Home School Family Spotlight: Artist, Activist & Entrepreneur Brings Life to Her Community

Taylerann G.’s art takes many forms. Sometimes, it’s drawing. Sometimes, it’s painting. Other times, it’s sculpting with clay, making her own dollhouses or sewing clothes for her Barbies. Every time, it’s where Taylerann truly shines.

Art began as a form of therapy for Taylerann, who has autism. Since she was two years old, Taylerannhas loved to scribble, finger paint and play with clay, all things that her aunt, Bernadette W., used to develop Taylerann’s fine motor skills. When it finally came time to put her into school, Bernadette enrolled Taylerann in our Home School Academy for the opportunity to receive a personalized education.

“We chose home schooling to be able to best support our childrens’ individual educational needs and to be able to learn as a family,” shares Bernadette, who has another student in the Home School Academy. “I was mostly excited for the opportunity to have more options to best support Taylerann’s specific educational needs and her love of art.”

With support from her credentialed teacher, Jennifer Buck, Taylerann has found incredible success in her school work and in her artwork.

“We have built an amazing rapport with Mrs. Buck,” says Bernadette. “She is a great support in advocating and encouraging Taylerann’s art exploration projects, helping us find places to attend art enrichment classes and finding amazing vendors here in Sacramento for Taylerann to use her stipends.”

Christmas in August

Taylerann often begins her day with activities that support and encourage her creativity, like making her art or listening to her favorite music, opera. Then, she completes her daily school work, and soon after, goes straight back to her art. This flexibility has encouraged her creative exploration and made school something manageable for Taylerann.

One of her favorite projects is using cardboard boxes to construct her own dollhouses, which she insists on building as opposed to asking her family to purchase.

“Taylerann often uses leftover boxes from what we as a proud home school family call a ‘Christmas in August’ due to the fact that all of our curriculum orders often come in, leaving us with many empty cardboard boxes!” says Bernadette. “Taylerann is in her element using these boxes to create dollhouses with fully detailed bathrooms, libraries, play rooms and kitchens! She insists on us saving our money, because she is an artist and can make her own!”

“Black Girl Magic”

Taylerann’s art often depicts what she likes to call “black girl magic,” things such as representations of black hairstyles and culture. Recently, Taylerann was depicted as Sojourner Truth in Children of the Village, a mural dedicated to the children of South Sacramento. Taylerann had previously won a Black Historical Figure costume contest, where she had dressed up as Truth, and her photo served as the inspiration for the mural artwork.

“We are a family who supports our children embracing their African ancestral and cultural roots,” says Bernadette. “Taylerann is supported and encouraged by our artist community members, and you will see that in the pictures that created the mural.”