Mary Sims

Family to me, like most people, is one of the most important aspects of my life. Without the constant support that I have received over the years from them, I’m not sure where I would be. I am forever thankful for having such amazing influences that have led me on to this point in my life. I’ve always wanted to pay homage to the people who have made me who I am today. They’ve shaped me as an artist/graphic designer and have heavily influenced this project.

My senior exhibition project is called HOT MAMA! In this project, I took the most cherished memories I have with my family and created a product line that would appeal to anyone, especially those who like spicy foods. When I was younger, the ultimate way for my family to bond and communicate was through food. We always sat at the dinner table every night to discuss our lives, and so on. We always did this over my dad’s amazing home-cooking, which I miss every day. My favorite thing about my dad is how much of a trickster he is. Some of my earliest memories of him is from when he would trick me and my sisters into eating spicy foods. We thought it was mean back then, but now I get a laugh out of it. Reminiscing on these times gave me the idea to create this project so that I could share these stories while providing the very product they were about. 

Each product pertains to a story about one individual of my family. The first is the cowboy stew, which is tied to the story of my dad sneaking hot ingredients into our meals. The second is the vegetarian chili, which is tied to the story of our family cat, Big Boy, trying to sneak a taste of the chili. The third is the red salsa, which is tied to the story of when my twin sister, Livi, first tried my dad’s salsa. These food products were my most favorite meals growing up, as my dad made them specifically to fit my tastes as a vegetarian. Not only does that make me more attached to them, but the stories with them make them seem even better. They comfort me knowing the love and fun that was put into each product. 

My goal in this project is to not only create an amazing spicy food product line, but also connect everyone with my family. I want everyone to be able to experience the comfort I had when I enjoyed these meals with my family. My hopes are that when people see this project that they feel connected to my life experiences and can hopefully share a laugh with me as they read the stories of each product.