Using Art and Design to Educate Others
With the support of financial aid, Taylor Varnado combines what she loves as she pursues a career in art and education.
While growing up in Oak Park, Illinois, visits to museums with her father and brother sparked a passion for Taylor Varnado 21 GD, MA 22 AE. “These trips fostered my love of art and Pablo Picasso. As an artist, he saw and portrayed his subjects in a different light—different than his contemporaries. Like Picasso, I, too, saw things differently, and I would mix up words and letters,” she says.
It was not until she was in third grade that Varnado was diagnosed with dyslexia. “Since reading and writing were difficult for me, I gravitated towards the arts. As a kid, I was always drawing or doing something artistic. When my father allowed me to use his Lomo camera, I fell in love with film photography,” she says. “I could understand photography and art—they both allowed me to express myself without being shackled with words and syntax.”
RISD’s philosophy and emphasis on thinking and using design to solve a problem drew her to apply as an undergraduate. “Lots of other schools are more theoretical and less structured. I enjoy the freedom to design combined with a structure that is focused on critical thinking and problem-solving,” she says.
“My mother is a teacher, and she fostered my love of educating others. I’ve seen the impact that an educator can have on students’ lives. I decided to attend graduate school because I always wanted to use art and design to educate others. The Teaching + Learning in Art + Design program allows me to combine my love of art and education,” says Varnado. “Eventually, I would like to combine these two passions in a museum setting or nonprofit setting.”
Varnado is grateful to receive support from the Gretchen Clapp Orr Scholarship Fund, established through a planned gift from Gretchen Clapp Orr 57 TX. RISD used the proceeds from the sale of Orr’s bequeathed real estate gift to create the fund. “Financial aid allows me to pursue my goals without amassing more debt. While trying to put two children through college, my family has encountered some medical and financial challenges. This support has made it possible for me to continue my education and pursue my career goals,” she says. “Money should not be the determining factor for choosing a school—the educational fit should be. I'm thankful to those who give to financial aid. Their support will help other students of color choose RISD.”
During her graduate studies, she hopes to have an opportunity to work at the RISD Museum to gain experience in the profession. She also would like to work with Project Open Door, which is RISD’s program advancing social equity and access for creative teens attending public high schools in Rhode Island’s urban core. “Both of these work-study opportunities will help me gain real-world experience while pursuing my studies,” she says.
