Summer/Fall 2010 - University of the Cumberlands

work of art, asking God to inspire his vision and guide his hand as he
interpreted the grief, the hope and the assurance felt by all who have
lost children.”
“God undoubtedly inspired Wayne Taylor in his artistic
memorial to all of our children,” wrote Rosemary Smith in her book,
Children of the Dome.
“Folks who appreciate my art know that art communicates.
Dr. and Mrs. Taylor and the Smiths have suffered such tragedy, and
they have expressed that the artwork in the domes has helped to bring
some closure to them, reminding them of the sweetness and goodness
of life. The ability to help someone who is trouble is great to me,” said
Wayne.
Wayne faced several additional challenges to his work in
the domes, not the least of which was his fear of heights. “I got over
that!” he said. It’s a good thing. While the domes in the Inn and GCR
may seem daunting at more than 40 feet, the dome of the Correll
Science Complex is actually part of the roof and soars 60 feet above the
marble floor far below. Additionally, he recalls specific incidents that
characterize each project.
When he began working on the Inn dome, it was winter and
the building was under construction, so Wayne found it necessary
to work wearing a coat and gloves. He spent several long weekends
painting the mural, driving from his home in Ohio on Friday afternoon
and returning Sunday afternoon. A scissor lift truck made it possible to
reach the ceiling, and as the building neared completion, he found that
while one weekend it would be freezing, the next it would be stiflingly
hot up in the dome.
Work on the GCR dome began during fall break, and the
campus was deserted. Once, as Wayne painted high in the ceiling,
he looked down and could not see the floor for the dense layer of
smoke that covered it. Without his knowing, the scissor mechanism
had overheated and caught fire. All alone on campus, Wayne used his
cell phone to dial 911. Fortunately, the fire did not flame up, but
simply produced great clouds of smoke. After the firefighters rescued
Wayne from his perch, one of them asked, “What were you doing up
there in the air painting naked babies.
The Correll Science Complex project required the
construction of complex scaffolding, which Wayne carefully negotiated
each time he painted as he became adjusted to its moving and swaying.
As the mural developed, Dr. Taylor requested to see its progress, and
since the framework blocked his view from the rotunda floor, he scaled
the scaffolding to observe the painting. “I was impressed with his
physicality and his enthusiasm for the work,” said Wayne.
He has also been impressed with the way Dr. Taylor has turned
his vision for Cumberland College into the impressive university it
is today. After hearing Dr. Taylor quote Daniel Burnham, who said,
“Make no small plans; they have no power to stir men’s souls,” Wayne
took that quote to heart and applied it to his work and his life. “I knew
Dr. Taylor followed that rule, and it has carried me through many hard
times, including two bouts with cancer,” he said.
Wayne continues to work in a variety of venues, designing
and painting. He and Mimi, who still teaches second grade in the
Kettering system, are the parents of two adult sons, Nathan, a medical
sales specialist, and Brent, a professional photographer in New York.
Wayne also is active with the Miami Artists Guild, and he secured
funding and designed the Fairmont Art Gallery for Kettering City
Schools.
Although Wayne Taylor undoubtedly will continue to
create works that “stir men’s souls,” he will always be remembered
as University of the Cumberlands’ “Michelangelo” because of the
remarkable, meaningful showpieces he has created on campus.
14 CumberlandToday Summer 2010