S L I V I N S K I
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Lucy Slivinski is a critically acclaimed sculptor and installation artist based in Chicago. With over 40 years of experience, she has made a significant impact in the art world by utilizing recycled materials and inventive processes in her life-long practice. Lucy holds an MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art and a BFA from Northern Illinois University. Her innovative approach to art has earned her numerous honors and opportunities. In 2025, Slivinski was invited by Nick Cave to create an installation of her work in Chicago, at his exhibition space “Facility.” She created “Bon Journée! In the Land of Love,” across the three galleries. In 2023, she had a one-person exhibition at N’Namdi Center for the Arts, in Detroit, Michigan entitled “Passion Dance.” In 2022, 2019, and 2018, Slivinski was invited as artist in residence at EXPO Chicago where
she created large-scale light installations of her sculptures. In 2017, she was the first American to create an installation for the Museo de Bellas Artes, in Havana, Cuba as part of “Arte y Moda.” She has showcased her work at prestigious fairs such as Art Basel Miami, Fusion MIA and SCOPE. Slivinski has also had numerous solo exhibitions in New York City, Chicago, Detroit, Miami, Bordeaux, France and Reading, PA to name a few. Lucy has several commissioned public art installations throughout Chicago and abroad, including: “Phoenix Rising”,(2018) in Chicago, and the Logan Skate Park, “Hedgerow”, in Grant Park, also in Chicago. “Natural Rhythm”, in Saint Cloud, MN and “Ancestoral Throne,” in Bordeaux, France. In addition to her installations, Lucy has designed and fabricated several collections of sculptural lighting using recycled materials. In 2025, she was selected by NewCity Magazine as one of “50 Artists’ Artists”, in Chicago. Interiors Magazine named Slivinski “Best Lighting Designer”, in Chicago. She has work in many private and public collections such as, Capital Investments Collection, Chicago, Illinois, The Longhouse Collection in New York, the City of Chicago, City of Bolingbrook, Illinois and the City of St. Cloud, Minnesota. Slivinski’s work has been featured in prominent publications such as, Art in America, New York Times, NewCity Magazine, The OG Magazine, Sculpture Magazine, Chicago Interiors, and Luxe Magazine. |
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EDUCATION
1984 MFA in Fiber, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
1980 BFA in Fiber, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois
PUBLIC COMMISSIONS (SELECTED)
2020 Temple of Ascension, The Admiral, Chicago, Illinois
2018 Phoenix Rising, City of Chicago, 50X50 Neighborhood Arts Project
2014 Reflections on Scott’s Mill, Knoch Knolls Nature Center, Naperville, IL
2013 Spirits Rising, Prudential Plaza, Chicago, Il
2010 Silver Surf Gate, Logan Skate Park, City of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
2009 Mammoth, City of Bolingbrook, Bolingbrook, Illinois
2008 Natural Rhythm, Saint Cloud Public Library, Saint Cloud, MN
2007 Natural Order, Installation, Lincoln Park Conservatory, Chicago, Illinois
2006 Grace, Brock Commons Outdoor Sculpture Project, Longwood
University, Farmville, VA
Hedgerow, Allstate and Chicago Public Art: “Artists and Automobiles,”
Grant Park, Chicago, IL
Surge, Bartholomew Recycling Center, Columbus, IN
2005 Bloom, Art Park, Lewiston, New York
COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS
2020 The Giving Tree, with Katrin Schnabl, University of Chicago Lab Schools, Chicago, Illinois
2019 Le Mouvement, with Kahil El’Zabar, Ethnic Heritage Ensemble, Miami Art Basel, N’Namdi Contemporary
2018 Illumination, with Kahil El’Zabar, David Murray, One Eye Shut Gallery, Chicago, IL
2016 Arte Y Moda 2016, With Cuban Fashion designer Yohannia Cabrera, Museo De Bellas Artes, Havana, Cuba
