When you walk into room 806 during blocks two and five, there are artists at work everywhere. In one corner, students carefully clamp a wooden frame around a brilliantly painted canvas. Three stand in front of the Promethean board, scrolling through frames of a student-made action comic. Another carefully drags her ink pen across paper, rendering dark shadows in the eyes of an eerie skull. Apple pencils slide across screens, adding tiny pixels of pink to a stunning sunset. Welcome to AP Art and Design.
AP Art and Design is a popular elective for seniors, offering students the opportunity to use the art skills they have acquired over the past three years of high school to create their own portfolios for College Board to review. While AP Art is one class at Woodgrove, there are three different AP portfolio exams to sign up for: AP 2-D Art and Design, AP 3-D Art and Design, and AP Drawing.
All of the AP Art portfolio exams are split into two sections: Sustained Investigation, which is worth 60% of the total score, and Selected Works, which is worth 40% of the total score. For the Sustained Investigation, students must submit 15 images of their work as well as a written description about the inquiry that guided their investigation and how that investigation developed. When students submit their Selected Works, they pick five pieces and submit an image and written description for each.
“The investigation, the 60%, is the bulk of the focus in the class,” said AP Art Teacher, Mr. Geoff DeMark. “[They are] trying to build up this body of work that is connected in some fashion, either by concept or material, and then they need to express it. Then you get to that 40%: the selected. That’s what I would call the best of the best. You pick those 5 images, trying to really highlight why and what’s going on there. Those pieces can come from the sustained investigation, but they don’t have to. It gives [students] a chance to potentially put things in that they didn’t have in that first body,” DeMark shared.
Grace Harvey is creating a 2-D Art and Design portfolio investigating the question, “How does a connection with others lead to an acceptance of self?” She likes the freedom to experiment the class provides and being able to hang out with friends she has had art classes with throughout high school. Harvey explained, “We know that Mr. DeMark isn’t going to judge us and he’s going to give us feedback. Everyone just helps each other. We all want each other to succeed, and I do think that is really nice.”
Teagan Lowery is the odd one out in her block, as she is the only person creating a portfolio for 3-D Art and Design. She joined the class having no idea what her portfolio might look like, presuming it would have something to do with drawing. As she learned about the freedoms the class offers, she decided to do something unexpected and create a fashion portfolio. Lowery explained, “I take old material from the thrift store or hand me downs and I turn them into something new.”
AP Art is a haven for Sarah Gingerich to escape the stress of her academic classes. “It’s always fun to come here and be with all my friends and see some really cool artwork, because everyone’s so talented. Working on art together is just such a fun thing to do,” she remarked. She is also creating a 2-D Art and Design portfolio. Gingerich said, “My portfolio is scenery artwork combined with memories of places I’ve been, assigning a human relationship to that scenery and making it a place I want to step into.”
While AP Art is definitely a fun course, it does not come without its challenges. Jenna Farr, who is going to be studying art at James Madison University in the fall, recognizes the hard work necessary to succeed in the class despite her passion for it. “To me, this is one of my hardest classes that I take, just because it’s so time consuming,” Farr commented.
Many AP Art students talked about their struggles with staying motivated in the class, especially as their last year of high school starts winding down. Julianna Nelson, who has battled being unmotivated herself, advised, “I usually try to deal with it by looking in new places to find inspiration, such as talking to friends about their pieces or themes, or trying out a new material.”
Ultimately, the struggles artists face in the class pay off. Harvey explained, “My art has improved so much since taking this class. I could not have done this a year ago.” Aidan Barrientos, who is focusing his portfolio on his action art, agreed. “This class is a little bit of a different level. This one has a lot of great artists to push you forward,” Barrientos remarked.
With course selections still happening, juniors who have been involved in art throughout high school have the option to select AP Art as one of their electives for senior year. To anyone planning on taking the class, Mr. DeMark says, “Be ready to work hard and try to discover as much as you possibly can.”
