Xaviera Simmons facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Xaviera Simmons
At the Performing History event at Columbia UniversityGraduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation in 2017
Born	1974 (age 50–51) New York, New York, U.S.
Education	Bard College
Known for	Photography Conceptual art Painting Sculpture Performance Installation
Movement	Contemporary art
Awards	Socrates Sculpture Park Artist Award alongside Agnes Gund (2019)
Patron(s)	Agnes Gund

Xaviera Simmons is a talented American contemporary artist. She creates art using many different forms. These include photography, performance, painting, video, sound art, sculpture, and installation.

From 2019 to 2020, Simmons taught at Harvard University. She was also a Harvard University Solomon Fellow during this time. Simmons has shared that her family history includes both Black American enslaved people and European colonizers. This connection comes from the history of slavery in the United States.

Learning and Training

Simmons studied at Bard College. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree in 2004. There, she learned from famous photographers like An-My Lê and Stephen Shore.

In 2005, she joined the Independent Study Program in Studio Art. This program was at the Whitney Museum of American Art. At the same time, she completed a two-year acting program. She trained at The Maggie Flanigan Studio.

Artworks and Exhibitions

Xaviera Simmons has shown her art in many places. Her work has been seen in museums across the United States. These include the Museum of Modern Art in New York and the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago.

In 2017, she had a special show at Harvard University. This exhibition was at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study.

Bronx as Studio Project

In 2008, the Public Art Fund asked Simmons to create a project. This project was called Bronx as Studio. For three weeks, she used the streets of the Bronx as her art space.

She set up sidewalk games and took classic portraits. People passing by could join in activities. These included hopscotch, chess, and Double Dutch. Simmons provided items like props and backgrounds. All the activities of the public were recorded. Participants later received their color portraits. This helped them feel part of the creative process.

Exploring Museum History

Simmons took part in the Artists Experiment series. This was at the Museum of Modern Art in 2013. She worked as both an artist and an archivist. An archivist studies historical records.

She looked into the museum's own past. She found examples of political actions shown through gestures. Then, she brought these examples back into view.

Coded Exhibition

In 2016, Simmons had a large exhibition called Coded. This show was at The Kitchen. For this project, she also created a performance art piece.

She used old materials and resources to explore different histories. These included queer history, homoeroticism, and Jamaican dancehall culture.

Public Art Installation

In 2018, Simmons created a public art installation. It was placed at Hunter's Point South Park in Queens, New York. This park is located by the East River.

The installation was named Convene. It featured canoes turned upside down. These canoes were painted in the colors of national flags. These flags represented some of the immigrant groups living in the area.

Writing and Activism

In 2019, Simmons wrote an opinion piece. It was for The Art Newspaper. The article was titled "Whiteness must undo itself to make way for the truly radical turn in contemporary culture."

She also decided not to be a speaker at a festival. This was IdeasCity Bronx, a New Museum event. She supported local Bronx organizers who had concerns about the festival.

Pérez Art Museum Miami Show

In 2021, Simmons' art was shown in Polyphonic. This was a group exhibition at the Pérez Art Museum Miami. The show celebrated the PAMM Fund for African American Art. This fund helps the museum buy art by African American artists.

Other artists featured in the show included Faith Ringgold, Tschabalala Self, and Romare Bearden.

Art in Collections

Xaviera Simmons' art is part of many important collections. Some of these include:

• Pérez Art Museum Miami, Florida
• The Museum of Modern Art, New York
• The de la Cruz Collection, Miami, Florida
• The Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, Massachusetts
• The Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami, Florida

See also

In Spanish: Xaviera Simmons para niños