Some people ask questions that might be hard to answer with words. The AP Art students have taken it into their own hands and use creation instead of sentences to answer those questions.
The AP Art students are currently working on a sustained investigation progress project, “which is a big question that we want to ask with our art or something that we just want to show with it,” Kolby Chambers (12) said.
The main objective of this project is to create a solid portfolio so the students can submit it to College Board. They will be able to use their portfolios for colleges and jobs in the future.
In the class, the students all have the same project; however, they make their art using different methods such as oil painting, acrylic painting and more. Chambers’ question had to deal with abstract ideas in the form of environments and he uses digital media. “I just finished my first art piece — ‘Dreams’ —and I’m about to move on to my next one — ‘Righteousness’ — and I think it will be a lot of fun.”
While some people already have their sustained investigation prompts finalized, others are still thinking about it and fine-tuning it for their piece.
“So with my sustained investigation, I’m still working on, like, wording it,” Ava McLendon (12) said. “Like, it’s something you work on the entire year, but since I’m a senior now, I’m really focusing a lot just, like, growing up and a fear of doing that. All that comes with, you know, graduating.”
McLendon is an oil painter and decided to capture her fear of driving in her artwork. “When I think of driving, I think of the monster under the bed, so I painted me, you know, physically looking under my bed and there’s like two bright headlights to represent the monster.”
Unlike other art classes, the AP Art class is more for people who are already well versed in the subject and know beyond the basics. “They come into an AP program comfortable making art already,” Karri Cassity (staff), the AP Art teacher said. “It’s students who enjoy the art-making process.”
Cassity watches over the students and answers any questions they may have, but for the most part, it’s the students that take the wheel. “I’m not teaching students how to be an artist,” she stated. “The students who come into AP have had those goals probably for all throughout high school.”
The class is helping its students build a portfolio and maybe even get into college, but it can also be seen as a fun class and last hurrah for seniors before they move onto the next stage in life.
“I’m going to have to go into college, like, getting jobs and stuff, so I just don’t know how much time I’ll have to dedicate to art,” McLendon said. “So for me, this is like one last chance to really dedicate myself to something I like before I might not be able to.”
The sustained investigation will last for the whole school year and the students will end up completing several pieces throughout the year. Their portfolio will show College Board what they are capable of and passionate about. There will be an exhibit in the spring with AP Art work from both WHS and SHS.
