Meet Morgan Sims | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Morgan Sims and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Morgan, any advice for those thinking about whether to keep going or to give up?
This is an interesting question because it seems to come up internally all the time. I will preface my answer by saying I generally approach it with the understanding that giving up is not an option. Instead, I think learning what to say no to, and when to redirect your energy is more the question. So in this sense, keeping going becomes keeping things new, and it may require some discomfort.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m a visual artist based in Philadelphia. I mainly make paintings, but sometimes work with neon glass. I was a printmaker in school and consider myself very process oriented. Some of my paintings have a mechanical look to them, although everything is handmade. I’m currently working on a series where I recreate snippets of paintings from art history and distort them through dripping paint.

I don’t think maintaining an art practice is easy, but I do find the intuitive part of making art easy. One of the biggest challenges for me is getting my work seen. This means attending fairs, showing in galleries and having an active online presence. I learned fairly early on the importance of the business side of being an artist, but I’m still learning how to best get my work out there.

I’d like people to know my work is not always exactly how I planned it, and that’s what is fun. There is a technical side of my work I am proud of, and spent years applying different things I learned about materials to achieve. This aspect of art making and learning never seems to stop.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I’ve been in Philadelphia just over a year and there are a ton of places I’ve been to and enjoy. Now that the weather is turning better Bok Bar in south Philly is an awesome place to grab a drink and bite to eat with a view. The bar is on the roof of an old school with many floors of artist studios you can check out during an open studio event. On the north side of Philly in the building where I live and work (Globe Dye Works) you can visit my gallery where I show (Bertrand Productions) and get a studio visit with a handful of artists including myself by reaching out with a little notice. Center City, South Philly, and Fishtown have great restaurants scattered about and nothing is too far away to get to. There are plenty of places I’ve yet to try, but so far am really pleased with the options.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’ve met a lot of supportive people in my path to becoming an artist. It started with the encouragement of my parents in California and continued in Seattle with my friends at the University of Washington (where I received a bachelor’s degree in art), and Pratt Fine Arts Center (where I first taught and worked). Next came graduate school at the University of Wisconsin, Madison where my professors and peers (I went through the MFA program) I am still in touch with today. Currently, I live and work in Philadelphia where fellow working artists, friends and gallery owners (Bertrand Productions) offer support.

Website: www.morgan-sims.com

Instagram: @morsims

Twitter: @morsims1

Facebook: morgan.sims.75

Other: Tiktok: @morsims1

Image Credits
Sarah Krusen Morgan Sims