Taylor Wray

Taylor Wray is a Ph.D. student in American Studies, Museum Studies, and Historic Preservation.  As a Miami Indian of Indiana, she has a profound interest in Indigenous arts and cultures.  In 2010, she graduated from Indiana University, Bloomington, with a B.A. in Studio Art and Art History.  While a student at IU, Taylor interned at the Eiteljorg Museum of American Indian and Western Art, in the Festivals and Markets department. After moving to Los Angeles, Taylor worked as an art instructor.  In 2015, she received her M.A. in American Indian Studies from UCLA.  Her thesis explored the educational and economic impact of American Indian art markets.  Over the years, she has worked in a variety of museums, such as the GRAMMY Museum at L.A. LIVE and the Santa Monica Museum of Art.  Currently, Taylor’s graduate work examines the cultural and political function of contemporary Native Hawaiian visual art.  She is living in Ojai, CA, writing her dissertation while also teaching an online course at U.H. entitled Art and Social Change.  In her spare time, Taylor enjoys listening to music, reading at the beach, playing tennis, and yoga.