They say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, and that couldn’t be more apparent when looking at the artwork of Roxi Hermsen.
Her colourful and whimsical paintings have graced walls all over the Okanagan, and are in collections all over Canada, in Norway, France, the U.K., and U.S., and the Caribbean, specifically Grenada where Hermsen lived from 1997 to 1998.
The Vernon-based artist credits her late mother, Marg Sim, for her artistic creativity, and her dad, Bill, for his scientific proclivity.
Her parents combined both their passions as founders of the Okanagan Science Centre.
Hermsen has many fond memories of her parents and the early days of the science centre, and is donating her painting, It’s all about Perception, towards a raffle to support the Marg Sim Memorial Scholarship.
The annual scholarship, which was started the year after Sim died in 1999, supports a graduating student pursuing an education in the sciences.
An interesting note is the very first recipient of the scholarship was Steve Brandner, now the president of the science centre board.
“In order to honour my Mum, I am donating the painting to raise funds for her scholarship. These funds will be 75 per cent to the scholarship and 25 per cent to the scholarship fund in perpetuity. I will donate paintings every year in my Mum’s memory until the fund can stand on its own.”
Hermsen chose this particular painting for the raffle because it has an optical illusion aspect to it.
“My Mum spent many hours drawing up optical illusions that were posted in the centre. She also loved daffodils as the first sign of spring.”
Hermsen remembers her mom giving her the encouragement and support to pursue art at an early age.
“Mom loved to make costumes and encouraged me to do art in the park… She also put me in dance at a young age at Grace MacDonald theatre in Vancouver.”
Hermsen would later go to art school at Langara College then the University of Calgary, where she completed her senior bachelor of fine arts. She also went to Europe, as part of art school, and visited all the famous art galleries.
Later moving to Vernon, Hermsen remembers her mother driving all over B.C. with the Star Lab, a portable, blow-up planetarium which Hermsen’s husband, Tony, built.
It was on these journeys that Sim could often be found cleaning up after a certain scientist and his “crazy” experiments.
That would be Kevin Aschenmeier, who still works at the science centre to this day.
“Mom cleaned after all of Kevin’s experiments. She was well trained because of me. I also left messes behind,” laughed Hermsen.
“Our family is very proud of the wonderful place the science centre has become. It is now what we had envisioned many years ago and we consider it our family legacy. I know my Mum would be very happy to know that her scholarship and beloved science centre will continue on.”
Raffle tickets cost $5 each. Those who purchase four tickets for $20 will receive a free book donated by the Cuzins, illustrated and signed by Hermsen, while supplies last. Tickets are now available at the science centre where the painting is on display, and are on sale until April 15.
