Copenhaver Scholar-in-Residence Simone Paterson premieres art retrospective

By Margo Boone '26

When you first enter Olin Hall Galleries, you are enraptured by the story of a life told through art. You are instantly aware of the expedition Simone Paterson had to embark on to get to where she is today. Your eye then catches on to the ethereal colors and, as you get closer, the feeling of community is intensified. 

Paterson, Roanoke College’s Copenhaver Scholar-in-Residence, debuted her new career retrospective at Olin Hall Galleries on Sept 8. The showcase consisted of two exhibits with one focused on her early work and the other on newer work focused on the human body and how we are all connected.  

Paterson, a retired professor of creative technologies at Virginia Tech and now a full-time artist, made a hard decision to step away from academics in 2018 to pursue what she believed was her bigger purpose. She will spend the next semester at Roanoke College working with students, faculty and staff.   

She has many plans for how she wants to leave her mark on campus. She wants to build community through art and help other people find their creative voices. She had to rediscover her own creative voice when pursuing a career as an artist. Paterson talked about how reflection was a big part of creating this newest exhibit, which looks back at 30 years of her life, even though it could be daunting. 

“We get overwhelmed with what we have to do,” she said. “But when we sit back for a moment and go, ‘Oh yeah, I did that.’ I remember freaking out about having to do that, but I did it. Pat on the back for knowing your self-worth.”   

Walking through the first stage of the exhibit, there are pieces that represent Paterson through many different vulnerable stages of life. It portrays moments from her past, both painful and joyful, that illustrate the journey of how she got here today — a journey she is now proud to share. 

The second stage of the exhibit features artistic embroidery and the representation of body chakras. The first few pieces were embroidered motherboards to represent women’s labor and how it’s often invisible. One of the bigger pieces was hanging hands embroidered with the different chakra symbols. What these pieces have in common is how Paterson was able to process what was going on in the world from her perspective through her art.  

“I think that it’s important that things are open, that all possibilities are available to humans, and that they are authentically who they are,” she said. “Because that’s why we are here — not to live up to an expectation of what they’re told to be, but who they really are. And when you think of it, you really are part of a network, and you really are part of a community.” 

One of the subjects Paterson plans to tackle on campus is mental health with students and faculty. She wants to give them the tools to be able to be resilient, recover and remember the importance of rest. She found that meditation was a big contributor to her being able to become present and be able to rest the brain. Paterson is holding multiple meditation events this semester that anyone can join. She also hopes to interact with certain classes to spread knowledge on meditation and mental health. 

To keep up with Paterson’s future projects and work, connect with her online via her website, Instagram or Facebook. 

Olin Hall visitors can also meet the artist at a series of public workshops on meditation that she'll be hosting. The series, "Meditation Mondays," will take place from 4 to 5 p.m. Sept. 25 (Theme: Setting Intentions); Oct. 30 (Theme: Adjusting Our Mindset) and Nov. 27 (Theme: Reflecting On Our Journey). 

The Copenhaver Scholar-in-Residence Program was established in 1989 by an endowment from Miss Margaret Sue Copenhaver of Richmond and Mrs. Gordon Hanes of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in memory of their parents, Dr. Eldridge and Margaret Greever Copenhaver. The endowment funds residencies on the Roanoke College campus of eminent scholars and artists whose special talents enrich the intellectual and cultural life of the College.