Blog

The Business Council For The Arts (BCA) is a Dallas based non-profit organization that encourages, connects and stimulates support for arts and culture in our region to improve how we live and work in North Texas. The BCA offered me an opportunity to do a Black History Month exhibit. They curated 16 of my paintings. Centaur Studios Fine Art Services, an art handling company, picked up the paintings from my home, installed the artwork and will return them to me when the exhibit ends. This was the easiest solo exhibit that I have ever done.  The exhibit runs from mid January to mid March.

My exhibit, Foundations of Tomorrow: The Art of Carol Simmons, is on display in B7 Gallery at the Capital One Corporate Headquarters in Plano Texas. The paintings in the exhibit deal with my trip to Africa, the Gullah/Geechee culture of South Carolina, Mardi Gras, music, spirituality and political current events in America. 

On February 11th the Capital One Art Program conducted a Zoom Webinar. It was their Black History Month 2025 Art Conversation featuring me and Andrew Feiler, photographer and author.  Andrew's exhibit, A Better Life For Their Children, is on display at the Capital One West Creek Common gallery in Richmond Virginia. The exhibit includes photographs that document the Rosenwald Schools for Black children. The schools were founded by Booker T. Washington and James Rosenwald. They are now being restored. 

Capital One employees from locations around the country registered to attend the webinar during their lunch hour. It was also recorded for those who could not attend the live session. During the hour long webinar, we spoke about how we were inspired to focus on the themes in our work. I described my transition from programmer/analyst to visual artist. And I responded to the moderator's questions about 9 of my paintings.

That was the first time that I have been a panelist on a Zoom Webinar. I am grateful to the Capital One Art Program for their professional and well organized teamwork.  And special thanks to Jill Vangorden at BCA for asking me to participate in the Capital One 2025 Black History Month Exhibition.