AP Art and Design is now a tech-core class for seniors in the DIT pathway. What once was one, mid-sized class, is now two large classes.
Students say AP Art and Design is more challenging and rigorous than the preceding Creative Design classes. Part of what makes this class more involved is the self-guided nature of the class. All work is student produced, from the medium to the subject, with a strong emphasis on communicating a message through the piece.
“As any artist, the whole goal is to tell a story,” art department head Tuwana Williams said. “A lot of us are working through past traumas, or we’re advocating for something that’s passionate to ourselves, and we’re trying to really reach a specific audience. And the only way to do that is if you’re mindful and intentional with everything that you’re using, from materials to your scale, the size of it, your composition.”
AP Art students were presented with a prompt which they can use to inspire their work. Students interpret the prompts differently, and can conjure up a range of subject matter.
“My idea is like, love for people and for yourself and for the world.” senior Isobel Thompson said, “And I feel like it’s important to have that, because otherwise you’ll be miserable forever and you can’t do that.”
Another senior, Ren Saif, plans on reimagining old, classic art pieces, with minorities. Saif said too many classic paintings contain old, rich, white people.
“If it’s something that I really want to have meaning, and I know what I want it to be, it’s not that hard,” Saif said.
Williams, as the teacher, tries to stimulate her students with questions and engagement. Engagement can be especially beneficial for students who are struggling with generating concepts.
“So every question that I ask is about why?,” Williams said. “Why did you choose it? What drives you, what motivates you, like what irritates you. Everything is based off a feeling around them, so that they can have a better connection of who they are, and keep the momentum with the artwork.”
Not only is a student’s concept important, but the execution. The medium chosen, and the technical execution is critical to doing well on the AP test. The materials used can be big for an artist as most students have a strong suit. Some prefer tradition mediums like paint or pencil, while others prefer less traditional approaches.
“I usually go off of what I haven’t really tried before,” Thompson said. “I like to use paint and other traditional things, but sometimes, if it fits, I’ll go with it and just mess around.”
