Frankie lives on through his art

Popular back-of-town character Frankie Simmons may have passed away last month, but his art lives on.

The 61-year-old was a talented artist in his early years and his paintings were displayed across the island.

Since his battle with mental illness was highlighted in the wake of his death, it seems his artwork has taken on a new lease of life.

The Centre in Pembroke has displayed one of Frankie’s earliest pieces of work since the early 1970s.

The picture of Fort St. Catherine has been hung high up on the wall for decades, with few even noticing it was even there or who had drawn it.

But now The Centre’s bosses are hoping to restore the deteriorating painting and donate it to a gallery in Frankie’s memory.

Harold Minors from the Centre told the Bermuda Sun: “The picture is signed by Frankie and dated 1971.

“I doubt anyone who had seen Frankie in the years before he died would have imagined he was capable of something like this.

“This picture has been around since the early days of The Centre when it was called the Pembroke Community Centre.

“And we feel that in light of Frankie’s passing we should do something to restore the painting and make it available for everyone to see.

“We hope that if we can restore this picture it could be put on display at somewhere like Masterworks in the future.”

But it’s not just The Centre that has benefited from Frankie’s flare with the paintbrush.

For his family, his drawings have also been a source of comfort since he passed away.

Frankie’s sister, Joanne Dill, added: “For me his paintings bring back fond memories of our childhood.

“They remind me of all his talents as a young man and before the time he was living homeless. It makes me feel like he is still alive through his art.

“Since my brother’s death I have met more and more people who have pieces of his artwork in their house and that is a real comfort.”