While some Lynnfield High departments are facing the prospect of reduced course offerings, the Art Department is bucking the trend when it comes to AP Art.
In addition to AP Art (2D Studio Art) and AP Photography/Graphic Design (2D Studio Art), students now have the option of taking a new course that was added this year, AP Drawing, after successful completion of AP Art.
“It is a similar format to AP 2D Design, but AP Drawing has a huge focus on mark-making, and I would say the standard for technical ability in drawing and painting is ranked at a higher level than the design portfolio,” Department Head Laura Johnson said.
Johnson said there are a total of 10 students in her AP Art class – eight in AP 2D Design and four in AP Drawing – and four students in Liz Hayden’s AP Photography. Another 10 students take Pre-AP Art and Photography.
Johnson said there are more students in the program than ever.
“Our AP program is indeed growing so that is exciting,” Johnson said. “Of course, I may be a bit biased, but I think it is a tremendously valuable experience to spend a year exploring a topic you are passionate about and making art about it. It may be one of the most personal courses available to take while in high school.”
By the end of the year, students must submit 15 final artworks that have been inspired by their chosen “Sustained Investigation” topic for the first section of the AP exam. The topic must be personal to and of interest to the students, which they explore throughout the year.
“The College Board places a huge emphasis on practice, experimentation and revision during the artmaking process,” Johnson said.
The second section of the exam is called “Selected Works” which requires students to submit their five strongest pieces.
“They must show outstanding synthesis which is the integration of materials, processes and ideas,” Johnson said.
Johnson said students picked a variety of topics, including mental health, relationships, life pressures, daydreaming, connection through food, body image, culture and family experiences.
“Liz (Hayden) and I are incredibly proud of the hard work and dedication all of our students displayed throughout the year, and it was exciting to witness their artistic vision and growth,” Johnson said. “Taking AP Art, Drawing or Photography is an artistic challenge but also an incredibly rewarding experience for our students.”
In 2022, the department took it to another level when four students answered every question correctly, scoring a perfect score of 5 on the AP 2D Art and Design portfolio exam. Of the approximately 37,000 students worldwide who took the exam, only 189 earned perfect scores.
“It (was) pretty exciting for such a small town to have great success such as this,” said Johnson. “But they sure earned it with their hard work and dedication.”
When asked if this year’s AP students could repeat history, Johnson said the department always works hard to prepare students for the exam, but it’s not about the score.
“Anything’s possible, but at the end of the day, what matters most is not the score but a body of artwork inspired by their personal life experiences that they are super proud of and shows their tremendous artistic growth,” Johnson said. “They poured their hearts into fantastic pieces that had personal meaning to them all year long, and it was truly an honor to watch. We are incredibly proud of how hard all of our AP artists worked this year from brainstorming and experimenting with new techniques to adding complexity to their work and refining their technical skills.”
The show is open to all staff and students on Friday, May 23 from 12:30- 2 p.m.
