Sheena's AP Studio Art Blog

This year in AP Art has been a learning experience to say the least. I started off the year thinking "this will be fun". I soon learned that although creating art is fun, it is also very stressful.  I like to paint and relax and work at my own speed.  In AP Art Studio this is not necessarily the way things go.  I soon found that if I didn't work faster and push myself to try new things I would never be able to complete my portfolio on time.  I am also a bit of a procrastinater which became a daily challenge for me to work through.

My work has gone through many changes.  I started the year as a painter and ended as a photographer.  In between I experimented in many different mediums.  My paintings transformed into collage work, that later developed into multimedia that included sketches and doodles. Early in the year my teacher had us take photos of a variety of things.  When we were short on ideas she told us to get the photos out and use them for inspiration.  As time went by I began experimenting more with photography.  I was feeling stressed and rushed as I pulled together my work for my portfolio.  However, I am proud of the work I accomplished.

Whatever I do in the future, I hope to include my artistic abilities.

Visual Arts Classic(VAC)-Competitive Art Team

In Wisconsin (U.S.A.) we run a Regional and State Visual Arts Classic(VAC)competition as an extra curricular activity every year.  Our High School has participated for the past 20+ years. Any art teacher who is a member of the Wisconsin Arts Education Association WAEA/NAEA can join with a team of up to 12 members.  Recently several art teachers from other districts have asked for information about VAC.  I thought what better place than the classroom blog to post information and current pictures from this years competition.

A Quick Overview of VAC

• VAC is a competition for high school Art students (grades 9-12)

• Eleven studio categories

• Yearly theme

• In-depth research on the 12 selected artists whose work relates to the theme

• Scores are earned both individually and as a team

• Opportunity to create artwork in response to a prompt as a “long-term” project

• Challenge to create artwork in response to a prompt as an “on-site” project

• Team participation in Quiz Bowl competition

• Team participation in Critical Thinking competition-judged strongly on teamwork.

• Teams are composed of a group of 12 students

• Schools may register a half team of 6

• Team’s advisor/coach must be a current member of WAEA

• No more than 2 individuals from the same team may compete in a studio area

• All first places advance from Regional to State competition

• Cell phone use during competition will result in disqualification

• Friendly, non-threatening competition!




State Competition 2012 @ UW-Madison



VAC will help the student to develop and expand these skills:

- Conduct research

- Work independently

- Work cooperatively as part of a team

- Stay on task

- Find exemplars in art from which to model and learn

- Work out ideas in written form and sketches until he/she arrives at a solution

- Develop ability in the medium/technique of the problem through inquiry and practice

- Critique with knowledge his/her own work, peers, as well as that of artists

- Accept constructive criticism

- Search for new answers

- Manage time while working towards deadlines

- Take risks in solving problems

- Evaluate and be able to talk about his/her artwork

- Take charge of his/her own learning

-For more information, registration dates, forms, etc.  Check out the WAEA Visual Arts Classic site http://www.wiarted.org/visual-arts-classic.html

I'm interested in learning of other states/countries that run similar programs. Maybe we can collaborate and learn from each other.