George Taylor Grant

Bush Lower School Art Teacher Li-Ting Hung was woken up by the chirping sounds of birds. The ever-flowing highs and lows of the Puget Sound started and ended her working day. Residing along the shore of Livingston Bay on Camano Island for a majority of the summer of 2022, Li-Ting was one of thirteen Bush teachers awarded the George Taylor Travel Grant, a long-standing Bush program revitalized and revisioned by Head of School Percy L. Abram and Assistant Head of School for Academics Sarah Smith. Through this program, Bush faculty and staff can apply for the grant, which provides a unique opportunity to all employees, to “scratch an intellectual itch” or pursue a passion through travel, study, and reflection. 

The George W. Taylor Endowment Fund began in 1974 with $50,000 in matching funds for the E. E. Ford Foundation to be used for faculty enrichment and sabbaticals at The Bush School. The fund was named to memorialize George W. Taylor, a Bush English teacher who Head of School Les Larson referred to as “an inspiring scholar and most of all, a kind, generous and humble person.” SInce that time the fund along with the operating budget has funded one experienced teacher per year allowing them to take a trimester or semester sabbatical. 

As the program marked over forty-five of supporting faculty enrichment at Bush, the George Taylor Committee, made up of teachers and administrators,  met in the 2018-2019 school year to review the current model for the fund. Together they  assessed the fund's  impact, researched similar programs at other independent schools, and made a recommendation for the future to Head of School Percy Abram. 

“The reimagined George Taylor grants ensure that a wide range of faculty—and, eventually, staff—will have the opportunity to explore a personal or a professional passion, which will offer restoration and reflection to inspire continued commitment and dedication in the classroom,” Sarah said. “Faculty and staff will have the opportunity to apply for these grants every four years, and it is our hope that all members of our faculty and staff community will eventually benefit from the program. The creativity and excitement we witnessed from this inaugural group of George Taylor grantees demonstrated the interest and desire for such opportunities, and we are thrilled to see another strong group of applicants for year two. The talent and passion our faculty and staff have for their respective areas of focus is truly inspirational to see.”

Learn more about George Taylor Grants by reading highlights from three of the 2022 grant recipients. 

Grant Experience: Spent the summer of 2022 on Livingston Bay, Camano Island, Washington

Objective: To create a series of three complementary beach murals that would reflect the many moods of Livingston Bay, Camano Island.

Why did you apply for a grant?

While I was really hoping for a sabbatical one day—and I’ve been waiting for a while and sort of had this idea—this opportunity opened up. I loved the idea that the grant is kind of open-ended. We as faculty can propose our idea and the sky’s the limit. I really wanted to create this mural that reflects the moods of Livingston Bay, and I thought this would be a good opportunity. I wanted to push the boundary a little bit of what the grant could look like. 

What was your vision for the grant?

When I first started, I had the idea to make murals on the beach. I didn’t have any design ideas, just sort of a rough process. In my grant proposal, I wrote that murals—or art in general in public spaces—serve like a memorial  and a gathering place for people. Each person might interpret the art differently. I started to think about the bigger purpose of the work I would be doing. 

Why the beach? 

This is not my first beach project, but this particular stretch of Livingston Bay has a special meaning for me. My husband introduced me to Camano Island when I first moved to Seattle, and I instantly fell in love with it. Wind and tide make for a constant sifting of material that gets washed up on the beach, which makes for a treasure trove for the artist. The inspiration for the murals came from a friend of mine in the last year of her life. It was her dying wish for me to create a mural of the bay that reflected her life’s connection to the beauty she experienced every day.

How have you utilized your experience or woven it into your academic curriculum and your work with students? 

I always had my students in the back of my mind and how I could apply my experience to inspire them. I started with making sure I made a lot of videos so I could show them the process. When I first began, I started to realize the whole experience of my art making would be important to get across to my students. How to explain the work was always in the back of my mind, especially thinking about how students can create their own place-specific art. For my students, how does a sacred or a special place in their lives help shape their view of what they create?  

What was a challenge you encountered, and how did you work through it?

I feel like with me, there were a lot of roadblocks at first. I had trouble finding a cabin to stay in near my mural site, and soon after I checked into the cabin, an outbreak of COVID-19 swept through the residents there. I then set my mind on, ‘Okay, I’m going to make these murals; I’m going to make this happen.’  I feel like when I set out to do something good, good things happen. 

What was a typical day like that summer?

