CRLS senior Alfred Taylor has been making art since he was young. His passion for art reaches back as early as kindergarten, which was when Taylor started to notice he had talent. “I was just way better than everyone else my age,” Taylor remarked. This passion has manifested itself thirteen years later in multiple different ways: Taylor draws, paints, and most recently has started to produce music. These interests have led Taylor to take an array of art classes at CRLS. Like all CRLS art students, he started off in Foundations of Art. Later, he moved onto Portraits, Studio Art 2 and finally, AP Studio/Portfolio Art.

When asked about why he enjoys art, Taylor kept it straightforward. “It’s just something I’ve been good at since I was little. I’m not the type of person to give up, so I just stuck with it, I’m willing to work hard and labor through its monotony because the end result is extremely gratifying,” he reflected. Elizabeth Menges, an art teacher of Taylor’s, had high praise for his artistic ability. When asked what type of artist Taylor is, she stated, “He is a highly skilled perfectionist as an artist. Don’t listen to him when he’s critical of his own ability; he’ll act like he wants to give up or he’ll say things like ‘I’m not a painter,’ but then he’ll work really hard and produce something amazing—he’s even gotten a few well-paid commissions!”

Outside of the classroom, Taylor has also received multiple honors. He was given a CRLS Artistic Achievement Award during both his freshman and sophomore years and was recognized by the City of Cambridge for his artwork. In addition to these accolades, Taylor has had art featured in multiple local galleries around Cambridge.

Gallery • 4 Photos

Alfred Taylor

This piece also appears in our January print edition.