September 3, 1999

Sylvia Young shares her love of art with the Loyola community

By Mariel Coen, A'00 Intern in the Office of Public Affairs

Loyola's Ignatius Chapel has provided Sylvia Young the perfect setting to return to her first love.

Young had been creating art since the time she was in fourth grade, attending private art classes at Sacred Heart Academy. She went on to Newcomb College where she majored in pottery and minored in painting. After graduation in 1972, she bought a house on Arabella Street which was formerly a corner grocery store. She renovated the building and made the front into a gallery. One side was a studio, the other she turned into an apartment, and in back, she had a classroom where she would teach four students at a time. It's name: Sylvia's. There, Young exhibited paintings, pottery, and weavings.

Around this time, members of the now-defunct Louisiana Crafts Council, whose aim was to set higher standards in crafts, were impressed with Young's work and held her gallery as an example of true art. Several of them exhibited at Sylvia's. "These artists (members of the crafts council) were serious about drawing a line between arts and crafts," confirms Young. "Arts were painting and formal art, and crafts were things you didn't do for a living."

Under this definition, Young can be considered a true artist, because she made a living for almost 10 years with her art. "Serious studio pottery was considered different from ceramics," explains Young. "Ceramics was pouring something into a mold. We did pottery, and not ceramics. We were doing gas or wood firing."

In 1982, Young moved and sold her house. "You can only do that for so long," she says. "It was so physically demanding. I didn't have apprentices, and I am a perfectionist, so everything took forever."

With the closing of her studio, Young left art. Three years ago, she started working in campus ministry, and ironically, she returned to art. Young created the everyday Euchristic Mass set used in Ignatius chapel.

"I have to go (to the art school) between summer sessions when I won't disturb anyone," says Young. "When the art school opens visual arts department relocates here," Young says pointing to the old library, "I'll be able to go play."

She beautifies the chapel daily and draws the decorations that are placed on the chapel windows. "I've done more art in the past year than I have in the last 15 years," affirms Young "I missed it, but you don't lose the skill. It's like I never quit."