When I was on the beach, each morning I would wake up to the sounds of seagulls, songbirds, ravens, and even eagles. Chickadees and sparrows would sing these beautiful songs and fly over my face. I camped on the beach when the overnight tide was not so high, and usually was up by 6:00 or 7:00 a.m. I would drink some coffee, have a light breakfast on the beach, and start to work. 

What was something unexpected you encountered on your trip?

I think the challenges are definitely unlike working in a studio. For instance,  knowing when it’s high tide, low tide, and being able to work with time. But it was a really rewarding element as well. It challenged me as an artist. It’s really rewarding for me to know the work is still there, and it’s unexpected art. Beach walkers are always surprised and interpret it in their own way. Depending on the light of day, the reflection of the water may be moving across the murals as you stand in front of them, and you may see color and texture entirely new and different. A group of kayakers saw the murals from a distance and paddled in to speak with me and talk with me about my art and inspiration.

What is one word to describe your experience?

Light. Or sparkle. Inspiration from the dancing diamond light on the waves of the ocean. That’s sort of what stays with me from the whole experience.

 

Name: Monica Alperovich, Lower School Spanish Teacher 

Grant Experience: Spent the summer of 2022 in parts of Spain, attending classes for her Master’s program in Spanish linguistics and culture

Objective: To travel abroad and experience schooling in a different culture as well as visit to nearby countries to learn, observe, and research topics related to Spanish studies and bring back findings to the Lower School classroom at Bush.

Why did you apply for a grant?

I think it is a great opportunity that Bush offered to continue my professional growth as well as to experience life abroad as a student. 

What was your vision for the grant?

My vision for the grant was to  have some help with expenses for my master’s program in Spanish linguistics and culture at the University of Salamanca in Salamanca, Spain. I attended the first phase of the program at the university, and the grant opened doors to traveling to nearby countries to learn, observe, and research topics related to my studies.

Describe what a day that summer was like.

From mid-June to mid-July, I attended classes related to Spanish history, art history, literature, C3 grammar, teaching methodologies, and linguistics. I was immersed in cultural field trips and cultural classes such as cooking, dancing, and cinema. Every day was an adventure. Living in a students’ residence, I shared my time with thirty-six Spanish teachers from all over the United States and Canada. After an unforgettable six weeks of camaraderie, I traveled to France and Morocco to start my research for my graduate  thesis on the origin of the Spanish language.

What were the highlights from you on your trip?

I loved being immersed in the culture and connecting with local residents, listening to their stories and hearing their love for their land and its history. I was also able to visit all of the architectural, historical, and religious sites I was studying during my stay. One of my favorite places was “el pueblo de Segovia,” the town of Segovia. This charming town is known for its magnificent, intact 2,000-year-old Roman aqueduct and Alcazar, a fairy-tale castle built on top of an impressive cliff. Walking on those hills, observing the wonders we were able to build and do without all of the technology of today. I loved the feeling of community all around. People of all ages seated at the main plaza, enjoying a lovely afternoon, chatting and building memories. 

What was something unexpected you encountered on your trip?

To travel solo was an unexpected experience. During my adulthood, I have been lucky to be able to travel overseas, but most of my previous traveling I have done in the company of my family. I learned to navigate cities, manage cultural differences, eat meals alone, and make myself understood. I learned that I love people-watching while sitting on a bench in a park enjoying a gelato, eating anchovies at a local restaurant at any time of the day. I also learned to be patient—there were lots of miscommunications and lots of missed train connections.

Another unexpected experience was learning to be a student again. I loved it, and it came with many hours of paper writing, frustration from lessons that I didn’t understand, and countless hours of studying and catching up for the next lesson. I was able to put myself in my students’ place. It led me to reflect on my teaching methodologies—thinking about how to diversify my teaching, analyze how culturally inclusive I am in my lessons, and seek out ways to connect with my students.

How have you woven what you learned into your work with students? 

I am applying everything that I have learned. Not only from my master’s studies, but also from my personal growth during last summer. At Bush, I am including more of our student’s perspectives. I have diversified the Lower School Spanish curriculum, including more diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and cultural lessons. I am also focused on creating a neurodiverse-safe environment for every student.

Why was this important for you to do at this time of your life and career?
It was important because I want to continue teaching languages, exposing students to diverse cultural environments in which they can learn to make a difference by becoming more empathetic toward each other. We are part of one planet that needs citizens that can collaborate in equal and inclusive ways.

