Education
Master of Fine Arts University of Wisconsin, Madison
Master of Arts University of Wisconsin, Madison
Bachelor of Arts Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA, USA
1st Field: Fine Arts / Art History
2nd Field: Ethnomusicology
Senior Thesis Award Winner in Performing Arts – 1 of 6 awarded a year of independent scholarship in the style of postgraduate dissertation.
Professional Experience
Freelance Illustrator,
Jan. 2016 - Present
Woodshop Technician PA, University of Wisconsin Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
August. 2016 – Present
Woodshop Manager/Furniture Maker, Stoll Furniture and Design, Austin, Texas
August. 2015-July. 2016
Production Glass Artist Wimberley Glassworks, Wimberley, Texas
June-August 2015
Carpenter’s Assistant, SWS Custom Woodworks, Brighton United Kingdom
Sept. 2014-March 2015
Glassblowing Instructor and Production / Assistant Art Gallery Manager, Tacoma Glassblowing Studio, Tacoma, WA, USA. 2012 – Spring 2015.
Private Banjo Instructor, freelance, Tacoma, WA, USA. 2011 – Present.
Awards
ALL Prize Art and Literature Lab, Madison Wisconsin, May 2019
Temkin Endowment Award, May 2019
The Jon Bekoff Project for the Advancement of Georgia Old-Time Music, May 2018
Work Study Scholarshop to Penland School of Craft, May 2018
Steven E. and Carolyn J. Gottlieb Woodcraft Scholarship May 2018
Steven E. and Carolyn J. Gottlieb Woodcraft Scholarship August 2016
Residencies
Madison Public Library's Bubbler Artist in Residence. Two-month residency
Paradise Garden Foundation. Summerville, Georgia. Two-week residency creating the first installation for the contemporary sculpture garden at Howard Finster’s Paradise Garden.
Shows, Presentations, and Performances
Solo Exhibition, SKI CLUB, Milwaukee, WI October 2019
Paint it Black, Webb Gallery, Waxahachie, TX May 2019
Solo Exhibition, Slumgullion, Arts + Literature Laboratory, Madison, WI 2019
Broke Show, Alive and Fine Gallery, Milwaukee, WI Mar. 2018
Solo Exhibition, BE REAL, Antiques Mall of Madison, Madison, WI Feb. 2018
Alive and Fine Takes a Trip, Alive and Fine Gallery, Milwaukee, WI Jun. 2017
The Art of Storytelling, Forge Center of Contemporary Arts, St. Charles, MO Jun. 2017
MUNICIPAL, Madison Public Library, Madison, WI, Dec. 2016
Entering the Tessaract, Gallery 7, Madison, WI, Oct. 2016
Look: A Presentation of 78 RPM Records from the Golden Era of American Vernacular Recording, Mother Fool’s Coffeehouse, Madison WI, Nov. 2016
Still Life: The Art of Moonshine, Todd Art Gallery, Murfreesboro, TN, Sept. 2015
Third-Realm: A Glass, Craft, and Sculpture Show, Tacoma Glassblowing Studio, Tacoma, WA, USA, 2013.
Fiddlin’ John Carson: The Inception of the Hillbilly in American Vernacular Music and its Preservation into the Twenty-First Century (a comprehensive performance / academic presentation), Evergreen State College, 2013.
Feature Artist, Student Originated Studies (Visual Arts) Comprehensive Student Art Show at the Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA, USA, 2012.
Feature Artist, Student Art Show at the Evergreen State College, Olympia, WA, USA, 2011.
“Summer break 1988. When you were poking around and found that cupboard in the corner of Aunt Selma’s garage. Yeah...right behind the old cream Buick that stank like Virginia Slims and Aquanet. You carefully pushed aside those dusty glass vases to reveal an old worn leather baseball mitt. That was a great day. Kind of reminds me of Taylor Rushing’s artwork.”
- Kris Truelsen (Bill and the Belles)
Taylor has a unique artistic style that catches the eye and people really respond to. I get complimented on the logo he created for me all the time. Hiring him took my business to the next level. Highly recommend him! It was such a great experience!
- Lonesome Wolf Vintage
I learned to play mouthbow alone in the woods...when of course any sane person would have instead hit up Taylor Rushing for a lovingly crafted instrument to pass the grueling hours with. As a fellow artist, it’s hard not to notice that there’s a false choice we’re fed in this world...that it’s either filet mignon...or McDonalds, and anything in between isn’t worth writing home about. But by golly I like BBQ and hand drawn cartoons so consider this penning one in: this art is NOT BAD! And you should thusly buy it.
- Nick Shoulders
“Taylor was communicative, professional, and fun to do business with. I commissioned him to do a drawing of a little armadillo dude for a t-shirt design and it came out perfect. Original and full of personality, exactly what I asked for. I can’t wait for our next project together.”
- Catalpa Shop