The time has come: The final installment of Coffee with Creatives is here. Wipe your tears and pull up your breeches, for we must carry on. I’m choosing to end this magnificent run of creatives on a rather mythical note with the one and only Holly Simon.
Simon is finishing up their last year at SMFA pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in studio art. After initially intending to develop their illustration and technical drawing skills, they soon found a home in the wood shops. This interest in 3D mediums marked a clear development in their artmaking process; Simon spoke of the new opportunities these mediums presented for their illustrations:
“I love the idea of making a drawing that I’ve made 3D,” he said. “I’ve become really interested in making ancient-looking art … which is usually sculptural. The physicality of it is really interesting to me and the idea that you can move around a piece [that’s] not just on a wall.”
Antiquity and themes of medieval art play a strong role in Simon’s art, having first appeared in a handmade tarot card deck of their design in high school. Simon crafted a completely original selection of arcana figures, laying a foundation for their future work in world building and mythical design. This pursuit of antiquity and myth in both subject matter and form arises from its unfortunate rarity in today’s art world.
“We don’t have anything equivalent to [medieval art and alchemical drawings] anymore,” they said. “And I think the mystery behind a lot of ancient art [is really interesting]; we can only kind of guess what they meant. I’m building my own fictional world of art right now, so I’m trying to take a lot from ancient art to world-build and have a little mystery where people can infer what’s happening, but only I’ll know.”
His upcoming senior thesis project represents the latest instantiation of this effort, drawing from his fictional world to explore an issue that’s all too real: their experience with chronic pain.
“I’m making a wall-mounted triptych altar to pain as a concept, or pain as something that can ground you in your body and get…you closer to spirituality in some way,” they explained. “I was starting to get really mired down in [my chronic pain], and I wanted to find a way to make it feel meaningful, or that there was something good in a situation that does not ever feel good.”
Simon’s passion for imbuing common experiences and meaning in rare art forms testifies to their skill and creativity as an artist. As he prepares for his graduation and thesis exhibition, he looks forward to a career in artmaking. A space at Brighton’s Artisans Asylum may be in the works for their future, but his absolute dream lies in production design for films. Count your blessings that you know him before he goes on to be the next H.R. Giger.
Yet, the true treasure has been the community they’ve found at SMFA — it’s one of their favorite things at the school. As they continue to build friendships with both Medford and SMFA students despite only a week left of senior year, Simon promises, “we’re really not that scary.” And it is true — Simon will go on making art, blessing viewers with their mysticism and benevolence, which only one of their fictional entities can begin to match.
Simon’s project can be viewed at the annual SMFA Senior Thesis Exhibition on May 17, 2025.
A handheld shrine created by Holly Simon is pictured.
A candlewax ring created by Holly Simon is pictured.
Holly Simon's senior thesis work in progress is pictured.
