Students work busily in a relaxed room where they begin to show their own personality through their work. AP Studio Art is a new class at the school that is built around developing three portfolios. Students create breadth, concentration and a quality portfolio while being challenged to step out of the box and express their own voice. During Silver 5, art teacher Erica Crist guides AP students through challenges they face.

“This class offers a college studio-like environment where students can work at a quicker and more challenging pace,” Crist said. “Through the course they develop their voice and personal artwork.”

Crist said that students first start off working on their breadth which allows them to work on idea building and the ability to tell a story through their artwork.

“Second semester they develop concentration, which is 12 works, developed around a certain theme,” Crist said. “AP graders look for how successfully students convey the theme and also growth from the first concentration to the final concentration.”

Senior RJ Smith knew that it’d be something he could enjoy and would be able to express his talents in.

“Everyone in the class is really talented. I like Ms. Crist and the atmosphere she provides. Each student independently works on their own stuff and it’s nice to go at your own pace,” Smith said.

Both Smith and Crist suggest taking AP Studio Art if interested in working hard and pursuing the arts after high school.