Downtown Arts: Maya Simone

About the Artist

Maya Simone is a filmmaker and photographer from Columbia, South Carolina. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro in 2025 with bachelor's degrees in Media Studies and African American and African Diaspora Studies. In 2025, Maya was named a South Carolina Emerging Artist by the South Carolina Arts Commission and received the Silberman Family Emerging Filmmaker Scholarship from Uptilt Film Fest. She has participated in several fellowships, including the Gotham Film and Media Institute's Gotham EDU Film and Media Career Development Program, Black Creative Social Club's Writer's Room, and Lloyd International Honors College Pubantz Artist-in-Residence Program.

About the Artwork

I took Sanctuary during an office trip to the mountains, where I stumbled upon a quiet, almost dreamlike spot. Nature has always captivated me with its sincerity and its steadfastness, revealing its truest self to those who take the time to truly see it. This resonates deeply with how I see and narrate stories. In that moment, I couldn't resist capturing it. This experience made me realize how much I value documenting the world around me in its stillness, marking the start of many future photography projects. The image reflects the quiet refuge I find in nature and serves as a gentle reminder to slow down, be present, and fully embrace each moment