When students at Daniel Hand High School took AP Art this year, they strengthened their technical abilities, learned to create artwork with deeper purpose, and discovered how critique and sustained investigations shape their growth as artists.
AP Art is the most rigorous visual arts course offered at the school, requiring students to complete a two trimester long portfolio that includes sustained investigations: 10 finished works. Unlike introductory art classes that may focus on single assignments or short-term projects, AP Art challenges students to develop a cohesive theme, refine advanced techniques, and produce college-level pieces while balancing a demanding workload.
For many students, the course marked a major shift in how they approached artmaking.
Senior Lilla Schreiner said AP Art changed her mindset about finishing work and taking projects further than she had before.
“Before taking AP Art, I would always do smaller pieces or more sketch-based works,” Schreiner said. “Now I do more complete and fully finished pieces instead.”
Schreiner said that while her overall subject matter stayed similar, the course required a higher level of effort and polish. She added that critiques can be helpful, but not always easy depending on the medium being used.
“I feel like critiques can be very helpful depending on the art piece,” Schreiner said. “If you do something with mixed media or printmaking, you can't really do critiques the same way.”
Other students said the course not only improved their artwork but also changed the way they evaluated themselves creatively.
Senior KC Comerford said AP Art made him more intentional, but also more aware of outside standards.
“I think it has made me more purposeful in my creation of artwork,” Comerford said. “It has made me more critical because you’re constantly thinking about others' standards.”
Comerford, who works in multiple mediums including sewing and quilting, said the course pushed him into a more structured and academic mindset. While he described himself as someone who constantly experiments, he said AP Art narrowed his choices in a productive way.
“It narrowed down my choices,” Comerford said. “Not in a bad way, but in a way where you know what works, so you stick with it and improve it.”
Students also said critiques played a major role in their development helping them view their work through different perspectives.
Senior Emilia Munro said feedback could sometimes be blunt, but it taught her how to reflect more carefully.
“One time during a critique, a girl said my art looked really muddy,” Munro said. “I learned not to take every critique too seriously.”
Munro said that AP Art helped her improve her painting skills, especially with watercolor and gouache, and encouraged her to add deeper meaning to her work.
“Even if I started a painting without it having a true meaning, the class made me able to add meaning to my art,” Munro said.
Although the course can feel overwhelming, students agreed that it offers valuable growth beyond the classroom.
Schreiner said she would recommend the class because of the supportive environment.
Comerford said that the class helps students better understand their creative goals.
Munro said AP Art also introduced her to new materials and inspired her to continue pursuing art independently.
“I’ve never tried gouache before,” Munro said. “I used the gouache that the school provided and I loved it so much I bought my own.”