2015 Elevation, With Artist / composer Kahil El’zabar, Block 37, Chicago, IL
2013 Elevation, Installation with Artist/composer, Kahil El’Zabar, Fusion MIA, Art Basel, Miami, FL
Ancestral Throne, Elevation Project, with Kahil El’Zabar, Blade, Roche De Palmer, Bordeaux, France
SOLO EXHIBITIONS (SELECTED)
2025 Bonne Journée! In the Land of Love!, Facility, Chicago, Illinois
2023 Passion Dance, N’Namdi Center for Contemporary Art, Detroit, Michigan
2022 Wings of Grace, N'Namdi Center for Contemporary Art, Detroit, MI
The Dawning, EXPO CHICAGO, Chicago, IL
2021 The Illuminated, N'Namdi Contemporary Gallery, Miami, FL
2019 Heavenly Bodies, EXPO CHICAGO, Chicago, Illinois
2018 Luminescence, EXPO CHICAGO, Chicago, Illinois
NOW! All Together, Gallery 116, St. Charles, Illinois
In There!, Concord 55 Gallery, Chicago, Illinois
2017 Through the Light of Epiphany, N’Namdi Contemporary, Miami, FL
As We Rise, Jeffrey Breslow Gallery, Chicago, IL
2015 Amor! 300 S Riverside Plaza Building, Chicago, Illinois
Sizzle! Mana Contemporary, Chicago, Illinois
Rebirth, Chicago Academy of Music, Chicago, Illinois
2014 Sanctuary of Illumination, Erie Art Museum, Erie, PA
Soul Touch, Packer/Schopf Gallery, Chicago, Illinois
Up! Up! 300 S Riverside Plaza Building, Chicago, Illinois
Lightening Field, Krasl Art Center, St. Joseph, Michigan
2012 Energy Throne Performance, Art Basel, N’Namdi Contemporary, Miami, FL
2010 Celestial Light in the Forest of Love. Freedman Gallery, Albright College, Reading, PA
2009 Inspired Terrain “In the Land of Love, There is No Garbage”, FlatFile Gallery, Chicago, IL
2004 Lucy Slivinski, Phyllis Kind Gallery, New York City, New York
GROUP EXHIBITIONS (SELECTED)
2025 Ethan Cohen Gallery, NYC, NY., Expo Chicago
2023 Gallery Artists Exhibition, Alma Gallery, Chicago, IL
2018 Sweet, Golden, Delicious, Northern Illinois University Art Museum, Dekalb, IL
Hop, Skip and a Jump, Ari’s Arthouse, Chicago, IL
New Observations, Art Santa Fe, Santa Fe, NM, July 18-21, 2018
2016 Gateway, Zhou B Art Center, Chicago, Illinois
2015 Gallery Artists, Packer/Schopf Gallery, Chicago, Illinois
Gallery Artists, N’Namdi Contemporary Gallery, Miami, FL. SCOPE, Miami Art Basel, Miami, FL
2014 Throne of a Higher Thought Installation, Fusion MIA, Miami, FL
2013 Art Basel Miami 2013, N’Namdi Contemporary Gallery, Miami, FL
2012 Art Basel Miami, 2012, N’Namdi Contemporary Gallery, Miami, FL
Sculpture Today: New Forces, New Forms, Frederik Miejer Gardens & Sculpture Park, Grand Rapids, MI
Energy, The Tree of Life Throne, Guichard Gallery, Chicago, Illinois
2009 Messages & Magic, 100years of American Collage and Assemblage, Kohler Art Center, Sheboygan, Wisconsin
2008 Hot House: Expanding the Field of Fiber, Reading Public Museum, Reading, PA
2007 Sculpture Invasion, Koehnline Museum of Art, Desplaines, Illinois
HotHouse: Expanding the Field of Fiber, Cranbrook Museum of Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI
2006 They Got the Stuff, Phyllis Kind Gallery, New York City, New York
AWARDS
2010 Illinois Arts Council Project Award
2009 Americans for the Arts, 2009 Public Art Network Year in Review Award
2008 CAAP Grant, City of Chicago
2006 Illinois Arts Council Special Assistance Grant
MEDIA
2025 NewCity Magazine, “Art 50, Chicago’s Artists’ Artists,” September, 2025
WGN NEWS, “Chicago Artist Turns Scrapyard Metal into Breathtaking Works of Art,” July 3, 2025
NewCity , “Expanded and Expansive: How the Intuit Art Museum Used A Transformative Renovation to
Reinvent Itself”, May 20, 2025
THE OG Magazine, “Facility X Chicago, Interview,” Edition 14
Artdaily.com, “Lucy Slivinski Transforms Facility Chicago with “Bonne Journée! In the Land of Love!”,
July 7, 2025
2024 LUXE Naples, "Risk Takers," September, 2024
LUXE Interior and Design, Winner of LUXE Red Awards 2024, Suzanne Lovell Inc.
