Fine Art
SYD HAP
Mixed-Media Artist
Myrna Haskell, executive editor, met with Syd at her home studio in Woodstock, New York, to discuss her special altars project in memory of her mother, transforming grief into celebration. Syd's career in the arts has spanned doll and puppet making, sculpture, and mixed-media works. Syd also holds a master's degree in art therapy.
Inside Syd's Studio
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How did the creation of these altars help you through the grieving process when your mother passed away?
My mother, Fran Libowitz, passed peacefully on March 16, 2022. She cherished being a mother, often referring to me and my sister as her two miracles. Together with our dad, Mom created a home filled with love, creativity, music, books and joy. Ahead of her time, she cooked tofu before it was trendy and practiced yoga daily since the 1960’s. Our friends could talk to her about anything. Fran was everyone’s mom. Only nine years ago, at 83 years old, she retired from her career as a literary and music braille transcriber, work she absolutely loved. As the months passed, I was really feeling her absence, and my grief deepened. I felt the need to concretize my grief into a tangible form that I could see and be with. There is much potential for healing when we symbolically ‘show,’ rather than just ‘tell,’ our emotional pain. In the past, 30-day art challenges were a great way to focus my creative energy. They provided structure, commitment, and a reason to make art every day for a month. I decided to combine a 30-day challenge with my desire to externalize my grief. A pile of blank mini altars in my studio was the spark that galvanized the '30 Altars for my Mother' project. |
First and Final Altars in Series
Mixed Media ~ 2.25 x 1.75 (approximate inches) © Syd Hap |
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I started by making a list of 30 things about my mother – things we did together, things she taught me, things she loved.
My spirits lifted the moment I started. I was filled with treasured memories, gratitude and appreciation as I arranged my art supplies and gathered tiny objects – photos, bits of recipes in her handwriting, cut words and images – to begin the 30-day process of transforming grief into a celebration of my mother’s life. What does this collection of altars mean to you now that more time has passed? I still miss my mother, and, at times, the sadness can be overwhelming. At these moments, my Altars provide comfort and a feeling of connection. Your mother would love these, wouldn’t she? Yes. She would. When my sister saw them, she couldn’t believe it. She thought they were really special. |
How have others responded to them?
Several people who knew my mother (and some who did not) have spent time with the altars. I describe the experience as ‘spending time with’ because I’ve been told that the experience was like entering a sacred space. Those who knew her would savor each one and ask questions after a slow, silent viewing. Those who’d never met her would often say they wished they had!
I would gladly offer to work with others experiencing grief on an altar project. The act of art making is certainly a catalyst for change, even for people without previous art experience.
Several people who knew my mother (and some who did not) have spent time with the altars. I describe the experience as ‘spending time with’ because I’ve been told that the experience was like entering a sacred space. Those who knew her would savor each one and ask questions after a slow, silent viewing. Those who’d never met her would often say they wished they had!
I would gladly offer to work with others experiencing grief on an altar project. The act of art making is certainly a catalyst for change, even for people without previous art experience.
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You use art to help others as well. Tell our community about your workshops and how attendees have responded.
I offer privately scheduled mixed-media and doll-making workshops (for one to eight participants) in the inspiring and nurturing environment of my Woodstock studio. Each workshop is focused on a specific concept, technique and project. Supplies are abundant, and the small group size allows for individual attention. My broken dish mosaic workshop, ‘Broken to Beautiful,’ is currently the most popular. It’s an opportunity to create a unique piece and a safe place to break dishes. I had one woman attend who didn’t want to make anything – she just wanted to break the plates. This worked for her. Where do you find sanctuary? I have always found sanctuary in art making, and my studio is my sacred space. Each aspect of the creative process from the idea to the final product keeps me grounded, engaged and fully in the moment. |
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Syd Hap is a mixed-media artist and doll maker. She holds a master’s degree in art therapy from New York University and is certified in positive psychology from Whole Being Institute. She has post-graduate training in the fields of trauma and addiction.
Syd in Her Home Studio
Photo Courtesy: Syd Hap |
Unlike the parents of her peers, Syd’s parents advised her to follow her passion, rather than choosing a safe career “to fall back on.” So, she wholeheartedly pursued a career in the arts, and in the 1970s and 1980s, she focused on her skills as a doll and puppet maker. As the official sculptor of Betty Boop products for King Features, she became a master sculptor for the Danbury Mint in Norwalk, Connecticut. Her Betty Boop prototype dolls and figurines were cast in porcelain or resin and marketed nationally.*
Syd believes that art making is healing and supports personal growth, so throughout her decades-long professional career, she made time to facilitate workshops and classes. Syd’s broad clinical experience, along with her comprehensive skills as a creative artist, blend together to form her unique treatment approach. She provides a rich and safe environment for deep, emotional exploration that helps her clients make positive and lasting changes in their lives. *Syd's Betty Boop figurines can be found on the internet (an example here.) |
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FUN FACT: Syd was commissioned to create marionettes for the members of the popular band Kiss in 1978. |
