Advanced Placement art is a class that sophomores, juniors, and seniors may take after completing art Ⅰ and art Ⅱ. There are three courses available within AP art including: AP 2-D Art and Design, AP 3-D Art and Design, and AP Drawing. The main idea within each course is to investigate materials, processes, and ideas while showing practice, experimentation, revision, and communication of ideas when developing art and design.
Each student has to produce a portfolio that includes 15 artworks that relate to an essential question that the student chooses at the beginning of the semester. Not all of the artworks have to be completely finished, because the goal is to show improvement over time.
AP 2-D Art and Design focuses on developing 2-D skills through materials and processes such as graphic design, photography, collage, print-making, fashion illustration, collage, and others. AP 3-D Art and Design includes sculptures, architecture rendering and models, metal work, ceramics, glass works, and others. AP Drawing focuses on drawing with different materials and processes.
Deena Reed, an art teacher at West High, is excited to share the benefits of taking AP art. She stated, “There are many benefits of taking AP Studio courses. If a student scores a three, four, or five out of five on the portfolio reading, they will be eligible to earn college credit based on their chosen college’s acceptance policies. Most colleges require an art credit to graduate, or at the very least they require elective credits. Building a college level portfolio allows students to apply for scholarships in art at most schools that offer art degrees. AP Studio students learn how to write about their artwork, take high quality photographs, use Photoshop to crop and resize pictures, and produce artwork at a college level.”