ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: CANDACY TAYLOR ‘02

Award-Winning Cultural Documentarian & New York Times Notable Author

Candacy Taylor has transformed her master's degree thesis from the California College of the Arts into a groundbreaking career as one of America's most influential cultural documentarians. Her work bridges the gap between historical research and contemporary social justice, bringing untold stories of African American resilience and ingenuity to national prominence.

The Overground Railroad: A Cultural Phenomenon

Taylor's "Overground Railroad: The Green Book and the Roots of Black Travel in America" (Abrams Books, 2020), has redefined how we understand Black mobility during the Jim Crow era. This New York Times Notable Book examines the legacy of The Negro Motorist Green Book—a travel guide published from 1936 to 1966 that identified safe establishments for Black travelers.

Recognition & Impact:

• New York Times Notable Book of 2020

• Oprah Magazine's Top 26 Travel Books

• National Geographic's Top 10 Books by Women

• Schomburg Center's Black Liberation Reading List

• Carter G. Woodson Book Award (Young Adult Adaptation, 2023)

Comprehensive Research & Documentation

Since 2013, Taylor has conducted unprecedented field research, cataloging over 11,000 Green Book listings and documenting nearly 7,000 Green Book sites across 48 states. She has personally photographed nearly 300 of these historic locations, creating an invaluable archive of American history.

Multimedia Cultural Impact

Smithsonian Exhibition: Taylor curated "The Negro Motorist Green Book," a 3,500-square-foot multimedia exhibition toured by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) from 2020-2025, reaching 14 museums nationwide including the Jimmy Carter Library and Museum.

Educational Outreach: Her work extends to multiple formats including a children's book, a forthcoming mobile app, and speaking engagements at prestigious institutions nationwide.

Academic & Professional Recognition

Harvard Fellowship: Taylor was a fellow at the Hutchins Center for African & African American Research at Harvard University under the direction of Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr.

Major Funding & Partnerships:

• Library of Congress (Archie Green Fellowship - received twice)

• National Endowment for the Humanities

• National Geographic Explorer

• National Park Service

• Graham Foundation

• American Council of Learned Societies

• Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture

Media & Speaking Impact

Taylor's expertise has been featured in over 80 media outlets including The New York Times, The New Yorker, The Atlantic, CBS Sunday Morning, PBS NewsHour, NPR, BBC, Time Magazine, and Newsweek. As a national keynote speaker for 15 years, she has delivered presentations at institutions ranging from the Library of Congress to UCLA, Michigan State University, and Brown University.

From Thesis to National Recognition

Taylor's journey began with her master's thesis at California College of the Arts, which became "Counter Culture: The American Coffee Shop Waitress"—a project documenting women 50 and older who had waitressed for up to 60 years. This early work established her methodology of combining photography, oral history, and cultural analysis to illuminate overlooked American experiences.

Current Work

Based in Denver, Colorado, Taylor continues her work through Taylor Made Culture, producing multimedia projects that enrich, challenge, and inspire new ways to think about culture and identity. She remains active on the speaking circuit and continues to advocate for the preservation of African American cultural heritage sites.

Candacy Taylor exemplifies how graduate education can serve as a launching pad for work that transforms national conversations about history, culture, and social justice. Her interdisciplinary approach—combining rigorous research with compelling storytelling and visual documentation—has brought critical but overlooked stories into mainstream consciousness while preserving them for future generations.

alumni SPOTLIGHT:

VERonica Jackson, ‘16

Veronica Jackson (MA ‘16) makes connections across the disciplines of visual culture. As an artist, she records, interprets, and brings awareness to the complexities of how humans exist within and affect their social surroundings. As a recovering architect
and interpretive designer, she engages with structural systems in both virtual and built environments. Her work lies at the intersection of visual art, architecture, and interpretive design, combining past professional disciplines, present experiences, and an accumulation of contemporary and historical research. Jackson’s multidisciplinary body of work is text-based, autobiographical, and responds to her gendered and racialized existence in America. She holds a BS in Architecture from University of Virginia and an MA in Visual and Critical Studies from California College of the Arts. She currently resides in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Central Virginia.

