Born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1948, Ginda Ayd Simpson is one of twelve children.  She has lived in Italy, Germany and Egypt and has traveled extensively in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, India, Russia and in China.  Married to Michael Simpson, Ginda and her husband have three married daughters and four grandchildren. Educated in the United States and Italy, Ginda has degrees in Italian and French and an Associate of Fine Arts Degree.  In addition to private art studies for many years, she also trained at the Glassell School of Art in Houston.    In 1987 in New Orleans she won first place in the citywide American-Italian Extempo Competition in Graphics, and again in the 1988 Competition she placed first with a watercolor painting.  Both prize-winning paintings are now in the Collection of the American-Italian Renaissance Foundation in New Orleans. In 1992 Ginda had a solo exhibition of her paintings “Hill Towns of Italy” at the Cloister Gallery in Houston and at the Italian Cultural Center.   In 1995 Ginda's paintings “Impressions of Egypt” were reproduced for a calendar sponsored by AECWA, American Embassy, Cairo. In 1996 the artist had a solo exhibition of her paintings entitled “The Continuing Journey” at Al-Shomou Gallery in Cairo.  She also produced a limited- edition signed and numbered poster entitled “Egypt”. In 1997 her first book was published under the sponsorship of Bechtel Corporation.  Entitled “Morning of Light”, it is a personal journal of stories and paintings of her life in Egypt.  At the same time, an exhibition of her paintings opened at the American University of Cairo.  During her six-year residence in Cairo, her work was exhibited annually at CSA in Maadi. In 1999 in a showing entitled “Two Friends – Two Cultures” Ginda exhibited her paintings of Egypt in a two-person show with Ahmed Mansour, a renowned Egyptian artist.    In 2001, Ginda’s published her second book, a memoir entitled Deeply Rooted, in Faith & Family. In 2002, Ginda illustrated the book entitled "An Abiding City" by Neeman Sobhan, a Bangladeshi writer residing in Rome, Italy. Ginda currently resides with her husband in the Umbrian countryside where she is daily inspired to record the beauty that surrounds her new home - with her pen or with her paintbrush. Ginda has continued to exhibit her paintings in Egypt as well as in Italy.  Ginda is a past member of the West Bank Art Guild, the Degas Pastel Society and the Cairo Art Guild.  She has written travel stories for Travel Today Egypt, Travel Today Arabia, Horus Magazine and writes monthly for BCA Magazine, Cairo. Travel Today Egypt, Travel Today Arabia, Horus Magazine and writes monthly for BCA Magazine, Cairo. Travel Today Egypt, Travel Today Arabia, Horus Magazine and writes monthly for BCA Magazine, Cairo. Interviews have appeared in: The Towson Times - 2/20/03 "This hometown girl is living the dream in Italy"   The Catholic Review - 2/25/03 "What a journey it has been" Other articles about Ginda's work: Daily Star News, Dhaka Bangladesh - 12/04/03   American University of Cairo Press,  Cairo - Dec. 97   Heliopolis Magazine, Heliopolis, Cairo - Dec. 97   The Labyrinth, 1996  Solo Exhibitions Severini Gallery, Cortona, Italy, Summer 2004 CSA, Maadi, Egypt, Spring 1999 American University of Cairo, Cairo, Egypt, December 1997 CSA, Maadi, Egypt, Fall 1997 Sahara Gallery, Heliopolis, Cairo, Egypt, March 1997 Al Shomou Art Gallery, Maadi, Egypt, May 1996 CSA, Maadi, Egypt, Fall 1996 CSA, Maadi, Egypt, Fall 1995 CSA, Maadi, Egypt, Fall 1994 “Hill Towns of Italy,” Cloister Gallery, Houston, Texas, 1992 "Hill Towns of Italy,” Italian Cultural Center, Houston, Texas, 1992  Flite Three, Baltimore, MD, October 1991   Group Exhibitions "Artisti del Mondo" Mostra di Pittura, Cacciano, Italy, August, 2007 "Through the Eyes of Women: American Artists in Rome, Villa Aurelia, Rome, May 5, 2006 “Through the Eyes of Women: American Artists in Rome, American Academy in Rome, April 19, 2002 “Percorsi d’Arte 2000”, Mostra d’arte figurativa, San Giustino, Italy, Spring 2000 “Percorsi” 20 Artisti in Mostra, Florence, Italy, Summer 2000 El Hanager Art Gallery for NIDA, Cairo, Egypt, May 1997 Cairo Art Guild - American University of Cairo, Fall 1996 Cairo Art Guild - Italian Cultural Center, Spring 1996 Cairo Art Guild - Al Ahram, Fall 1995 Cairo Art Guild - Spanish Cultural Center, Spring 1995   Private Exhibitions / Fund-raisers Ministries of the Daughters of St. Mary, Beni Souef, Egypt, 2004 Aghsan El-Karma Center for Handicapped Children, Cairo, Egypt, Spring 1998 Zohny Street Orphanage, Cairo, Egypt, Spring 1997 Moqattam Hills, Maadi, Egypt, Spring 1996 Awlaadi Orphanage, Maadi, Egypt, Spring 1995   Donation of Art Work for Charity / Community Fundraising British Maadi Association for Egyptian Charities Ministries of the Daughters of St. Mary, Beni Soueif, Egypt CSA, Maadi, Cairo, Egypt Children with Cancer, Cairo, Egypt Holy Family Church, Maadi, Cairo, Egypt Awlaadi Orphanage, Maadi, Cairo, Egypt Maadi Community Church, Maadi, Cairo, Egypt NIDA Society, for hearing-impaired children, Cairo American Employees Cooperative & Welfare Association, American Embassy, Cairo Women’s Association for Egyptian Charities Zohny Street Orphanage, Cairo, Egypt Aghsan El-Karma Center for Handicapped Children, Cairo, Egypt Maadi Episcopal Church