Landscape painter. Born George Gardner Simon in Chicago, Illinois on October 27, 1861. Symons began his art training at the Art Institute of Chicago and it was there that he met William Wendt who was to remain a close friend for the rest of his life. After further art study in Munich, Paris, and London (1902-09), he settled in Brooklyn in 1909. At that time, due to his concerns about anti-Semitism, he changed his name from Simon to Symons. He then worked as a commercial artist in Chicago. In 1884 he made his first trip to Southern California and in 1896 accompanied by Wendt returned and built a studio south of Laguna Beach. He was to return to this studio often during his career while maintaining studios in the East, splitting his time between NYC and his country home in Colrain, MA. He is best known for his New England snow scenes. He also painted nearly annually in Cornwall, England. In California he painted rolling hillsides, orchards, and marines.

Member: Associate member of the National Academy of Design, 1910; National Academy, 1911; Royal Society of British Artists; Laguna Beach Art Association; California Art Club; National Arts Club, New York (life); Union Internationale des Beaux Arts et des Lettres; American Federation of the Arts; Century Association; Chicago Society of Artists; Salmagundi Club,1900; Chicago Gallery of Art; Institute of Arts and Letters.

Exhibited: Royal Academy of London, 1899; Art Institute of Chicago, 1899-1902 (under Simon), 1909-24; Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts Annual, 1901, 1910-29; Boston Art Club, 1901; National Academy of Design, 1909 (Carnagie prize), 1919 (prize); Salmagundi Club, 1910 (Evans prize); Buenos Aires Exposition, 1910 (bronze medal); National Arts Club, New York, 1912 (gold medal); Corcoran Gallery of Art - biennials, Washington D.C., 1910-28 (9 times; including bronze medal in 1912); Cleveland, 1913; National Academy of Design, 1913 (Saltus gold medal); Concord Art Association (6th annual exhibition); Society of Independent Artists, 1917.

Works Held: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Brooklyn Institute of Arts & Sciences; Art Institute of Chicago; Cincinnati Museum of Art; Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington D.C. ; Laguna Beach Art Museum; Irvine Art Museum; Youngstown, OH; Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; Pasadena Art Museum; Toledo Museum of Art; St. Louis City Art Museum, Dallas Art Association; Minneapolis Institute of Art; Fort Worth Museum; Butler Art Institute; National Arts Club; Des Moines Art Association; Lincoln Art Association (NE); Cedar Rapids Art Association, Iowa; Museum of Art, Erie, PA; Rochelle (IN) Art Association; Union League Club, Chicago; Hyde Park Art Association, Chicago.

Source: Hughes, Edan Milton. "Artists in California, 1786-1940." San Francisco: Hughes Publishing Company, 1989