What is AP Art?

AP Art is one of the most interesting AP classes on the classroom market for reasons besides the content inside. In fact, it doesn’t have an exam and is separated into different classes with different concentrations. This Friday, May 10th, is the due date for AP Art 2-D and 3-D portfolios to be submitted to the College Board, marking the beginning of the end of the school year. 

Many questions float around when AP Art is mentioned, especially surrounding the process of a portfolio upload rather than the usual AP exams. The AP Art portfolio is due the week of the AP Exams. It’s a time of stress just as other AP exams . The artwork made over the course of the class is compiled and uploaded through slides to submit, and writing that explains the work and the sustained investigation’s theme is edited to get across the message and meaning behind the pieces. Unbeknownst to many, the writing plays a key role in scoring for the portfolio. 

The scoring for AP Art has changed for this 2023-4 school year, but the process of uploading and the rubric has remained the same. The artworks, just as the exams, are scored on a scale of 5, with a 3 being a passing grade. It can also be counted as a college credit past the score of 3 at certain colleges. The process of uploading the works to AP Classroom is fairly straightforward with a section for your works as well as a small section for your process of creating each piece. Dimensions and materials must be listed, and this goes for both sections of the portfolio: the sustained investigation and the selected works. The selected works are five  of your most favorite pieces, the ones you are proudest  of and do not have to be within your theme. The sustained investigation is what you work all year towards, compiling an underlying theme expressed how you wish. Both are submitted together at the same time. 

While it may be similar in name and somewhat in content, AP Art History is a separate class to AP Art with very different class structures. AP Art History is a history based class, having lessons in place and an exam at the end of the class. It is not an “art” class by means of making anything, a common misconception. It also does not have a prerequisite requirement.  AP Art is baked around creating, in either concentration you choose and requires prerequisites depending on which you choose. AP 2-D requires that you first take Art I, II, III and IV (where Art II can be substituted for Drawing or Painting class, and noting that Art IV is taken with AP back to back). AP Sculpture requires you to take three levels of the class as well (with level III being tied to AP as well). 

Though very different from your usual AP class, AP Art is not to be looked over. The students are very talented and put a lot of effort into their work. Soon to come is the AP Art show, marking the end of a year of creating in the classes. Make sure to stop by and check out the pieces made by your peers!