 

Name: Hilary Moore ’10, Upper School Drama Teacher

Grant Experience: Spent part of the summer at world-renowned La MaMa Umbria International Symposium for Directors, which is a training program for professional directors, choreographers, actors, and others held at a 500-year-old villa right outside of Spoleto, Italy

Objective: To attend workshops, lectures, and demonstrations led by professional theatrical artists from around the world.

Why did you apply for a grant?

I wear many different hats in my position. I teach all the different elements of theater and also balance the administrative aspects, such as creating rehearsal and performance calendars. I wanted to apply for this grant because I wanted to reconnect with myself as a director and an artist first, to stay energized and inspired in my work.

What was your vision for the grant?

My vision for the grant was to go to La MaMa Umbria International Symposium for Directors. This is a program I have wanted to do since I was in college, but I never had the chance to before now. 

What was a typical  day like that summer.

At La MaMa, I would wake up around 7:30 a.m. to go to my favorite spot and journal for a little while. Up the hill on the property, there was a small old chapel overlooking a sweeping valley framed by rolling hills of olive trees. Then I would do some stretches and head down to the cafe to get some breakfast with the rest of the participants. Our first class was 9 a.m.–1 p.m., and then we had a long lunch (with so much food) and a siesta to rest and get out of the heat before our 4–8 p.m. class, which was followed by dinner (again, with an amazingly absurd amount of food). After dinner, the participants would lead small workshops or discussions until about 11 p.m. 

What were some of the highlights from your trip?

All of the master artists were great, and I will use what they taught. One artist in particular though, Hope Azeda, was life-changing. Her approach toward art-making was so inspiring, valuing the artists first. She modeled what true patience looks like and how directing needs to be an act of empathy and collaboration. In this, the art can become healing, transformative, and truly joyful. I use the exercises I learned with her not only in my classroom and rehearsals, but also in my everyday life, remembering to also bring that empathy and patience with myself. 

Another highlight of the trip was getting to hear my baby’s heartbeat for the first time in Naples. My husband and I figured out I was pregnant five days before I left on this trip. He joined me for the last two-and-a-half weeks of the trip, and we were able to get a first ultrasound. It  was magical. Now we have copies of those first ultrasound pictures that are all in Italian as a souvenir!

What was a challenge you encountered, and how did you work through it?
The 104-degree heat, no air conditioning, and in my first trimester of pregnancy was a rough combination! Advocating for myself, taking breaks, and drinking lots of water and Gatorade was key. 

What was something unexpected you encountered on your trip?
I came in with a little bit of imposter syndrome. Here I was, a high school drama teacher, in a class taught by these world-renowned master artists—and all of the other participants were mostly college-level professors or artistic directors of their own professional theater companies. This thrust me into some self-reflection about my career choice. When I first dreamt of going to this program I was nineteen, at New York University’s Tisch School for the Arts for directing.  I imagined myself in the exact positions of many of these other artists. Though I have always loved the work that I do as an educator, on the first day, I found myself almost embarrassed to introduce myself. 

Then we got into why we do what we do, and through talking about my work throughout my career, I realized again how much I love teaching. Many artists there were deeply struggling to know if their work had meaning, and wondered if their theater was making an impact. I, on the other hand, get to watch students grow every day into more kind, empathetic, confident individuals in the Upper School drama program at Bush. These amazing students are creative problem-solvers while still being joyful goofballs.

Coming in feeling a bit inadequate, I was surprised by how much pride I left with at the end. Not only am I lucky enough to get to create art every day, but I also  know that my art has an impact. I now appreciate how rare that is and that other artists have their own struggles. I really believe in the powerful effect that drama education can have on a student—and, consequently, the impact that student will have on the world.

How have you applied what you learned to your work with students? 

I have utilized  Antonio Fava’s “commedia dell’arte” techniques in my comedy performance curriculum. I also added a unit on creating theatrical experiences through interactive soundscapes, which I learned from Stefan Kaegi of Rimini Protokoll, into the Introduction to Theater Tech course. 

Why was this important for you to do at this time of your life and career?
At a time in my life when so much is shifting (since the beginning of 2021, I started my role at Bush, got married, got a dog, moved, and became a mom in March), I found myself reflecting on all aspects of my life and career to assess if they were shifting as well. Quiet mornings by the chapel to think and journal, physically and emotionally intense artistic exercises, thoughtful discussions with amazing artists, eating wonderful food, and seeing awe-inspiring sights all took me through a journey that reignited my passion for arts education. Rather than feeling a shift away from teaching, this experience has deepened my love for teaching drama and prompted me to dream bigger about what the Bush Upper School drama department could become and do for our community.