Meet Zachary Simonson | Artist & Educator

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

Hi Zachary, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I grew up in a small town in Southern Wisconsin, which I think had a lot to do with my temperament and my appreciation for the outdoors. Both of my parents are biologists, which only strengthened my love for the natural world. On the flip side though, I was also big into video games as a child, and was already on the computer at three years old. There was always a sense of exploration and world building that I resonated with, and I think it dovetailed nicely with the exploration of nature.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’m always looking through the drawings I made as a young child. I’m fortunate that my parents kept just about everything I made, and it’s a real treat to get a glimpse into how my mind worked at that time. They have a great sense of organization and spatial exploration, and pulled in a lot of different influences to create really complex and intriguing scenes. To this day, I still find great inspiration in those drawings. However, as I imagine it is the case with most, the art made during my adolescence was fairly derivative. It was primarily an engagement with things that I appreciated in a fairly direct way, without too much of an inclination towards developing a personal vision.

My undergraduate studies led me to an interest in art history, self portraiture, and a focus on painting, with the work getting very conceptual and meticulously planned. I carried this approach into graduate school, with plans to make even more ambitious and elaborate paintings. However, I found that I was more interested in the ideas than the process of actually making, which was not sustainable.

So I started exploring alternatives, which led me to my doodles. This was a space where I felt free to explore my thoughts and experiences in a language that made sense to me. I thought, if this is where my excitement and energy is, why can’t these be my paintings? I was allowing myself to explore the ideas and aesthetics that I was interested in, without being beholden to an idea of what my work can or can’t be. I consider the work I am making now to still be branching out from that origin point, while also as a kind of return to that freedom and specificity of my youth.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
There will be lots of good food! And luckily, Philadelphia is known for being a foodie city, especially where I live in South Philly. Pizzata would be a great start, with great happy hour deals and one of my favorite pies in the city. Stina Pizzeria is also a favorite, and has a range of tasty mediterranean options (the watermelon feta salad is amazing). We’ll have to visit the lovely Mexican eatery El Chingon too (their birria tacos are phenomenal). There’s also the excellent Indonesian spot Hardena, where you can build your own platter, and everything I have had there has been so good. And as a breakfast fan, there will also be plenty of brunch spots for us to visit: The Dutch, with a fittingly Pennsylvania Dutch inspired menu, The Breakfast Den, with a Vietnamese twist, and South Philly Barbacoa, with delicious Mexican fare, and excellent sweet tamales on weekends. And for evening drinks and snacks, we’ll hit up our local spot South Philly Tap Room.

As for non-food related activities, I’ll have a few things in mind as well. For a nature excursion, John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge is a sanctuary amidst the noise of the city, and a real gem that’s always a joy to visit. The Philadelphia Museum of Art is always a staple, and good way to visit old favorites and check out seasonal exhibitions. Maybe we also planned the trip to coincide with a concert, and hopefully it’s at our favorite venue Union Transfer, with its spacious yet cozy atmosphere and great sound quality. Maybe we want to go dancing too, and go-go bar the Trestle Inn is perfect for a well curated playlist of funk and disco tunes.

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 especially want to recognize my painting mentors from undergrad, Bethann Moran-Handzlik and Gregory Porcaro. Their guidance and varieties in approach were indispensable in shaping the trajectory of my artwork. They challenged my ideas, expanded my understanding of the medium, and have been a continual source of encouragement as they have seen my work transform through grad school and beyond.

Overall, I am grateful to all of my friends, teachers, and loved ones who have made the journey to where I am today possible. I also want to give a special shoutout to my partner Ebby, who has been a beacon of support, inspiration, and love.

Website: https://www.zacharydalesimonson.com

Instagram: @zcksmnsn