CLAUDE A. SIMARD. RCA. [b. 1943].

Born in Quebec City, he studied graphic design at the OCA, in Toronto, under Franklin Arbuckle, Huntley Brown, Allan Collier, Eric Freifield, Gray Mills and Gerhard Doerrie [1962-66] and graduated with his OCA. While still a student in his final year he served as an apprentice with the British Motors Corporation's graphic design department in Birmingham, England [1965]. In 1966 he became head of Communications and Design for Simons' in Quebec City and did a large number of illustrations for advertising. In 1972 he was responsible for the redesigning of Simons' Sainte-Foy store. In 1973 be founded the Communikart design group and worked on corporate identity projects, book publishing, advertising, environmental graphics and exhibition design. He also designed the symbol for the Donohue Paper Company and their visual identity program; over a dozen books for the Quebec Museum; was a consultant with the research team for the development of the Quebec government visual identity program. In 1979 he was also involved in designing the Châteauguay Interpretation Centre for Parks Canada. In 1981 he painted a series of 12 historical illustrations for the Carillon Interpretation Center, Parks Canada. He became vice-dean of the Faculty of Arts at Laval University and was consultant and took part in the development of the present education programme at the University's School of Visual Arts in the Visual Communications Department. He taught part-time at the School [1975-81]. As a painter he produces joyful colourful scenes. His colours are in the finest traditions of the French Impressionists and especially Matisse when Simard does his still-lifes of flowers in interiors and garden scenes in which he applies occasional black which accentuates all his other beautiful colours. His paintings carry his own unique radiant touch. His commissions include: Mural [19 ft. x 45 ft.] for Esso (imperial Oil); design and illustration of Canada Post's 1983 and 1987 Christmas stamps. From 1975 to 1978 he produced 6 limited editions of silk screen prints. Simard ranks with Canada's more prominent painters. His travels include Switzerland and France [1969]; Denmark and Germany [1971]. In the spring of 1977 he attended the lcograda Congress in Zurich as Laval University's representative. His awards include: Canada Graphic Designers, shown across Canada [1976]; Symbol designs for "Scierie des Outardes" selected for publication in the Top Symbols and Trademarks of the World competition held in Milan, Italy [1973] [1977]. His solo include: Galerie Zanettin, Que., QC [1974] [1976]; Musée du Québec, Qué., [1975]; Galerie Clarence Gagnon, Mtl., [1978]; Studio La Folie des Arts, Mtl. [1980]; Gaterie Vincent, Ott. [1982] [1987]; Hollander York Gallery, Tor., ON [1985] [1989]; Galerie Lacerte-Guimont, QC [1985]; Galerie Walter Klinkhoff, Mtl. [1986] [1988] [1993] [1997]; Masters Gallery, Calg. AB [1992] [1995] [2000]; Roberts Gallery, Tor., ON [1996] [1999] [2000]; others. His works are included in the following corporate collections: Alcan; ABN Bank of Canada; Angus Corp.; Banque nationals de Paris; Bombardier Inc.; Canada Steamship Lines; Consolidated Bathurst; Donohue Inc.; Esso Resources Can. Ltd.; Gulf Canada Resources Inc.; Hydro-Quebec; Nesbitt Thomson; La Laurentienne; Les Prévoyants du Canada; Roche et associés S.N.C. Inc.; Teleglobe Canada-, Ken Thomson Corp.; Rothman's; Cohos Evamy Partners C.S.I. Group; Confédération des caisses Desjardins; Deloitte & Touche; Foremost Foods; National Postal Museum, Ottawa (now in Archives); Peerless Corp.; Reader's Digest of Can.; Royal Bank of Can.; System Resources Ltd.; and many private collections. Claude and Huegette Simard have two daughters. They spent many summers in Maine where they found respite from their busy life. There in the quiet and relaxed atmosphere Simard painted canvases that reflected his joy of being free and away from his city work. His is a member of the following: RCA [1983] [Council Mbr. 1984- 1987]; NY Soc. of Illustrators [1977]; Que. Designers Soc. [Fdn.Mbr.1974] [Bd. of Dirs. 1974-76].

Bibliography: MacDonald. “A Dictionary of Canadian Artists” (vol. 8, part one, pp. 522-524].

Provenance: Hollander York Gallery, Toronto, label on verso.