Kat Simmers
Calgary, Canada
Kat Simmers is a trans woman, artist, author, and muralist working in comic media and street art to create community connections through visual media. Born and raised in a special kind of nowhere – Bashaw, Alberta (pop. 830) – Simmers experienced firsthand the intersection of queer and rural life.
Co-Author & illustrator of the graphic novel series Pass Me By, her work connects communities to unseen parts of their histories and challenges the public to see beyond the everyday. Her murals and graphic novels engage the public in conversations about queer identity, mental health and what happens to the stories you never tell.
As a queer/trans artist living with Bi-polar disorder (type 1) it’s Simmers’ mission to create powerful, knowledgeable interpretations of these and other experiences, which so many go through without representation. Her public works populate the Treaty 6 & 7 region in Mohkinstsis (the city of Calgary), the city of Red Deer, and the town of Bashaw.
Kat Simmers was selected as BUMP Festival’s 2024 Pride Mural artist, a project that took place within the festival in partnership with Blakes & Calgary Queer Arts Society. You can read more about this project here.
Mural Title
“Pride In Bloom”
Mural Statement
‘Pride in Bloom’ was inspired in part by some words I shared at an artist talk celebrating my first Pride-themed mural in 2022. At that talk, I shared my response to inflammatory and transphobic comments that were received by Canmore Pride leading up to their festival that year. During that conversation, I said,
“I understand there are a lot of seeds being watered now that used to be denied light and life. To some people it’s scary and we look like weeds…” “I know that because that is how I used to feel about myself.” “But we aren’t an invasive species. We’ve always been here. Through connecting with my community and learning to love myself I’ve realized that the flowers we are so lucky to see blooming in our time want nothing but to add to the garden of life.”
With this mural, I want to celebrate the courage and resilience of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community at a time when divisive politics are threatening to take hold of our province. Thorough depictions of native Albertan wildflowers in the kaleidoscopic colours of the pride progress flag I hope to remind people that queer folks have always, and will always have a home here.
