Simon silva
Like many great Artists, Simón Silva, has worked hard and endured the challenges that go along with having a cultural background. Simon Silva was born in Mexicali, Mexico, and grew up in the Imperial Valley near the Mexico/California border. This served as a constant reminder of his ancestors. Silva’s family survived by picking fruits and vegetables -- yes, his roots are those of a migrant farm worker. Silva started helping his family work the fields from the time he was in elementary school. He spent his summers picking seasonal fruits and vegetables until he was twenty-three. The Silva family was on a limited income and there was no extra money for entertainment, so Simón took to drawing. He was a quiet youth; instead of talking he would draw; it was his release, which later became a means of communication for him.
It was the harsh working conditions of the fields that inspired Silva to go to college, something his father initially did not believe in. He wanted to paint--to be an artist. With the blessings of his family, he started at Imperial Valley College where he received his Associate Arts degree. In 1986, he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration from the Art Center of College of Design in Pasadena, California. This is a school infamous for its demanding course load, but Silva’s disciplined upbringing helped him to be successful. Simon Silva’s renowned artwork has appeared in many distinguished places around the world. Simón Silva is a success in his everyday life as well. He has been married for 30 years to his beautiful wife Maria and is a father to three sons: Josue, Francisco, and Emilio. He grew up tri-lingual, communicating in: English, Spanish, and through Art. He is now working hard to educate people how to communicate through art.
These days, Simón Silva travels throughout the United States, offering a workshop called, “Cultivate a Creative Mind,” to educators and students of all ages. This seminar encourages adults and students to communicate using the artistic talent that resides within them. Silva believes honing your artistic talent provides society with an opportunity to move forward in the right direction, by having better communication and better problem solving capabilities. Silva tells participants of his seminar that a child has no self-imposed barriers or limitations in the communication process. A child will draw or say what they are thinking without hesitation; as we age, we are jaded by public opinion, and are critical of our artistic talent. Thus, we stop drawing, and stop creating.
Silva realized that he could use his art as a means of expression when he found something important to say that words alone could not capture. The message he hopes to spread is that everyone is important, that all of our lives are important, each of us has a piece of the solution and it's our obligation to make a difference in the world even if our efforts feel insignificant. All positive efforts make a positive difference to someone and that is important.