Sheryl Sims
Sheryl E. Sims is a German-born American quilter. She was appointed as the Commissioner for the Arts of Alexandria, Virginia in 2022.
Early life and family
Sims was born in Germany, where her father was stationed as an officer in the United States Army. She spent part of her childhood in Thailand. Sims is the sixth-great-granddaughter of Andrew Cox, an American patriot. She is also the fourth-great-granddaughter of Calvin Leary, a Louisiana planter, and a woman named Mariah, who was enslaved on his estate, Sunnsyside Plantation. Sims is a 10th-great-granddaughter of the Irish Quaker colonist Valentine Hollingsworth, who was one of the signatories of William Penn's Great Charter.She was presented as a debutante in her youth. She graduated with a degree in environmental design from the University of Houston.
Sims has three brothers and a sister. She is divorced and is the mother of an adult daughter, Amber Wihshi, who is a resident of Alexandria, Virginia.
Career
Sims is a professional quilter. In November 2023, she gave a presentation on her work at her exhibit, titled Ancestry Through Art: Discoveries Revealed in Story Quilts Inspired by Family and Faith at Pope–Leighey House on Woodlawn Plantation in Alexandria, Virginia. Sims' art focuses on her family history, both enslaver and enslaved. She was appointed as Commissioner for the Arts in Alexandria from 2022 to 2024. She serves on the advisory committee for the Virginia Quilt Museum.She also works as a legal secretary in Washington, D.C.