Advanced placement pieces

The art department will be hosting it’s annual AP art show until the end of the month and can be viewed during school hours. Set up in the art gallery, the debut of the show will be from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and will feature over 100 works from 31 AP students.

“We’ve been planning for the show since the beginning of the school year,” AP Art teacher Mr. Horn said. “The show is focused towards giving students a chance to exhibit their individual pursuits in their work.”

Displaying both traditional and nontraditional media, the art gallery has a variety of works from painting to computer generated design to live performances. Each student works with an artist’s concentration, an idea or theme that must be well communicated through their pieces.

“A concentration is like the theme of a book,” senior Emily Olkkola said. “What is the message you are trying to get across? Why does this matter? In my concentration, I present possible factors on why Christianity is declining in the United States through photography.”

While each student is instructed to have an individual and unique concentration, there are no distinct requirements for the number of pieces each student should have on display.

“You’re supposed to showcase your best work, however many pieces that may be,” junior Gavin Mullaly said. “It’s kind of difficult thinking about how you want to set it up because it’s completely up to you. Everyone is working hard to get everything done before the show debuts. It’s a good experience – the show is a great chance to show your skills and flaunt who you are as an artist.”

The art course intends to give the students an opportunity to explore and express their creativity on an advanced level.

“I always liked going through the AP show when I was in my Drawing II class,” junior Rachel Meyne said. “It was always really cool to see the work created by upperclassmen. Now that I’m in AP Art, I think it’s cool I get to show my work to the underclassmen.”

With new talent and works coming from both first and second year AP students, the show has been highly received.

“The AP show is the one where every AP student has to participate in,” senior Christie Ballew said. “It’s not going to be something you picked the day before the show. It’s an exhibit that you put together with the intention of a lot of people seeing it and trying to understand your work. The communication of ideas makes it different, and I’m excited for the school to experience our work.”