What Exactly is AP Art?

AP Art students and members of NAHS sponsored a table at the 2023 tailgate.

High school art classes are something most students take, either as a one-time class for the sake of the credit or a passion that some invest in during all 4 years. An outlet for creative and social opportunity, most students walk into an art class anticipating loose guidelines for various guided projects and studies, ending up in a diverse portfolio slideshow by the end of the semester. With that said, many would expect the AP counterpart to be more of the same with more rigor. But what is AP Art really? 

To begin with, students have to understand the time and effort it takes to even qualify for AP Art classes. All 4 prior studio art class (I, II, III, IV) must be passed before you can even sign up for an AP Art class. All told, that is 4 semesters of art and 4 portfolios. Many people often line up their Studio Art IV class the fall semester of the same year that they take AP Art (Senior or Junior year.) This allows for them to begin planning. But planning for what exactly?

Unique to AP Art, students begin the class by choosing a theme to stick to the entire semester. This can be general or specific as long as a student can expand upon it. Once the student has picked a theme, the theme is used to create a portfolio of art pieces which interpret that theme in different mediums and styles. The goal in AP Art is to demonstrate ability to come up with ideas and expand upon them. Like other AP classes, the work students complete in class is reviewed and graded with the highest grade being a 5. 

This semester there are a total of 5 students taking an AP art class at the high school. They are all juniors and seniors who are currently workshopping their ideas for a theme and where to begin. For example, Carter Nelson, a senior, says that he is exploring themes of nature and mechanics.

Elizabeth Bishop and Bella Hoyle both recommend this class for those passionate about studio arts.

“I would recommend AP art to anyone passionate about visual arts," said Hoyle. "Especially for those who want to work on more conceptualized artworks rather than focusing on basic techniques. The class is very helpful for learning how to visualize different themes and ideas."

Bishop agrees.

“There is a lot of freedom and autonomy that you don’t get in the lower art classes,” said Bishop.