From Main street to Chilmark, Ronni Simon has the right touch.
Ray Ewing

Ronni Simon's Home Gallery Keeps the Spirit Flowing

Sculpture and jewelry by Ronni Simon, archival photographs — and of course the calendar that was such a labor of love for the late Peter Simon — all can be found at the Simon Gallery these days.

Sculpture and jewelry by Ronni Simon, archival photographs — and of course the calendar that was such a labor of love for the late Peter Simon — all can be found at the Simon Gallery these days.

But the eponymous gallery once located on Main street Vineyard Haven has been relocated, and also reimagined by Ronni Simon in the home she and Peter built many years ago in the woods off Tabor House Road in Chilmark.

“This was always really my dream, to have a home gallery,” Mrs. Simon said during a recent visit and interview. “It’s not the most convenient place to get to, but I figured I’d rather get people to come that are more motivated,” she said.

Peter Simon, a well-known Island photographer, died in 2018.

Ronni and Zeppy.
Ray Ewing
Ronni and Zeppy.
Ray Ewing

Ms. Simon herself is a sculptor, potter, jewelry designer, writer and crocheter.

She learned how to crochet at a young age, and the woven, entangled look of the medium runs through much of her sculpture and jewelry.

“I took my love of crocheting, and when I started getting into jewelry, I started experimenting,” she said, explaining that as a self-taught jewelry designer, the rhythm of crocheting naturally found its way into her work.

She crafted her first sculpture after being inspired by a piece of driftwood on Philbin Beach. She brought the driftwood home and encased it in coils of sea-colored beads.

She has since become a prolific sculptor; her pieces hang in places all over the Island, including the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital and the Capawock movie theatre in Vineyard Haven.

Ms. Simon said she and Peter had long wanted to establish a home gallery, and had searched for property with road frontage but never found the right thing. After Peter died, she considered selling the house but decided against it. Instead, she has transformed the house into the home gallery space she long envisioned.

“This summer is the first summer that I’m really being more aggressive about turning [the house] into a gallery,” she said.

Inside, family pictures and heirlooms share wall space with Mr. Simon’s photographs and Ms. Simon’s sculptures for sale. Her handcrafted jewelry is displayed in a converted dining room.

In addition to operating the gallery, she has continued to publish The Vineyard Calendar, which features Peter’s photographs and has been published each year since 1988. The 2022 calendar will mark its 35th anniversary.

Ms. Simon said Peter had wanted her to keep publishing the calendar, and though she was somewhat reluctant to take on the task, “I felt I didn’t have a choice,” she said, smiling.

The 2022 calendar is her third. She and her collaborator, graphic designer Charlie Utz, selected the images from Mr. Simon’s archive and Ms. Simon wrote the captions, along with trademark inspirational quotes.

The work gave her an opportunity to self-critique the calendar too.

“It was funny because I looked at some of the past calendars, and I really think some photos are not great,” she said. “I’m really curious, like why did he pick that when he had some of these other ones in the vault?”

“So that was one thing that I vowed to do when I started the calendar,” she said. “I wanted every photo to be a winner. I didn’t want there to be any dud in all of them, and I think I succeeded.”

Looking ahead, she’s not sure how much longer she will keep putting out the calendar.

“I probably will do it at least another year, but I can’t see doing it forever,” she said.

Meanwhile, she is working on updating her website which she expects to be live soon (ronnisimon.com). Once that is ready in a few weeks, she said it will be available for sculpture commissions, an activity she said particularly loves.

The Simon Gallery is located off Tabor House Road in Chilmark — signs lead to the house. Call 508-325-2242 for more information.

Comments

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Fri, 08/06/2021 - 12:22

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David Silver Riverdale, NY

Ronni is a terrific person and has always been an assiduous artist. The combo of her 3D work and Pete’s photos is an amazing treasure for the island and for all of us.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Sun, 08/08/2021 - 23:16

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Philip Hart LA, Edg

My wife Tanya and I enjoyed spending time with Ronni in August 2019 at the Beach Plum Inn when she had a show there. We always dropped by the gallery on Main Street when on island. Peter was the photographer for our daughter Ayanna’s wedding in May 2000 at the Federated Church. Peter was not cheap but his photos are everlasting, including one I still cherish of Stan and Nancy Murray the parents of Graham, Shep and Ian Murray.

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