Quotations of Thoughts
An artist must be free to choose what he does certainly, but he must also never be afraid to do what he might choose - Lanston Hughes
When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid - Audre Lorde
The greatness of a man is not in how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively -
Bob Marley
It all started with her father, a local artist who couldn't afford a Christmas tree for the family. To bring joy to his loved ones, Drayton painted a Christmas tree on living room wall. Despite dealing with dyslexia, Theresa graduated from Laurinburg Industrial Institute in North Carolina and later obtained her degree from The Art Institute in Washington, DC. After years as a Graphic Designer and Operational Manager, she launched Drayton Graphic Arts and Illustration, which later became Draytons Arts, LLC, and also created a children's art camp to foster creativity.
Through her dedication, Theresa received the Up-and-Coming Artist Award from the New York City Harlem Arts Alliance in 2011. In 2021, she was awarded the Individual Artist Fellowship in Folk Art Visual Arts from the Delaware Division of the Arts, along with a "Hall of Fame" award in North Carolina, and she is recognized as a "Domestic Violence Advocate." Her artwork has been displayed in various galleries and museums throughout the northeastern United States, including The Biggs Museum, The Grand Opera Theater, and The Riverside Church in Harlem, as well as The Cambridge Art Center and a gallery in Soho, New York City. She actively participates in several art organizations, including the Studio Museum in Harlem and the Mispillion Art League.
**Future Legacy**
Now living in Dover, Delaware, she is always looking for new ways to educate and inspire young people. She currently commissions paintings and uses art as her medium of expression through festivals, exhibitions, and galleries, while maintaining a spiritual foundation and offering private lessons to children and adults. She advocates for justice through art in the prison system and offers free art classes in homeless shelters.
Currently, she is writing a book designed to change lives through her visual storytelling. Guided by her angel, her mother Ynes “Palmer” King Drayton, and Clarence Palmer, an entertainer from the Harlem Renaissance, along with many others who have supported her path, she aims to honor the gifts given to her by God, her family, and her community, showing that our service to God and others is fulfilled when we "create from within."
**The Characteristics of a Creative Individual**
- Positive Attitude
- Strong Motivation
- Determination
- Flexibility
- Sense of Intensity
- Curiosity
- Fearlessness
Theresa Angela Taylor
Truth and Reconciliation
Truth and Reconciliation Conversation
Racism is one of the most urgent challenges facing humanity. Through truthful conversations, we can begin to navigate this challenge, paving the way to better understand one another.
Get comfortable with the uncomfortable. Difficult conversations have to walk towards The Truth and not turn away. If we are to share this land then we need to feel the discomfort of our past equally. ------- Jesse Wente
The Mitten Witten Mural
The Mitten Design called "Backyard Birds" is located in Downtown Dover, Delaware near Lockerman Street is one of many project Draytons Arts is associated with. The mural was a community afford which included the artist Joshua Noble and his team of artists, Theresa Angela Taylor, John Ruffin and 50 other community volunteers with the help of Delaware Division of the Arts and New York Foundation of the Arts.
Paint Parties
Draytons Arts offers a complimentary art program for homeless shelters and provides artistic services to host recreational paint parties across Delaware to support fundraising efforts.