June 10, 2019 | UHCL Staff
When Taylor Rodriguez was finishing her associate degree, she was told she was missing a few credits. She randomly chose to take a digital arts class and realized she’d found her passion. After transferring to University of Houston-Clear Lake, Rodriguez chose to continue studying art, and just before graduating with her Bachelor of Fine Arts with Studio Art Concentration, she received the College of Human Sciences and Humanities’ Outstanding Achievement in Leadership and Academics award.
“I’d never taken any art classes in high school, just some technical theater classes, where I learned about building theater sets,” Rodriguez said. “After taking that digital arts class, I knew that’s what I wanted to do. My first art classes at UH-Clear Lake were traditional and digital photography, but once I took the studio classes and started working with my hands, I decided that’s what I wanted to do. I have a 3-D mindset and I really love to work with my hands.”
Learning to sculpt turned out to be more than a passion for Rodriguez. “I think studying
art has saved my life,” she said.
During her years at UHCL, Rodriguez said she had a very serious struggle with alcohol,
ultimately having a major car accident while under the influence. “I wasn’t hurt,
but my passenger was hurt. I saw how much pain she was in, and I knew I was responsible.
I felt like my life was over.”
Her professor and mentor, (Assistant Professor of Art) Jason Makepeace, recognized that she was having difficulties and offered his support. “He was still willing to give me a chance as his teaching assistant, which I have been for the last two semesters,” she said. “Art became like my savior. I had been living that alcoholic lifestyle for so long, I didn’t even know what sober people did all day, because all I did was think about when I was going to drink next. I was legally required to stop drinking. Early in my sobriety, when I wanted to drink, I came to the studio instead. I didn’t know how not normal it was to drink so much until I got sober.”
She said Makepeace allowed her to be open about her struggles and discuss them in art critiques. “I would talk about what I was feeling so other people, who might not be addicted but still going through a rough time, might be able to relate. I used to feel very alone,” she said. “I used my art to connect. Professor Makepeace knew what I was going through and we would talk about it.”
“When I met Taylor, she was at a point in her life where she was struggling,” Makepeace said. “She needed to make a complete change in her life. Being in the art studio gave her the strength and focus to make that change.” He added that he understood her need to be creative. “Taylor was able to channel her struggles into her artwork and use art making part of her healing process,” he said. “I recognized Taylor’s focus and dedication, so I asked her to help as a teaching assistant within the metal shop. She fit the position perfectly and has been one of my TAs for three semesters. Taylor is the one who is now inspiring us.”
Things definitely have gotten much better for Rodriguez, who now has 15 months of sobriety. She graduated with an excellent grade point average and had been an officer in the Art Association for two years. “I loved being a teaching assistant as well, helping people with the equipment and tools,” she said. Rodriguez’s work, a bronze owl, won Best in Show at the BFA Art Exhibition, which ran from April 11-May 6 in UHCL’s Art Gallery.
She added that she believed UHCL’s small classes and one-on-one dynamic between professors and students, helped her succeed. “I thrive on the connection,” she said. “I need my professors to know me and my work. Without that, I wouldn’t have gotten this far.”
Rodriguez said she is enrolled for fall 2019 in UHCL’s Master of Arts in Humanities program. “I’m going to stay and build my portfolio and keep learning,” she said. “My goal is to transfer to another university to get my Master of Fine Arts degree and become a professor.”
Find out more about UHCL’s Bachelor of Fine Arts program.