2023 Interiors, “ALMA Art & Interiors Debuts A Pair of Exhibits In Bridgeport,” July 12, 2023
2022 New York Times, “From the Southside to the Loop, Chicago’s Innovative Spirit Thrives,” June 6, 2022
LUXE Interior and Design, “Meet the Maker : Lucy Slivinski”, July/August 2022
2021 LUXE Interior and Design, “From Spec to Spectacular: Inside a Chicago Home made for Family”,
October 11, 2021
2020 Your Everyday Heroes, “Famous Recycled Art - A Beautiful New Life”, February 12, 2020
2019 Year of Public Art,”Art in Chicago Neighborhoods,” City of Chicago, 2019
Bad at Sports, “Lucy Slivinski’s Heavenly Bodies Hovers over EXPO CHICAGO”, September 19, 2019
Community Connection, “Interview with Lucy Slivinski”, September 5, 2019
ACS Magazine, “Heavenly Bodies, Lucy Slivinski Light Installation,” September, 2019
2018 Uptown Update, “Phoenix Rising Sculpture Dedicated Today”, June 28, 2018
Voyage Chicago, “Meet Lucy Slivinski, in West Side Studio.” August 14, 2018
2017 Rolling Out Magazine, "Gallery Guichard's Featured Artist Turns Scrap Metal into One-of-a-Kind Works,"March 16, 2017
2015 Manderin Quarterly, “Thought Leaders,” Spring 2015
2014 Daily Herald, “Reflections of Scott’s Sawmill,” September 19, 2014
2013 Down and Dirty Radio Show, “Looking Cool!” June 11, 2013
2012 GlobeTrotter Magazine, “Lucy Slivinski,” Winter 2011/2012
Cs Interiors, “Best In Design: Lighting: Lucy Slivinski, Fall 2012
Cs Interiors, “Well Sculpted,” Winter 2012
2011 Luxe National, “Material Girl, Lucy Slivinski,” Style Makers, Winter, 2011
2010 Elle Décor, February, 2010
2009 The New York Times, “Chandeliers, Blazing With Recyclables,” Nov.12, 2009
CS Interiors, “Home Front Design, Bright Lights,” Winter, 2009
2006 Kunstaspekte Internationale, “The Girls Have it!”March 2006-April 2006
Welding Design & Fabrication, “Welding in the Park,” August 27, 2006
Chicago Tribune, “ ‘Hedgerow’, by Lucy Slivinski in Grant Park,” August 4, 2006
WBEZ Public Radio, 848 Show, Chicago, IL, Interview,“Artists and Automobiles,” 6/26/06
ABC Channel 7, 4:30PM News, Interview,“Artists and Automobiles,” 6/20/06
Chicago Sun-Times, “An Exhaustive Effort in Tailpipe Art,” June 21, 2006
2005 Art in America, Phyllis Kind Gallery, NYC. Solo-Exhibition Review, March, 2005
Kunstbeeld, Phyllis Kind Gallery, NYC. Solo-Exhibition Review, January, 2005
Vietnam Visual Arts, Lucy Slivinski @ Phyllis Kind, Solo-Exhibition Review, May 5, 2005
PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES
2025 Guest Lecturer, Frederico Garcia Lorca Elementary School, Chicago, IL
2023 SAIC, Judge for Graduate Thesis Exhibition, School of the Art Institute of Chicago
2019 Guest Speaker, Workshop, University of Indiana, Bloomington, IN
2016 Guest Speaker, 10th Annual Sustainable Business & Design Conference,
“Creativity and Sustainability,” Fashion Institute of Technology, New York, NY
Guest Speaker, Arte Y Moda 2016, Museo De Bellas Artes, Havana, Cuba
2015 The Art of Reclaim, Workshop, Lecture, Knoch Knolls Nature Center, Naperville, IL
2014 SAIC Judge, Department of Fashion, School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Artist in Residence, Erie Museum of Contemporary Art, Erie, PA
2013 Artist in Residence, “Elevation Project,” Roche De Palmer, Bordeaux, France
2010 Artist in Residence, Albright College, Reading, PA
PUBLIC & PRIVATE COLLECTIONS
Bridge Industrial, Chicago, IL
Roche de Palmer Collection, Bordeaux, France
Longhouse Foundation Collection, NY
City of Chicago, Public Art Collection
Art Enterprises / Burton Kanter
Longwood University, Farmington, VA
Delta Institute, Chicago
City of St. Cloud, MN
Jumaane N’Namdi Collection, Miami, FL
George N’Namdi Collection, Detroit, MI
Bodine Condominium Corporation, Chicago, IL
City of Bolingbrook, Illinois
Artpark, Lewiston, NY
City of Naperville, IL
Capital Investments, Chicago, Illinois
Christy Webber Landscapes, Chicago, Illinois
Sandro Miller Collection, Chicago, IL
Noil Corporation
Mary Bell Collection
Orianne de Vallee, Paris, FR
Bronzeville Winery, Chicago, Illinois