Ms. Munson – munsond@fultonschools.orgClass Blog: http://munson-ap2010.blogspot.com/

Course DescriptionAdvanced Placement Studio Art is a college level course designed for students who are seriously interested in art. It will be individualized to meet the needs and interests of each student. Emphasis will be placed on independent work. Students should understand that AP involves significantly more commitment and accomplishment than the typical high school class. In May, AP Studio Art students must submit a portfolio that is evaluated by the College Board. Each portfolio is expected to include 12 pieces showing breadth of approaches, subjects and media, 12 pieces showing exploration of a concentration, and 5 examples of work that demonstrates the highest quality and overall excellence. Over the course of the school year students should expect to produce between 25 - 30 works of art that are strong in design, composition, craftsmanship, idea development and growth. There is no written examination for AP Studio Art. Students are, however, expected to submit a written statement discussing their ideas, thought development and growth.

Overview This course is designed to guide students in the creation of a portfolio which addresses three major concerns in the study of art:

Quality- A synthesis of form, technique and content in the student’s work. Concentration- An in-depth investigation and process of discovery centered

on a particular and compelling visual interest or problem. Breadth- A breadth of experience that exhibits serious grounding in visual

principles as well as formal, technical and expressive means of the artist.

Formal visual concerns, technical skills, and conceptual issues will be addressed through creative means in both teacher-directed assignments and student-directed projects. The creation of an AP Studio Art portfolio is an involved and personal process of discovery which is dependent on the student’s unique thinking and problem-solving skills. It is hoped that this course will not only help the student to produce an excellent body of artwork, but additionally it will introduce the student to the richness of the creative process on a personal level, open the door to personal discovery, and allow the student to make meaningful contributions to the greater culture.

Portfolio ChoicesRiverwood International Chater School offers all three AP Studio courses: Drawing, 2-D Design, and 3-D Design. A student will need to decide which portfolio would best fit their interest, skills and abilities.

The Drawing Portfolio emphasizes light and value, line quality, rendering of form, composition, surface manipulation, and the illusion of depth through a variety of means. It may include painting, printmaking, mixed media as well as abstract, observational, and inventive works.

The 2-D Portfolio addresses the elements of art (line, shape, color, value, form, space, texture) as organized through the principles of design (unity, balance, emphasis, variety, rhythm, movement, proportion). It may include graphic design, typography, photography, collage, fabric design, weaving, illustration, painting, and printmaking. The emphasis is on the purposeful decision making about how to use the elements and principles in an integrative way.

Advanced Placement Studio ArtRiverwood International Charter School

Munson – AP Syllabus 2 of 9 The 3-D Portfolio addresses a broad range of sculptural issues in depth and space.

These may include mass, volume, form, plane, light, and texture. Such elements and concepts may be articulated through a variety of media using modeling, additive, subtractive, and/or fabrication processes.

Expectations and Commitment to the AP Studio Art Program The AP program in Studio Art is intended for highly motivated students who are seriously interested in the study of art. While the AP portfolio requires a minimum of 24 works of art, it can be assumed that, due to the nature of the artistic process, many more than 24 pieces will need to be created throughout the year. Students may use artwork from previous art courses, and work created independently. However, the majority of the work is likely to be completed during the current year.

TimeYou should expect to work a minimum of 6-8 hours a week outside of class in order to be successful.

Participation in Discussions and Critiques Group discussion and critique is an essential component of any studio art class. The ability to give and receive honest and constructive criticism facilitates reflection and progress in the creative process. Students will learn through practice how to present and talk about their artwork and ideas in a mature manner, using sophisticated language, and correct terminology. Students will also learn through practice how to present critical ideas and questions in non-threatening and constructive ways. Students will participate in group critiques numerous times throughout the year. Some group critiques will be entirely verbal, some will be informal, and others will be more formal with structured presentation, analysis, and discussion. Some critiques will be written. Individual critiques with the instructor will also take place numerous times throughout each quarter. Students are also encouraged to learn from each other by engaging in discussion and dialog with each other about their work whenever possible.

Originality and Artistic Integrity Students are discouraged from working from published or copyrighted photographs or images of any kind. Students are allowed to work from photographs they have taken themselves. If a student does work from a published or copyrighted image, the image must be significantly altered so that it does truly become his/her own, in the student’s own artistic voice, and in the student’s own personal style and expression. Mere duplication of another person’s image, even in a different medium is not allowed. Students are always encouraged to work directly from their own vision and unique personal imagery, whether it be direct observation, imagination, memory, with or without the aid of their own original photographs, or any combination of the above. A detailed discussion of plagiarism, fraud, and issues of artistic integrity will take place in class. All students submitted work must be original in nature. Work that is based on published photography or another artist’s work in not acceptable. The intent of Advanced Placement Studio Art is to develop a student’s personal voice and vision. Submitting work that is unoriginal would be contrary to that ideal.

AP Portfolio Examination Requirements The AP Studio Art exam is not based on a written examination; instead, students submit portfolios for evaluation at the end of the school year.