1. What is your current practice/business?

Currently, I am focused on building a sustainable visual art practice that investigates the lives of Black women in contemporary and historical media. My work is often autobiographical and always grounded in research. These “archives” range from my personal family history, drawn from interviews with my mother and aunts, to research on the lives of 19th-century Black women, conducted at repositories such as the Library of Congress. I use text, familiar objects, and various materials in clever ways to broadcast Black women’s languages of invisibility, hypervisibility, devaluation (an exaggerated visibility subject to misidentification and mislabeling), and triumph. From felt-lined bulletin boards and hair to paper, glass, and extra-fine glitter, my artwork focuses on the portrayal, perception, and legacy of Black women in popular media. I proudly consider myself a public historian; my work educates people about unstudied Black women, as well as lesser-known aspects of Black womanhood in America. While I await being “discovered,” I occasionally engage in interpretive exhibition design projects to pay the bills.

2. Why did you choose CCA?

A good friend and colleague suggested that I look into CCA’s Visual & Critical Studies program. I was intrigued by the curriculum and the critical thinking opportunities VCS offered. Unbeknownst to me at the time, the program gave me the foundation to create a visual art practice, which was not my original intent. I had entered the program in order to earn the credentials to teach museum design. During my CCA journey, I learned the value of critically interrogating visual culture. As a result, I acknowledged the existence of stories within me that required further examination through visual expression.

3. If you could share one piece of advice with current or future students, what would it be?

Put the phone down and engage with your environment with your physical senses. Absorb as much as you can, especially if it pushes you outside your comfort zone. Build connections with your peers; some will prove to be invaluable resources for personal and professional development.

Veronica Jackson, THAT’S POPS’S MONEY. Courtesy of the artist.

4. What's your secret to staying inspired and creative?

It starts with curiosity and then (because of the training I obtained at CCA's VCS program) it evolves into interrogating both the apparent and hidden connections within the subject of my curiosity. For example, I asked myself: How can I visualize my grandmother’s devalued labor in a way that intrigues, excites, and educates? My answer: I designed and fabricated 813 debossed and letterpress-printed timecards using hand-cut black paper, displayed across 12 wall panels, each measuring 48 by 96 inches.

5. What do you have coming up?

My current exhibition in Charlottesville runs through August 9, 2025. I also have a few upcoming artist talks and lectures. In the meantime, I'm applying to artist residencies and calls for artists.

alumni spotlight:

Katayoun Bahrami, ‘24

KATAYOUN BAHRAMI

Why did you choose CCA?

I initially chose CCA for its top ranking among art schools in the U.S., which offered a truly transformative experience. After completing my MFA, I decided to pursue the Visual & Critical Studies (VCS) program to enhance my writing skills and strengthen my foundation for a future PhD. The faculty’s expertise and supportive community helped me grow as an artist, curator, and writer.  Being part of one of the best cohorts, with students from various disciplines, fostered a rich creative exchange. The VCS program, in particular, taught me to write about art in impactful ways, allowing me to express myself about crucial movements, such as the rise of Iranian women fighting for their stolen freedom. CCA’s interdisciplinary and cross-cultural approach has been invaluable in shaping my skills. 

Advice for current students?

My advice to current students is to embrace every opportunity CCA offers. Enjoy your classes to the fullest and make the most of the beautiful new space and the art facilities. You’re in an environment surrounded by talented peers and professors, so collaborate, share, and learn from them. Build connections with students from different majors—those relationships can lead to inspiring collaborations. Lastly, remember that this is a special time in your creative journey, so push boundaries and explore without fear.

What’s next for you?

I’m now back in Los Angeles, entering the next stage of my art career. I’ve set up a home studio where I’ve started making art again, while actively job hunting for museum positions, where I envision myself thriving. Working in a museum setting is something I’m passionate about, as it allows me to engage with the public and support artistic communities. I’m also considering applying for a PhD to deepen my academic engagement with art history and curatorial studies. It’s an exciting time, and I look forward to where the following steps will take me.

2021

Madeline Carter
Rebecca Chacon
Karl Daum
Rebecca Mae Sexton
Sam Soon
Daniel Thomas
Hannah Waiters

2020

Alicia McDaniel
Ava Morton
Barbara Priolo
Lucy Ashton
Justin Nagle
Becca Imrich
Yomna Osman

2019

Kira Dominguez Hultgren
Holly McHugh

2018

Zahra Axinn
María Esther Fernández
Carlos Francisco Jackson
Charmaine Koh
Tamara Suarez Porras