Hackley School

Seniors enrolled in the AP Studio Art course are required to assemble a substantial portfolio of artwork for submission to the College Board in May. These portfolios are comprised of three components: quality, breadth, and concentration works.

 

For their quality work, students must send in five actual pieces of art for close inspection by the AP examiners. Students typically select their five strongest pieces to send in as their quality work.

 

For the breadth component students must digitally submit twelve original pieces that show they are comfortable working both figuratively and abstractly, and in a broad range of materials, techniques, and scales. The breadth portfolio must also reveal a solid grasp of a full range of formal art issues.

 

The final component, the concentration portfolio, is for most students the most challenging aspect of the Studio AP, and the most rewarding. For their “concentrations”, students must develop an extensive portfolio of independent work, based on an idea or theme of their own choosing. It is not unusual for even very talented students who confidently tackle projects assigned by their instructors to feel less confident about generating their own ideas.

 

To get the creative ball rolling, students spend the summer of their senior year exploring preliminary concepts and directions, and in September arrive in the studio on the first day of school ready for a major critique of their work. By the end of the first quarter most concentrations are well on their way. At the beginning of the year students are encouraged to work in black & white, as color can complicate the early conceptual and technical development of ideas. Color typically begins to appear in work by November, as students clarify their thinking, and gain knowledge of and confidence in their chosen direction.

Included in the Gallery are a number of early concentration pieces from this year’s senior AP group. The range of directions, ideas, and approaches is extensive. Students present a new concentration piece to the group for critique roughly every two weeks. Critiques can be lively and intense, but are always valuable opportunities for students to receive constructive feedback on the strengths and weaknesses of their work, and the thinking behind it.

Every spring the Visual Arts Department hosts a number of exciting art exhibitions showcasing the talents and achievements of our many fine young artists.

An exciting and fun part of the exhibition process involves announcing the shows to the community with an invitation card. For the past eight years the Upper School has produced a series of announcement cards for both the AP Thesis and All Upper School Shows.

The All Upper School Show card always features an outstanding piece of art made during the year in one of our courses. For this year’s card, the department chose a terrific charcoal drawing of a gorilla, made in Intermediate Studio by Nick DiPietrantonio.

The seniors have the privilege of brainstorming their own card, and every group tries to outdo the previous year. From standing in buckets of paint, to splattering themselves with color, to standing tall as art superheroes, the cards are always as imaginative as they are fun, and capture the personality of each graduating class of senior artists.

Everyone seems to have a favorite: last year’s “FIGHT MEDIOCRITY” card is Upper School Director Mr. King’s, while Ms. Akin, Communications Director, has held firm for eight years with the very first card featuring Ben Miller '02, completely covered in orange and black paint. 

Tell us your favorite!