Advanced Placement Studio Art: Drawing

by Nadia Cooper

Did you know there’s an AP Art class available at GISS? Students in grade twelve can submit a fifteen-piece portfolio containing advanced drawings and gain university level credits through this program. The submissions take place in early May each year and require additional hours outside of school and in class, but also grants students the chance to learn more in-depth techniques, first year university transfer credits, and a strong basis for art school the following year.  

 The program builds on what students already know, and follows a curriculum that covers painting, drawing, printmaking, illustration, animation, fibers, and more. They learn how to investigate materials, processes, and different ideas that other artists use, and how to practice and revise their own work in a number of different ways. 

 Students will gain a post-secondary course equivalent to an introductory class in drawing, which would be helpful for setting up any grade twelve students who are interested in pursuing post-secondary school in this area. Other skills that AP Art students will learn cover is how to show revisions and improvement over a course of time, explaining how they used materials and processes, combining ideas, and much more. “In AP Drawing, you’ll use the skills you learn in the course, and your own ideas, to create unique works of art.” - AP Drawing Class info page. 

 And it’s not too late to start! This program has a fairly simple application process, though it does require some time, and the due date is May 8th, 2026 at 8pm. You’ll mainly be working with GISS Art teacher Mr. Legun throughout the course, so if that interests you, contact him today, or whenever, at plegun@sd64.org. You can also find more information at https://apstudent.collegeboard.org/apcourse/ap-studio-art-drawing  

or on the GISS website.