1935-May 9, 2011

Sylvia Moss, an accomplished artist, passed away in Switzerland on May 9, 2011 in Zurich, Switzerland, according to Jerry Binder, her nephew. He related that a dear friend was with her until the very end and he was told that Sylvia's passing was a very peaceful release. Sylvia had long suffered from the challenges of multiple sclerosis.

Sylvia was a beloved member of the UCLA Faculty Women’s Club (FWC) and was active in the Birthday Club and French Conversation. She often displayed her art at FWC meetings. She also exhibited her works in the annual Sylvia Winstein Arts and Crafts Show sponsored each May by the UCLA Emeriti Association. In the words of FWC member Joyce Glantz, “She worked until the end [in her Santa Monica Airport Studio], and in spite of her difficulties with MS in getting around, she continued to participate in FWC activities each month.　With a heavy heart, we know we'll miss our beautiful ray of sunshine.”

According to Michael Hackett, Chair of the UCLA Department of Theater, Sylvia “began as a professor of Costume Design in 1973 and taught until 1994.　 She continued to teach for many years in University Extension.　 She was an elegant person and distinguished designer.”

Drama publishers Quite Specific Media Group, Ltd. state that “Sylvia Moss has worked in costume for more than 35 years. Her costumes have been seen nationally in film, television and on stage. She was professor of costume design at the University of California, Los Angeles, and her research has taken her throughout Europe and Asia.”

Sylvia’s nephew Jerry Binder related that “in this converted historic airplane hangar [at the Santa Monica Airport where her art studio was located], Sylvia worked among a vibrant community of fellow artists, creating impressive paintings and building deep friendships. . . In her lifetime, she was a distinguished professor in theater arts at UCLA, author of a definitive text on costume design, activist for noble causes, supporter of initiatives for social justice, a bold feminist, gourmet chef, adventurous world traveler, loving mother, and so many other exemplary expressions of all that is good, caring and beautiful in the human spirit.”

Sylvia was born into an artistic family and began painting and drawing in her teens. Among the many schools and classes she attended were The California College of Arts and Crafts, The Art Student’s League of New York, Columbia University, and The California Art Institute.

Sylvia painted in watercolor, oil, and mixed media. Bold brush strokes with thick oil paint or puddles and spatters of watercolor were characteristics of her work, allowing the texture of the materials to convey the emotion and atmosphere of the subject matter.

Her most current paintings were skyscapes. Thick paints were mixed with textural materials and applied in strong strokes. This group of paintings expressed her love of the environment and her respect for the force of nature.

Other recent paintings capture the spirit of dance. Because of her own love of dance, she had been currently working on a series of paintings representing dances such as Salsa, Swing and Tango. Her objective in these paintings was to capture the action and mood of the dance.

Sylvia was the author of many magazine articles as well as a book about materials used in costume design, Costumes & Chemistry, published by Costumes and Fashion Press. She was a member of the California Art Club, the Los Angeles Art Association, and the Valley Watercolor Society, and was featured in Who’s Who of American Women for the past eight years.

FWC extends sincere condolences to Sylvia Moss’s family and will participate in a celebration of her life with the UCLA Department of Theater at a later date.