ronald simmer

RON SIMMER “Making Art Fun Again!”
Ron Simmer works in the Vancouver BC area mainly with found materials and objects. He searches for discards that speak to him with the promise of sublime creations that will amaze, tickle, surprise or give pause to think.
Ron recycles materials from our consumer culture to create whimsical commentaries on modern society. He attempts to take people back to their childhood by creating large scale toys and colorful birds and animals. His art is created to be an interactive physical experience and often incorporates optical illusions.
He has created public art installations for exhibits in BC, Ontario, Washington, Oregon, California and several eastern US states. His most recent project was a $128K solar powered public light sculpture installed in Routley Park, Township of Langley in 2023.
Ron participates in sculpture events such as the annual Peace Arch Park International Sculpture Exhibition, the Castlegar Sculpturewalk, the White Rock Promenade Sculpture Competition , Arts Alive at Oak Bay, Penticton Public Sculpture Exhibit, Nanaimo temporary public art program, the lake Oswego Gallery without Walls, and the Palm Desert biennial El Paseo Sculpture Exhibition.
He works with groups celebrating human creativity and spirituality, contributing art to local festivals and events. On occasion he joins forces in collaborative projects with technicians, designers and other artists to create large scale exhibits. Ron has created kinetic and interactive works for public events such as the Berzerkatroid Dragon, incorporating nine musical propane flame effects. He designed and built an infinity mirror room at the Burnaby Deer Lake gallery which was a long-term success.
Ron was artist for the BreakingWave team that delivered a two ton wooden wave sculpture made from beach debris to Burning Man in 2012, an interactive international project focusing attention on ocean pollution (see http:breakingwave.ca ) . He created two honorarium art installations for Burning Man in 2013 and 2014 at Black Rock, Nevada.
Ron is an executive member of the Sculpture Society of BC and is president of ReVision the Art of Recycling, a group of local Vancouver BC area artists devoted to creating art from recycled materials. He is a past director of the Burnaby Arts Council and an officer of eatART (Energy Awareness Through Art). Ron’s inspiration comes from his background – commercial fisherman, steel fabricator, boat builder, Librarian – and his contact with nature through kayaking, sailing, skiing and hiking.
Ron Simmer (BA, BLS) is an Emeritus Librarian (U. of British Columbia) and has lifetime experience managing public and private sector information research teams. He currently operates PATEX Research and Consulting Ltd., a professional patent search service. Ron lives with his spouse Janice Woodland in Burnaby, BC, Canada. Son Max enjoys life in Tbilisi, Georgia.
For more see www.ronsimmer.com, www.xarax.ca and www.revision-theartofecycling.com