Visiting artist uses natural resources in her work,“When There Were Birds: Sutra for Belonging”

As part of a series of visiting artists at Saint Michael’s College, Millicent Young, who focuses on sculpture and natural resources, is displaying her work in the College’s McCarthy Art Gallery for the next few weeks.

During the opening of her show, Young gave a presentation on Sept. 26 to speak about past and present iterations of her work. Brian Collier, head of the Art & Design program, introduced Young as a freelance master gardener and landscape designer focused on permaculture in addition to her work as an artist.

Students attend the opening of visiting artist Millicent Young’s exhibit in the McCarthy Art Gallery. The exhibit is called, “When There Were Birds: Sutra for Belonging.” (Photo courtesy of Riley Treegoob ’26/McCarthy Art Gallery)

After Collier introduced her, Young expressed how she was grateful to be in an educational environment again.

“College is such a great garden for your creativity and imagination,” Young said

Young began her presentation by explaining how important “place” is in her artwork, and how the setting where she completes her sculptures reflects the meaning of the piece.

“My hope is that the gates in your own minds will open towards new ways of thinking about what place is so important,” Young said.

A student takes in art during the opening of visiting artist Millicent Young’s exhibit in the McCarthy Art Gallery. The exhibit is called, “When There Were Birds: Sutra for Belonging.” (Photo courtesy of Riley Treegoob ’26/McCarthy Art Gallery)

Young said that place in relation to art causes the viewer to “move in and out of consciousness.”

She prioritizes using natural resources for her art, and she does not participate in consumerism when it comes to finding tools and supplies for her projects.

Young uses resources such as charred trees and steel from mills in her work. She said that going into nature and gathering these supplies makes the process of her art feel more meaningful. Young mostly works on sculptures, one of them being a past piece inspired by Elie Weisel’s memoir, Night.

In this sculpture, Young arranged barbed wire with pages from the memoir entwined with it, with sculpted ceramic hands displayed on the wall around the barbed wire. This sculpture symbolizes the captivity and abuse that many experienced during the Holocaust, Young said.

Vising artist Millicent Young, left, gives a presentation on her artwork during the opening of her exhibit, “When There Were Birds: Sutra For Belonging.” (Photo by Riley Treegoob ’26/McCarthy Art Gallery)

Young said she tries to be intuitive with where she creates her art. She also emphasized the importance of site-specific installations since many of her sculptures are very large and require bigger spaces.

Many of Young’s pieces are formed from natural resources. For example, she often incorporates fur from her dogs and horses as she believes hair holds a lot of memory, which adds to the metaphors behind her artwork.

Young said that her favorite thing about being an artist is when people come to her with new meanings they find when viewing and engaging with her art. She loves that her art can invoke new perspectives.

Young’s piece, “When There Were Birds: Sutra for Belonging” is a transdisciplinary installation consisting of sculpture, sound, and projection. The exhibit is on display in the McCarthy Art Gallery until Nov. 1.