Short Summary

Simone Frank was born in Toronto in 1970 and resided in Mississauga until she attended Ryerson University. There, she achieved a Bachelor of Applied Arts in Fashion Design in 1993. She is a Dean’s list graduate of Graphic Design from George Brown College in 2009. She also holds a certificate from writing from Humber College, 2003.

She has been exhibiting since 1991 in solo and group exhibitions in Toronto, the GTA, Tokyo and also in St. Vincent, W.I. where her family is from. Recently, she was invited to exhibit her works of art in China.

In St. Vincent she had three solo exhibitions at Lambii’s Yatch Club on Union Island and Singer Gallery in Kingstown, St. Vincent. She has had solo exhibitions at Singer Fragipani Hotel in Bequai, which is owned and operated by the Prime Minister’s daughter. She was interviewed twice on the radio while there. In Toronto she exhibited at Toronto City Hall. Her gallery solo exhibitions were at BAND, Skeir Gallery, Artist Awake and A Space Windows. She exhibited at Toronto City Hall. Her work is part of the Chinese Canadian Business Association’s collection in Toronto.

In July, 2000, she suffered a near-fatal allergy which lead to a three month hospital stay in intensive care. She also lives with Lupus, a chronic illness that affects the immune system.

She has received a Toronto Arts Council Exhibition Assistance grant in 1994 and 1997 and the Ontario Arts Council Writer’s Reserve grant in 1997.

Simone Frank taught private art classes from her studio called Soul Designs for several years until she taught for the Toronto Board of Education’s ACE Program in 1988. That year she was also published in Litté Realité, then later in Word Magazine 2002 and Anonymous Cheese in 2006, which was published by the Mississauga Arts Council.

She resides in Toronto, Canada.

Simone Frank needs financial assistance so that she can travel to Asia to exhibit her works of art.

What We Need & What You Get

The monies raised will be allocated to:

A new passport

Chinese Working Visa

Shipping the Art to China

Travel

Accommodations

Clothes

Brokerage Fees

Marketing Fees

And hopefully a new computer

The one I’m writing you from is barely alive.

If I don’t reach my goal, I will spend the money to fund a series of art local art exhibitions and projects on the go.

I am working on a short film called, ‘Get Up.’ It is written and the dialogue has been recorded. It will be submitted as installations piece with supported visual. It speaks to depression and the argues about a sick person’s responsibility to the community surrounding illness.

I am also the process of turning a completed novel called, No More Kissing Frogs about online dating, into a graphic novel and a screenplay.

A Soulful Senior's Moment is a graphic novel that must be published which will raise funds for Mid Toronto Community Serviees, an organization that supports the elderly in Toronto by bringing them meals, teaching them art, advocating on their behalf and creating a safe social environment for them, among other things. (You can preview the book in the media section of Indiegogo.

There is also a piece of creative non-fiction in the works called, Morphine Dreams­. This book illustrates the walk I took through the Health Care System in Canada. It has taken twelve years to write, and I would also like to turn that into a script.

Normally, I work full-time to produce the art I create, but I due to health issues, full-time work has become to great a challenge.

The Impact

Two years ago, my mother passed away. A friend of mine who had lost his parents told me that when your parent’s die, it makes you want to be a better person. And he was right.

I have worked harder in the past two years than perhaps is all my life to fill the void of losing the one person who could always talk me out of depression. When I was hospitalized with a severe drug reaction referred to as TEN, in 2001, my mother visited me every day in the Burn Unit of Sunnybrook Hospital.  And when the symptoms of Lupus began to appear, she took me in and protected me from the struggles of the world. She encouraged me to return to school, which I did. A challenge for a person who had been in a drug induced coma for two months and had her skin removed and re-grown. I also had numerous operations including two tracheotomies. I had to learn to walk again, to breathe again. I have lost my hair several times either due to Lupus of the medications I take and I struggle to survive.

When Mom was diagnosed with cancer, I moved in with her until it was time to place her in palliative care. I visited her each day as she had done for me, commuting two hours each way from my new job to her home in a suburb of Toronto and then to palliative care.

Perhaps it was the stresses of caring for her, working full-time and commuting that lead to my recent hospital stay. I have struggled to live with Lupus since I was diagnosed in 2004. I work hard to manage the pain. The illness presents as joint swelling, rashes, organ failure, anxiety and bone deterioration when it is active. I often wonder how much longer I have to live, but try not to think about it.

My father has Parkinson’s disease and diabetes. And after my Mother died, the family unit just fell apart.

The only way I have ever been able to live positively despite all that has happened to me, is to plan far into the future and to dream big.

Guess what? It paid off. I am invited to exhibit in China this year from late April to mid July.

Other Ways You Can Help

They are throwing a fundraiser on April 3rd. I will be painting live there are giving part of the proceed from 'Solid' and 'Smokin'" -- Jimi Hendrix portraits, to them. The rest will help with mny trip.

https://secure.midtoronto.com/default.aspx?CCID=15&L=2&MSP=126

Idiegogo tells me that some people can’t contribute but might be able to help. So perhaps you have a great working iPad that you wouldn’t mind parting with, or you can sponsor me by donating a new mac. These things would be really helpful. I also haven’t been able to afford a keyboard. The one I used to attach to my computer wore out. If you have an APAG1 that’s collecting dust. Perhaps you are able to provide free food or alcohol at my fundraisers. Perhaps your company is able to provide a discount on clothes…

If you'd like to volunteer language lessons, legal services, brokerage fees or provide a discount on shipping. It must be via UPS, I will greatly appreciate it.

Perhaps you've been waiting for the perfect time to buy a work of art from me. Would you mind buying it now?

I will send anyone who makes a contribute a small piece of art as a token of appreciation. Simply send me an email at simone4king (at) gmail.com.

Or at the very least, please pass this on. I would really like to be able to take this trip with my niece who misses her grandmother as much as I.

Thanks for your time!

Simone

htp://www.simonefrank.com

http://simone4king.blogspot.ca