Issue link: http://latinschool.uberflip.com/i/96440
In a given year, between eight and 12 students, who generally have taken two or more art electives and want to take their work to a higher level, choose to take AP Art Studio. Holloway starts off by advising students to identify how they are going to use the portfolio and who the audience is, often sending them to get input from their college counselor along the way. From there, it is a process to get to the essence of a student���s strongest, most meaningful work. Through peer reviews, teacher critiques, ���yes,��� ���no��� and ���maybe��� piles, debates and discussions, students are encouraged to be truly thoughtful about what they are creating. ���Some students think it���s quantity ��� that they must have at least 20 finished works to make their portfolio successful,��� says Holloway. ���Other students think it is about how much time they have spent. But really, what makes a portfolio excellent is how well all the pieces come together to show a student���s skill.��� For Annelise Brandel-Tanis ���10, a freshman at St. Olaf College, AP Art Studio was a next step if she wanted to continue to pursue her passion for drawing at Latin. Initially, the portfolio was just a component of the course to her, but Annelise soon embraced the intensity of this project. ���I wanted to see how far I could go and what I could make that would mean something,��� she explains. She describes the experience of learning to edit her work, understand the value of a critique, observe the work of others and have the confidence to determine when something is good, as not only enriching, but ���soul-baring.��� Annelise looks forward to majoring in art at St. Olaf and taking the lessons from her Art Studio experience with her as she tackles new mediums like ceramics, printmaking and knitting alongside her drawing. ��� Annelise Brandel-Tanis��� passion for drawing comes to life in her portfolio. ��� Evelyne Girardet ���. . . what makes a portfolio excellent is how well all the pieces come together to show a student���s skill.��� ��� visual arts teacher Christine Holloway Latin School of Chicago 21