Sylvie (Sylvia) Sydney Rosenthal

MADISON - Sylvia Sydney Rosenthal, known as Sylvie, age 46, of Madison, passed away on Tuesday, October 14, 2025. Sylvie was inclusive, joyous, imaginative, fun and knowledgeable - a light in every community she touched, and a source of comfort and safety for all who knew her. As an artist, she was known for her mindfully-crafted work, in which she engaged chiseled forms, marbled surfaces and exactly-notched connections that constructed a surrealist menagerie. Through hybrid forms, she merged and transformed technologies, animals and histories, interrupting a singular narrative in favor of a constellation of possibility.

Sylvie was born on September 4, 1979, in New Haven, Conn., to Philip and Judy (Sirota) Rosenthal. She grew up in Hamden, Conn. She received her BFA from The Rochester Institute of Technology Woodworking and Furniture Design Program in the School for American Crafts, built two houses from the ground up with her mentor, Doug Sigler, and received her MFA in sculpture from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Before moving to Madison, Sylvie spent significant time in Austin, Texas and North Carolina.

Sylvie was routinely invited as a visiting artist, teacher, and researcher to diverse schools including San Diego State University, University of Wisconsin-Whitewater and Madison, Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina, Haystack Mountain School in Maine, Anderson Ranch Arts Center in Colorado, Australia National University (Canberra, Australia) and Tainan National University of the Arts (Tainan, Taiwan R.O.C.), where she helped initiate the graduate program in Wood. In Madison, she taught at Madison Area Technical College and collaborated with the Bubbler at the Madison Public Library to offer children’s sculpture and woodworking. She taught classes at her studio and encouraged people of all ages to learn wood craft.

Sylvie founded Lower Astronomy Studios, making furniture on commission, production work, and sculpture inquiring into the intersecting flight patterns of the histories of trade, the intentional and unintentional transplantations that come with it, hybridity, materiality, queer theory, and the natural world. Sylvie’s work has been shown nationally at galleries and museums including The Mint Museum (NC) and Contemporary Craft (PA).  Her work is in the permanent collection of The Fuller Craft Museum (MA) and the Museum of Art and Design (NYC).

Sylvie is survived by her mother, Judy Sirota Rosenthal; her father, Philip Rosenthal; sisters, Eva Rosenthal and Ariel Rosenthal; nephews, Arua, Kumani and Suri Masai; nieces, Stella, Alaya and Olive; as well as many other “adopted” nieces and nephews; aunts, uncles, cousins, and many friends around the world.  She was preceded in death by her grandparents, Louis and Sonia Sirota; and Gabriel and Sylvia (for whom she was named) Rosenthal. She brightened the world for all who knew her; it will be a little darker for us all without our Sylvie.

Memorials may be made to:

PENLAND MEMORIAL GIVING PORTAL

Sylvie was a treasured, celebrated, and beloved member of our Penland community. Our hearts are broken--and overflowing--for Sylvie's family.

https://fundraise.givesmart.com/e/NLQOGw?vid=1ma7c0
 

The Craft Emergency Relief Fund (CERF+) We are honored that the Rosenthal family has chosen to direct donations to CERF+ in Sylvie's memory. We will ensure that these funds are used in alignment with the family’s wishes of a focus on mental health support of craft artists and in a way that reflects Sylvie's dedication to the craft field.
Website:https://www.cerfplus.org/

Online donations:

https://secure.givelively.org/donate/craft-emergency-relief-fund-inc

To dedicate an online donation in honor of Sylvie- Donors can select “Dedicate this donation.”

Select “In Memory Of” and enter "Sylvie Rosenthal” or “The Sylvie Rosenthal Memorial Fund.”
 

HAYSTACK

Sylvie was a treasured part of the Haystack family. Anyone who wishes to honor Sylvie Rosenthal’s memory can make a contribution by check to the Haystack Mountain School of Crafts, P.O. Box 518, Deer Isle, ME 04627 or donate securely online at www.haystack-mtn.org/support, in memory of Sylvie Rosenthal.

The intention is to create a fellowship in Sylvie's honor, which will support queer femme and/or non-binary woodworkers to participate in Haystack summer workshops.

Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.

Gunderson East

Funeral & Cremation Care

5203 Monona Drive

(608) 221-5420