Inklings 2021

SHEILA NATASHA SIMROD FRIEDMAN AWARD Yuhan Liu The school’s literary magazine, Inklings, is underwritten in part by an endowment to Ransom Everglades in memory of Sheila Natasha Simrod Friedman, a noted artist, poet, photographer, performance artist, and fashion designer. The mother of Natasha (’92) and Chloe (’95), Mrs. Friedman died on February 11, 1993. At her memorial service, Mr. Dan Leslie Bowden said, “Sheila was at once both poet and poem. . .she was a luminous, energetic star in whose presence smaller lights were not dimmed, but made to shine brighter.” The Miami Herald referred to her as a “walking piece of art.” Because creativity was so much of her spirit, friends chose to perpetuate that spirit and her memory through this endowment that will underwrite the long-term production of Inklings. In this way, we have an ongoing memorial to Mrs. Friedman’s imagination, ingenuity, and originality. In addition, the endowment supports an annual award recognizing student creativity. The Sheila Natasha Simrod Friedman Award for Creativity in the Arts is given to a student in grade nine through twelve who demonstrates outstanding achievement in studio art, writing, drama or music. It is named in honor of the noted artist and poet whose legacy inspired the founding of the school’s literary magazine, Inklings. The recipient is chosen by the Fine Arts and English Departments. This year’s winner demonstrated a clear connection between the creative imagination and the various ways in which this imagination finds expression. Her extensive portfolio of paintings and drawings show that she can weave any topic into an extraordinary visual narrative. And fittingly, she served as Director of Design for this year’s publication of Inklings. The departments are pleased to award the Sheila Natasha Simrod Friedman Award to Yuhan Liu. 56