Lauren Taylor, a 2012 graduate of Gallatin High School, will be studying in Florence, Italy, five weeks this spring as part of the Kansas City Arts Institute (KCAI) collaborative program in the arts. Lauren, a junior at KCAI, will be immersed in the art, history and culture of Florence, Italy.
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Lauren was an art student during her high school years at GHS. Her work was on display at the Dorris Rider Art Gallery and she was first place state recipient for her entry in the Young American Creative Patriotic Art competition. She won a scholarship and also placed fourth nationwide. The competition was a memorable experience for the budding artist. The work was a colored pencil portrait.
“It’s not so much my favorite piece aesthetically, but I put a lot of effort into it and it paid off,” Lauren said. “It was also pretty rewarding to see my piece published in the VFW catalog.”
Art comes naturally to Lauren.
“I couldn’t imagine myself studying or pursuing anything else,” she said. “I would be miserable.”
From late May to the end of June, Lauren will study and travel with a group of fellow KCAI students in a program led by faculty members. She will have her own dedicated studio space in the historic center of Florence. Lauren will create a series of drawings that will culminate in a final project for which she will receive college credits.
She isn’t sure what she will be asked to draw for the assignment.
“I know that we will be doing sketches of artwork that already exists in Florence,” she said. “Probably mostly of busts and other statue figures.”
A graphic design major, Lauren mostly works in digital formats.
“However, I do love to illustrate with just regular pencil and paper, and every once in a while I get a wild hair to do colored pencil portraits,” she said.
Lauren doesn’t think she has a specific technique.
“In school they try and teach you a workflow to be more productive. But for me, it’s more about what keeps me interested and grabs my attention most. A lot of the time, creatives can get into funks that make it hard to create anything. When I work, I try to keep constant interest so that I don’t lose momentum.”
The Arts Institute program is called “An Exquisite Corpse” and the Studio Arts Centers International (SACI), school itself is the former house of the model who posed for the Mona Lisa.
Florence is known as a walkable city and Lauren will have unlimited access to museums, gardens, cathedrals and markets. She will stroll by works by such masters as Leonardo DaVinci, Raphael, Rembrant, and Michelangelo.
“The things I’m most anxiously waiting to see are either Michelangelo’s statue of David, or Donatello’s Penitent Magdalene statue,” Lauren said. “The first thing I want to do is visit the Academia Gallery. I feel that will be a life changing event.”
Lauren will study with artists from all over the world. Her study of Italian culture will include paintings, sculpture, architecture, music and cultural artifacts. She will be led by art historians on four field trips to other Tuscan towns.
Lauren is the daughter of Wanda and George Taylor of Cameron, and has one brother, Jack.
Lauren said her family is incredibly supportive of what she wants to do, and she couldn’t do it without them.
“I find inspiration in other artists,” she said. “I have a few favorite artists here and there, but just being around other art students is a constant source of inspiration and competitive spirit.”
Lauren’s classes are going above and beyond what she ever imagined and she is happy with her career choice.
“I’ve always wanted to go to the Kansas City Art Institute, even as a kid,” she said. “Being here has given me so many different skills and has boosted my design knowledge 110%.” After she graduates, Lauren plans on being a designer in a small studio setting, preferably in Kansas City.
“I never imagined being able to experience so much at a young age, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.”