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The Piedmont Highlander

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AP art trades concentrations for classmate commissions

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The AP art class is getting a taste of what it’s like to have a career in art as they gain real world experience, making art for one another as their final project.

The class is commissioning art for each other, since they have finished their concentrations and have submitted them to the College Board.

“It’s a really nice way to get people motivated, especially second semester seniors,” art teacher Gillian Bailey said. “They’re excited about the project and they know other people are putting in a tremendous amount of effort to create a good work of art for them.”

Art students picked names from a hat and commission ed a piece for the person whom they picked. The person describes what they like or if they have something in particular that they want.IMG_9931

Senior Katie Yu said that the AP art commission is basically training high school students for working in the real world. When people ask to buy a piece of art in the future, the project is supposed to exercise their abilities to satisfy the buyer while representing their own voice within the piece.

Bailey said that students have four weeks to create an original piece of artwork. People can request different styles and subject matter or they can give the artist making their piece entire free reign.

“It’s a real world activity, where you’re an artist and you have to create something original and interesting for your client, but you don’t feel like you’re sacrificing your artistic integrity.”  Bailey said.

Senior Maret Sotkiewicz has decided to incorporate her concentration into her commission. She has been embroidering photographs of women in her life for the past school year, so she has decided to do an embroidery of her commissioner doing a hobby they enjoy.

“It’s basically a gift exchange, it’s pretty much taking what you did for your concentration and adapting it to the person’s interest.” Sotkiewicz said.

Although many of the students are using their concentration for their commissions, the project is open.

“I actually am doing something totally unrelated to my concentration for my commission,” senior Zoe Kalbag said. “I love to bake and I know I won’t get to bake as much in college so I am taking this opportunity to explore baking techniques and create a piece of culinary art.”

Yu said she is excited because the receiver of the piece will hopefully bring it to college with them where they can remember the class.

The final gift exchange will happen during the last class period of the school year.

“I think I will get to exercise my artistic voice for one of the last times in my life,” Yu said. “I hope to gain a new friend and make them happy.”

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