Bernice Sims was born in the Hickory Hill community of south Alabama. and currently lives in Brewton, Alabama.  The eldest of ten children, she grew up in the care of her grandmother.  Married at sixteen, Bernice had six children of her own. At the age of 52, she returned to school to get her high school diploma.  Class trips to museums inspired her to begin painting.  A memory painter, Bernice Sims depicts the activities and events of her life and community in Brewton as well as images of key events in the Alabama Civil Rights movement.