Ursula von Rydingsvard facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ursula von Rydingsvard
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von Rydingsvard in her Brooklyn studio, 1997
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Ursula Karoliszyn
July 26, 1942 Deensen, Germany
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| Died | October 27, 2026 (aged 84) New York City, U.S.
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| Nationality | American |
| Education | Columbia University |
| Known for | Sculpture |
| Spouse(s) | Paul Greengard |
| Elected | Member, American Academy of Arts and Letters |
Ursula von Rydingsvard (July 26, 1942 – October 27, 2026) was an American artist who made huge, fascinating sculptures out of wood. She lived and worked for many decades in Brooklyn, New York. Most of all, she became famous for building large-scale works inspired by shapes found in nature. She loved to build gigantic pieces using beams of cedar wood. Her massive creations often look like giant bowls, towering walls, or natural rock formations.
Contents
Early Life and Growing Up
Ursula was born as Ursula Karoliszyn in Deensen, Germany, in 1942 during a difficult time. Her mother was from a family of Polish people, and her father was one of many hardworking Ukrainians.
Life During Difficult Times
When Ursula was a small girl, Europe was caught in the middle of World War II. Her family faced extreme hardships during the Nazi occupation of Poland. After the conflict, her family could not return to their farm. Instead, Ursula and her six brothers and sisters had to live in several refugee camps in Germany for five years.
Even though life in the camps was tough, it helped shape her imagination. The plain wooden barracks, basic tools, and simple surroundings gave her a deep feeling for raw materials. She learned to appreciate simple things like wooden boards, dirt, and stone.
Moving Across the Ocean
In 1959, an international aid program known as the Marshall Plan helped her family start a new life. Along with Catholic charities, the plan allowed them to board a ship to the United States.
The family finally made their new home in Plainville, Connecticut. There, they could farm again and build a peaceful life. Ursula quickly learned English and worked hard in school.
Education and Artistic Training
Ursula loved learning and discovered that art was her true passion. She decided to go to college to study art and literature.
Going to College
She first attended the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. She earned both her bachelor's degree and master's degree there by 1965.
She loved creating, but she wanted to learn even more about sculpture. To follow her dream, she moved north to study at Columbia University in New York City. She graduated with a Master of Fine Arts degree in 1975.
Working as a City Artist
Soon after finishing school, Ursula joined the NYC's Cultural Council Foundation Artists' Project. This program gave jobs to creative people across the city. It gave her the time, space, and confidence to start carving out her unique style.
How Ursula Made Her Giant Sculptures
Ursula did not carve statues out of a single tree trunk. Instead, she built them up piece by piece, like huge wooden puzzles.
Working with Cedar Wood
Her favorite material was cedar timber. Cedar is soft enough to shape, smells wonderful, and holds up well outdoors in the wind and rain.
She bought thousands of commercial cedar beams from lumberyards. Next, she drew marks on the wood with chalk. With the help of assistants, she used circular saws to cut complex, jagged textures into the beams.
Gluing and Chipping
After cutting the cedar blocks, she stacked and glued them together with strong adhesives. Then, she carved into the whole structure using heavy hand tools.
To give her work an earthy, ancient appearance, she rubbed dark powdered graphite into the cut wood. This special powder gave the wood a look like weathered stone, dark volcanic rock, or stormy skies.
Famous Public Artworks and Exhibitions
People all over the world fell in love with Ursula's dramatic creations. Her art appeared in public parks, busy city plazas, and world-famous museums.
Beautiful Outdoor Art
One of her grandest displays was in New York at Madison Square Park in 2006. Visitors walking along city paths could touch and wander around her massive wooden forms.
Her giant outdoor works also found permanent homes at the spectacular Storm King Art Center in New York. People traveling abroad could see her artwork too. She held a massive exhibition at the famous Yorkshire Sculpture Park in England.
Huge Honors and Awards
Ursula received many important honors for her creative talents:
- She was elected as a member of the prestigious American Academy of Arts and Letters.
- She earned grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and a fellowship from the John Simon Guggenheim Foundation.
- Poland honored her with the Gold Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis.
- She received an honorary doctorate from the Maryland Institute College of Art.
- Her inspiring story was featured on public television in the famous series by PBS.
- The professional group CAA presented her with a major artist award.
Museum Collections Around the Country
Today, many of the greatest art institutions display her incredible sculptures:
- The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City
- The Museum of Modern Art in New York City
- The Brooklyn Museum in New York
- The Whitney Museum of American Art in New York
- The National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
- The National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C.
- The Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan
- The Detroit Institute of Arts in Michigan
- The High Museum of Art in Atlanta, Georgia
- The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston in Massachusetts
- The Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota
- The Cincinnati Art Museum in Ohio
- The Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Arkansas
- The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Missouri
- The San Francisco Museum of Art in California
- The Yale University Art Gallery in Connecticut
- The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, Virginia
- The University of Michigan Museum of Art in Ann Arbor, Michigan
- The Ulrich Museum in Wichita, Kansas
- The North Carolina Museum of Art in Raleigh, North Carolina
- The Hood Museum of Art in New Hampshire
- The Weatherspoon Art Museum in North Carolina
- The Madison Museum of Contemporary Art and Madison Art Center in Wisconsin
- The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas
- The National Museum, Kraków and the Center of Polish Sculpture in Poland, near the famous Łazienki Park
Legacy
Ursula von Rydingsvard died in New York City on October 27, 2026, at the age of 84. She showed the world that rough construction timber could transform into breathtaking, poetic sculpture. Today, her towering creations continue to invite children and adults alike to touch the wood and wonder at the powers of nature and art.
