At the end of each school year, the OH Fine Arts Department hosts an individualized art show for its AP classes to demonstrate what each student has learned in art and showcase all their hard work throughout the whole school year.
“It’s a portfolio of all the accomplishment[s], of artwork that [they] made,” said OH Fine Arts Department Chair Michael Skura. “It’s also to see a journey of the artwork and how it has evolved.”
While it is an opportunity for students to show off their art, it also congratulates them for all the work they put into their art.
“It’s nice to see them get rewarded for their efforts and for the hard work they put in throughout the year,” said art teacher Aaron Kolkay.
During the year, students in AP Drawing, AP 2-D Art and Design, and AP 3-D Art and Design create a specific theme to follow with their art pieces.
“We have a sustained investigation that we follow and make art that’s based off of our sustained investigation,” said OH senior Addison Tyner.
To Addison Tyner, the art show means they are progressing and gaining new experiences from their art.
“My focus is figuring out how to use different mediums while bettering my art and creating animals that are familiar to me,” said Tyner.
Throughout their art experiences, they have learned many messages, many of which are applicable to life outside of art.
“I’ve learned that I can do a lot of different things and different types of art. I’ve learned that I’m more than capable of trying new things and doing well,” said Tyner.
To OH senior Alex Flores, the art showcase is about what work they’ve done in their specific school year.
“My projects are about irrational fears, and I try to personify them through creatures or monsters,” said Flores
They have learned many lessons through art, and several of those lessons are applicable to life in general, not just in art.
“I’ve learn[ed] that you can do stuff outside of your comfort zone,” said Flores. “You need to stay focused and persevere through tougher times.”
To graduating junior Laila Green, the art showcase is a place where everyone can see all her work. With her art focus of feminism, she has spent her year working in a variety of mediums to create her art.
“Understanding everyone has their own strengths, and accepting you either do what you like or what you’re good at, and hopefully they’re the same thing,” said Green.OH senior Makenzie Benz chose a personal theme for her art focus for the year.
“I wanted to explore different moments in my life and show my progression of not only myself, but my artwork,” said Benz.
She has learned many lessons from art that can be applied to her life in general.
“Don’t be perfect; I’ve learned that when I stopped centering on making sure every detail is exactly how I want it, I actually make better artwork,” said Benz.
Overall, the AP Art Show means a great deal of things, but it shows students’ artwork and all the hard work they have put into expressing themselves.
My name is Monaco Tiffany. I am a senior at Oswego High School and Oswego East High School. This is my second year as part of 42Fifty. I am serving as one of the Managing Editors for 42Fifty. I am involved in the frc robotics team 2338 Gear It Forward.
You can contact me by emailing 42Fifty@sd308.org and putting my name in the subject line. We welcome comments on our articles and feedback on our publication
