Born in 1946 in New York City’s Greenwich Village, watercolorist Michael Simon has painted trout, trout flies and trout waters since he was a 10 year-old casting his first lines into New Jersey streams. In 1980 he earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Colorado and while residing in Boulder, Simon was commissioned to paint the endangered Greenback cutthroat for Rocky Mountain National Park. His fascination with the trout species led to work at a fish hatchery in California, tying flies professionally for Hank Roberts, Inc. in Colorado, and as a ranger-naturalist at Yellowstone National Park.

Simon’s marvelously detailed renderings of game fish have appeared in many national magazines, among them: Trout, Fly Rod and Reel, Flyfishing the West, Colorado Outdoors, Fly Fisherman and Virginia Wildlife.

In 1984 Simon was chosen to create the limited edition poster commemorating the 25th anniversary of Trout Unlimited. His work has also graced the publications of American Wildlands and The Federation of Flyfishers.

Simon’s paintings have shown at New York’s Crossroads of Sport Gallery, Cudahy’s Gallery and Gallery Mayo in Richmond, Virginia, and at the prestigious Parks Reece Gallery in Livingston, Montana.

Among Simon’s book illustrations are Trout Bum by John Gierach and the Yellowstone Association’s definitive book on Park fishes, Freshwater Wilderness by John D. Varley and Paul Shullery. The original watercolors and drawings from Freshwater Wilderness were acquired by the Federation of Flyfishers and are in their permanent collection at the FFF Education Center in Livingston.

John Hancock’s light, lovely, and surprising watercolors are on display in the Invitational Gallery.

Don’t be scared to enter– all of our artists are welcome! Often the judges look beyond skill and also appraise the works on creativity and energy. Everyone has a shot at winning! The October show is one of the most visited each year, since it is up during the Fall Foliage Art Show.

This year’s judge is Michael Hough from Bridgewater Community

College. Mr. Hough is primarily a sculptor– he works in metal and ceramics– but in his career as a college level art educator he is exposed to, and knowledgeable about, many kinds of art. You can check him out on the internet: www.michaelhoughsculptor.com.

The art center is celebrating its new retail alliance partnership with the Artisan Center of Virginia. In the SVAC Gift Shop you can find the perfect creative gift in fiber, jewelry, wood, glass, pottery, and more by juried artisans from Virginia.

The Fall Foliage Festival Art Show application for the show to be held on October 13 and 14 is online and available to professional artists.  Recently the show was voted one of the top three art events in Virginia by “Virginia Living” readers.

The Shenandoah Valley Art Center is located in downtown Waynesboro at 126 S. Wayne Avenue.  Galleries are open to the public 10am to 4pm Tuesday through Saturday.  For more information, call (540) 949-7662 or visit www.svacart.com.