Fund, Boston, MA
• 2021 – Residency, The Fabric Workshop and Museum, Philadelphia, PA
• 2021 – Residency, Tamarind Institute, Albuquerque, NM
• 2020 – Residency, Anderson Ranch Arts Residency, Snowmass, CO
• 2020 – President's Award for Art and Activism, Women's Caucus for Art, Chicago, IL
• 2017 – Fellowship from the National Parks Foundation for a residency at Aztec Ruins National Monument
• 2013 – National Artist Fellowship, Native Arts & Cultures Foundation

Family and Background

Rose Simpson comes from a long line of artists. Her family members are famous Santa Clara Pueblo ceramic artists. Her mother is Roxanne Swentzell. Her grandmother was Rina Swentzell. Her great-aunt is Nora Naranjo-Morse. Her great-grandmother was Rose Naranjo. Her great uncle is Michael Naranjo. Her father, Patrick Simpson, is also a sculptor.

Musical Journey

For several years, Rose Simpson was the lead singer in a Native American punk band. The band was called Chocolate Helicopter. She also played in a hip-hop band named Garbage Pail Kidz.