When you think of a typical Advanced Placement class, what comes to mind? Piles of homework, frightening tests and binders full of notes? Not so for AP Studio Art. Though students have to prepare for the AP exam and work hard, the class is different from many other regular AP classes, according to several students.
To start, the class has an intimate atmosphere. The small size of the class makes the students closer, and looking at classmates’ work can rub off on your own, said senior Tracey Faber.
“It’s really helpful to look at what other people are doing,” she said. “There’s a girl in my class who’s also doing stuff with nature, but she’s focusing on the emotion of it. Watching her work has made me think a lot about not just getting the correct details, but the correct feeling.”
In addition, the class stresses freedom of choice. Students work completely on their own initiative, choosing their own medium, theme and amount of time spent on each piece.
“It’s more independent so, on one hand that’s really fun because now I get to choose my direction and choose what I want to draw or paint,” said senior Coco Faber.
According to Tracey, with great independence comes great responsibility. Tracey, Coco and senior Catherine Marris all agree that it can be difficult to plan the time spent on each piece in order to get enough done by the end of the quarter.
“For me, it’s hard sometimes because I need to get things done and I don’t have enough time, but I also want to make something that I really love. So that’s difficult,” said Tracey.
On the other hand, the atmosphere of the class is quite relaxed, according to Coco. After a preview of the upcoming week at the beginning of class, students use the whole period to work on a current piece while chatting and listening to music.
“I’m really good friends with most of my classmates. I think we know all of each other pretty well,” said Marris. “Sometimes you feel like if you know someone’s artwork you know them better as a person.”
Group critiques are another highlight of AP Studio Art. Once every few weeks, everyone gathers together to do a group critique. This involves everyone focusing on one person’s piece and analyzing it thoroughly. Though critiques are often done in art classes, the AP class takes them to a more in-depth, structured level, according to art teacher Donna Sartanowicz.
“I usually choose a theme for the critique that I think will help them connect with the work and move that work forward,” she said. “It just depends on what they need at that moment in time based on how far along they are in the process, and based on my observations of how they’re working.”
According to Tracey and Coco, these critiques are usually helpful.
“A few of our critiques, everyone has been kind of tired, so our teacher was mostly talking, so it kind of depends whether they’re helpful or not,” said Coco. “I think it is good. Part of it’s putting your stuff on the wall and looking at it from a distance, and getting a little bit of a new perspective on it.”
The relationship with Sartanowicz that the students have developed is often quite strong by the time students reach AP Studio Art, Coco said. Many have taken art classes with her in the past, and Sartanowicz finds it nice to be able to observe her students’ growth.
“You might not realize it, but you change so much from freshmen year to senior year, and it’s just really interesting to be witness to that change,” said Sartanowicz. “With the kind of work that we do in the visual arts where it is often very personal. You get a little window into kids’ lives that you don’t get in the regular classroom.”
Olivia Shiffman can be contacted at [email protected].
