A British-born Canadian Citizen, Simon has lived and sculpted on Saltspring Island in British Columbia for thirty years, and became a Signature Member of the Artists For Conservation Foundation in February 2020. He is the creator of the two nine-foot tall underwater bronze mermaids, “The Emerald Princess” in Mermaid Cove, in Saltery Bay near Powell River, British Columbia, and “Amphitrite” at Sunset House Grand Cayman, as well as “The Guardian of the Reef” placed underwater at Divetech resort in West Bay, Grand Cayman. Simon has also worked concurrently in the diving industry since 1973 for many of the major companies, including GM at SCUBAPRO Canada, International Product Development Manager for SCUBPRO, and VP Product Development Manager for BARE.
“Simon has been an active SCUBA diver for 46 years and has logged countless dives in British Columbia, Ontario, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Washington, California, Florida, Mexico, Grand Cayman, England, Norway, France, Italy, Malta, Hawaii, The Bering Sea (Saint Paul Island), Australia and the Lee Ma Islands in Communist China. He has witnessed many concerning changes over this time. His passion for the ocean, its inhabitants, and the explorers both above and below the surface who have risked and sacrificed to expand our knowledge and understanding, drove him at an early age to speak about my feelings through sculpture. First through welded steel and then through bronze. As Simon witnessed first-hand the degradation of the environment, he became committed to using his art to raise public awareness of the fragility of the ocean environment, and to help raise whatever funds he could to support the cause of related foundations.”
Simon Morris; Societies
- Artists For Conservation – Signature Member, February 2020
- Ocean Artists Society, October, 2003 Orlando, Florida – Inducted as an inaugural member
- Arts & Cultural Highway of British Columbia – Member
- Oceans 2000 Member (a group of leadership level sponsors of the Ocean Futures Foundation)
Shows by Invitation
- 2001 – DEMA Show New Orleans – Featured Artist (Diving Equipment and Marketing Association)
- 2001 – 28th World Festival of Underwater Pictures at Antibes-Juan-Les-Pins, France
Invited & displayed as Representative of Canadian Marine Art
- 2002 – Our World Underwater Chicago -Artist and Featured Speaker.
- 2002 – DEMA Show Las Vegas – Featured Artist with Wyland
- 2002 – Comox Underwater Film Festival – Featured Artist & Master of Ceremonies
- 2003 – DEMA Show Miami – Featured Artist with Wyland and Ocean Artists Society.
- 2004 – Vancouver Aquarium “Dive 2004” – Featured Artist
- 2004 – DEMA Show Houston – Featured Artist
- 2013 – DEMA Show Orlando – for unveiling of “The Guardian of the Reef”
Awards
- 1990 Toronto Recipient of Canadian National Underwater Achievement Award, presented by Underwater Canada
- 1990 Vancouver Recipient of Appreciation Award presented by SCUBA Diving Association of British Columbia
(Both regarding the installation of the Mermaid in Powell River)
Collections: Represented internationally by corporate & individual collectors in Argentinian Patagonia, Belgium, Canada, England, France, Grand Cayman, Kuwait, Mexico, Taiwan, Thailand, & USA including Hawaii
Professional Association of Underwater Instructors – PADI
Commissioned life-size busts of the founders, John Cronin and Ralph Erickson, installed at PADI Founders’ hall, Santa Anna, California
