“Everyone has something they can show as skill development or as unique creativity” AP Art Teacher Lorraine Vazquez claimed. After studying for 4 years in the art field, and working for another 24 years to follow, Vazquez has come to the thorough thesis of all artists.
From April 17th to the 18th, students in AP art, pottery, and digital art had the opportunity to present their proficiency and colorfully creative concepts with poster-board portfolios.
What these students have been cultivating immensely for the past 8 months has now been displayed for the entire high school to see. The showcase started from the front doors of the M building and cut off before the band room. Each presentation flourished fields of vision, causing the average passerby to pause and observe.
“It’s inspiring to other kids to see what they too can do,” Vazquez noted on the showcase.
The tenacious teacher pushes her students to their full potential, encouraging them to experiment throughout the course with varied materials and concepts. Well-spoken and tender, Vazquez weighed in on why she diversifies her curriculum; “I’d hate for my students to have 25 versions of the same piece. When we’re done, you look at them and they’re all different. I love that.”
Most undergraduates of the class are fairly new to her procedure, and on the fence as to whether they should pursue passions of an artist, or continue the class overall. Others are immensely inclined to the arts, taking artistic courses for the majority of their high school career.
Senior Sophia Rizzo is one of those inclined students, she began taking AP art in her junior year and is currently in her final year of the course. Thoroughly enjoying her two years, Rizzo would navigate in and out of Vazquez’s classroom, as if it was a second home. “I’ve always wanted to make art into my career.” Rizzo expressed, “I’ve always wanted to do it all my life. I never once thought anything else. I never once considered like, I want to be a lawyer. No, I want to make things.” she continued.
According to Rizzo, color alone can indicate so many meanings in art, including hers.
“Colors can mean emotion, portray people. Any kind of connection you can make between an image and a concept is pretty fascinating.”
Rizzo’s futuristic portfolio was accompanied by several other student portfolios in the drama room. Junior Solana Alvarez’s portfolio stood right next to Rizzo’s. Alvarez was selected to join AP Art in the same process as Rizzo.
In comparison to Rizzo, Alvarez’s art focused on the past and childlike wonder, having spent the most time on one creation in particular: An iconic children’s christmas dress turned into a small-sized replica.
I feel like we’re really letting go of our younger selves, but it’s something we should reflect upon and look at. I know I loved my childhood. — Sophia Rizzo
For those who reflect on the past, there are always artists who reflect on themselves. Sophomore Sarah Martinez started her first year of AP Art this school year, cultivating her portfolio based on various aspects of herself and other girls. She stated, “My personal feelings work as a fabric in the way of art making.”
Vazquez’s class has provided a significant canvas for all of her students. She expressed, “It’s so vital to show everyone’s potential, that’s why we do this every year.” Vazquez acknowledges that not ‘everyone’ is included in the showcase and looks forward to a future where other students can be included alongside her students. “The space is just so limited but I think it would be cool to enter a piece from outside the class, I would absolutely be open to that idea” she concurred
As of now, her students bring happy hues to the halls, as they have concluded another successful year of art.
