Art is a Calling: How NIU Shaped Sculptor Lucy Slivinski, '80
By Tony Scott
Lucy Slivinski, ’80, has been a working artist for decades, yet she still carries with her the lessons she learned as an arts student at NIU.
They are: be an individual, focus on your journey and stay committed.
Those principles have guided Slivinski throughout her career as a sculptor and installation artist. An installation artist typically designs immersive, site-specific artworks that transform spaces and engage viewers in interactive, multi-sensory experiences.
“I have been very independent throughout my career promoting and selling my work; I also have a couple of galleries that represent me,” she said. “It is always challenging but extremely rewarding to live this life of an artist! Art is my life, and I feel very blessed to be able to get up every day and go into the studio!”
For the past 30 years, Slivinski has primarily worked with recycled materials, creating both large-scale installations and more intimate gallery pieces.
“I have many public art commissions throughout the city and abroad,” she said. “I also create one-of-a-kind light sculptures that are often used in functional settings.”
Her public works can be found throughout the Chicagoland area, including the Uptown neighborhood, Grant Park, Logan Square Skate Park, the North Shore Sculpture Park in Skokie, and the Hidden Oaks Nature Center in Bolingbrook.
Slivinski grew up in Berwyn, a western suburb of Chicago, with two teachers as parents — her father eventually became a grade school principal, and her mother worked as a librarian. She recalls being drawn to art from a very young age.
“My parents saw my inherent talent and encouraged me,” she said.
She was particularly interested in NIU because of its strong arts department, especially its fiber art program. Fiber art, broadly speaking, is a form of fine art created with natural or synthetic fibers and materials such as fabric or yarn. She was able to attend NIU for four years thanks to a talented student scholarship from the arts department.
Slivinski credits several NIU mentors with shaping her artistic development.
“Dr. Mahboob Shahzaman was a mentor in weaving,” she said. “At the time, I was very interested in weaving tapestry. She helped me gain confidence in myself and my work. Renie Adams was another fiber instructor who taught me many techniques outside weaving on a loom. David Bower was my drawing teacher, and we remain friends today.
"All of these professors maintained their own art practices, and that encouraged me.”
During her time on campus, Slivinski spent countless days and nights in the Art Building. She also enjoyed attending concerts and performances and even sang with the touring choir for a year.
In addition to her NIU art degree, Slivinski later earned an M.F.A. in fiber from the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan.
Today, Slivinski encourages NIU art students to embrace the same spirit of exploration and individuality that guided her.
“This is digging deep inside you to find what you want to express,” she said. “It takes time, and it takes a lot of work.”
This is just one example of how NIU prepares students to find their creative voice. Discover how NIU is fortifying our future at niuforward.com.