Advanced Placement (AP) tests are nerve-wracking and time-demanding exams, but not all AP classes hold that type of rigor. AP Art Studio focuses on expanding and inspiring students to create works of art that reflect their creativity. Instructor Susanne Friedrich takes it upon herself to “teach students different steps on how to do artwork, give them examples, and let them experiment on their own.” It is a process-oriented class where students can rely on the help of their teacher while simultaneously experimenting with different mediums of artmaking. These experiments eventually allow students to find what they enjoy most.

Through time, artmakers build a combination of their artwork in a portfolio that will be submitted to a dashboard. These meticulously curated portfolios are their AP test. All the students in the class are working to create artwork to add to their portfolios. Some look into submitting these portfolios to art colleges. Senior Leah DeWitte explains that students “submit their portfolios to a dashboard that tells us if our portfolios are good enough to go to college.” With the leadership of Ms. Friedrich, students critique each other’s pieces. This constructive criticism helps students improve and finalize their work to add to the portfolio. In this class, classmates build on their talents in addition to collaborating by aiding in strengthening each other’s talents. AP art students are developing their skills to become fantastic artists.