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IN MEMORIAM
MARY PERRY TAYLOR
Mary Perry Taylor, an associate professor in the Department
of Art and Art History at The University of Texas at Austin until she
retired in 1995, died December 21, 2000. Mary was born December 27,
1940. She attended Austin public schools and received two degrees from
UT, a BFA in 1962 and an MFA in 1969.
Following Mary's graduation from the University in
1962, she became an art teacher at Allan Junior High in Austin. In addition
to art, she taught Spanish and American history. In 1968, she started
her career at UT as a teaching assistant in the Department of Art and
Art History. She also taught at Laguna Gloria Art School in Austin.
Mary completed her MFA degree while teaching at the
University. She became an assistant professor in 1973 and an associate
professor in 1975. She taught art education classes for mostly elementary
and art education majors. Mary enjoyed teaching students how to make
found objects and papier-mache sculptures. Her quick wit, aesthetic
philosophy, and teaching principles helped her prepare many students
for art teaching careers in Texas.
While teaching, Taylor provided much needed service
to the Department of Art and Art History from 1978 to 1983, as head
of the scholarship committee and as graduate advisor. This was followed
by two years as the graduate advisor in art education. Mary was the
academic program director for art education from 1985 to 1989.
As a graduate advisor, Mary took a keen interest in
all of the graduate students. She helped them through the maize of registration
and financial aid paperwork. Mary helped institute a system for periodic
evaluation so that graduate students would know where they stood in
terms of their graduation requirements. She taught Art 398T for several
semesters to help graduate students prepare for their assignments as
teaching assistants and assistant instructors in the department.
Mary's professional interests and service included
exhibition of her fabric creations in local and Texas exhibits. She
took an interest in the development of art therapy at Shoal Creek Hospital.
She was a consultant for the Institute for Environmental Studies in
Austin. She presented lectures and workshops at conferences for the
Texas Art Education Association and the National Art Education Association,
and for local school district in-service workshops. For three years
(1973-1975), Mary was the editor of Texas Trends in Art Education,
a publication of the Texas Art Education Association.
In 1986, Mary was asked to write test questions for
the Texas Education Agency's ExCET exam for K-12 art teachers. Mary
continued to serve the art education profession in the years leading
to her retirement. She volunteered to teach a new interdisciplinary
education class that was designed to prepare students for student teaching.
Mary was a close friend of many faculty members in the department, and
she supported them through several difficult situations.
Mary enjoyed her art and she loved to help colleagues
and students alike. She will be remembered for her kindness, grace,
and wit in the service of art education development.
<signed>
Larry R. Faulkner, President
The University of Texas at Austin
<signed>
John R. Durbin, Secretary
The General Faculty
This memorial resolution was prepared by a special committee consisting
of Nancy Schuller (chair), and Professors Rebecca Brooks, Lee Chesney,
and Jarvis Ulbricht.
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