Munson – AP Syllabus 3 of 9Portfolio Requirements:

Section I- Quality – works that excel in concept, composition, and execution Drawing: 5 actual works of art (maximum size 18”x24”) 2-D Design: 5 actual works of art (maximum size 18”x24”) 3-D Design: 10 digital images: 5 works, 2 views of each

Section II- Concentration –a written description of the concentration is also required

Drawing: 12 digital images 2-D Design: 12 digital images 3-D Design: 12 digital images

Section III- Breadth –works that demonstrate a variety of concepts, media, & approaches

Drawing: 12 digital images 2-D Design: 12 digital images 3-D Design: 8 works, 16 digital images, 2 views of each

Note: works from Section I may be included in Section II or Section III, but not in both. The student must have at least 20 works of art for the portfolio.

BreadthThe course teaches students a variety of concepts and approaches in 2-D Design, Drawing, and 3-D design so that the students are able to demonstrate a range of abilities and versatility with technique, problem solving, and ideation. Such conceptual variety can be demonstrated through the use of several media. Students will work to complete their Breadth pieces early in the fall semester. For the Breadth section, students may use work created in their foundation courses (in

the pre-AP years, drawing & painting, sculpture, jewelry, fabrics, and/or ceramics). Students are expected to complete three Breadth pieces during the summer.

Student work should demonstrate understanding of the principles of design, showing examples of unity/variety, balance, emphasis, contrast, rhythm, repetition, proportion/scales, and figure/ground relationship.

The student is introduced to a broad variety of media and techniques and encouraged to experimentally use a variety of media and techniques. Breadth exploration must include a wide range of thematic explorations, formal design problems, concept-based works, expressive manipulation of subject matter, and the exploration of ideas within a social, political, or economic framework. [C4]

Students should include direct observational studies for 3-D design work.

The best demonstrations of Breadth clearly show a range of conceptual approaches to 3-D design. Examples include:

work that employs line, plane, mass, or volume to activate form in space work that suggests rhythm through modular structure work that uses light or shadow to determine form, with particular attention to

surface and interior space work that demonstrates an understanding of symmetry, asymmetry, balance,

anomaly, and implied motion assemblage or constructed work that transforms materials or object identity

through the manipulation of proportion/scale work in which the color and texture unify or balance the overall composition of the

piece work that explores the concept of emphasis/subordination through a transition from organic to mechanical form

Examples of Breadth

Munson – AP Syllabus 4 of 9 Rhythmic constructions using at least 500 pieces of the same small common

object, emphasizing horizontal or vertical movement Totem inspired by the Bauhaus or the Art Deco style that is biographical in

content Portrait heads, busts, and entire figures: sculpted in clay, constructed from wire

and/or screen, assembled with found objects, string/rope stabilized with wax Clothing/hats/shoes/bags constructed from metal, clay, paper, wire, or wood Figures constructed from welded metal, clay, paper, wire, or wood that move

through a door Modular designs created by using paper tubes and other geometric forms

constructed from museum board Organic sculptures inspired by the work of Hepworth, Moore, or Noguchi Plaster casts of simple iconic buildings forms embedded with industrial or organic

materials Multiples combined to make a formal 3-D design Metamorphosis: an organic form evolving into another organic form; an organic

form evolving into a geometric form Abstraction and stylization of architectural models Modular development: five to seven large forms or 15 to 20 smaller forms

assembled into a formal 3-D design emphasizing color and/or surface treatment Forms evolving from seedpods or legumes Biographical figures that open up to reveal personal icons An altar influenced by non-Western spirituality Multiples: wax or plaster poured into clay molds and then assembled into a formal

3-D design Three to five transparent containers filled with some repeating elements that

create a narrative A Bauhaus-inspired object, using various papers and balsa wood A formal 3-D design that balances negative and positive areas, using nine cubes,

rectangles, and dowels Clay busts of iconic painted portraits from art history

ConcentrationThe course enables students to develop a focused body of work investigating a strong underlying visual idea in either 2-D Design, Drawing, or 3-D design that grows out of a coherent plan of action or investigation. [C3] Quality is evident in both concept and technique.

Students will view concentration slides from the College Board, thematically related bodies of work from contemporary artists, and past AP Concentration projects.

In addition to the project assignments, students must come up with five ideas for their Concentration and produce five sketches for each idea in their sketchbook. In September, during the first six weeks of school, students will meet with the teacher about their ideas, narrowing them down to one. Students will refine their Concentration idea and present it to the class as another way of articulating the initial artist statement.

Students are presented with the concept of a Concentration defined on the AP Studio Art poster.

Through reflective writing assignments and group critiques, student will articulate the central idea of their Concentration and how their Concentration has evolved in areas such as clarity of conceptual direction technical expertise, personal imagery and subject matter, and mastery of the design elements and principals. [C3, C5, C6]

Munson – AP Syllabus 5 of 9 Through reflective writing and group critiques, students will refer to influences on

their work: a continuum of a stylistic direction from art or design history, contemporary artists’ works influencing their thinking, and their ongoing research into personal interests.

A Concentration is a body of related works that: grows out of a coherent plan of action or investigation is unified by an underlying idea that has visual and/or conceptual coherence is based on individual interest in a particular visual idea is focused on a process of investigation, growth, and discovery shows the development of a visual language appropriate for the subject

Examples of Concentrations: A series exploring cultural intersections A series about ritual and self-portraits A series about weaving with nontraditional and traditional materials that evolve into

objects A series of animal- or plant-inspired forms that evolve into formal objects A series of wire figures in various environments A series about changing the function of common objects A series exploring rhythm and movement with common materials A series giving human qualities to common objects A series using elements of the urban landscape as a basis for three-dimensional

design A series of abstractions from natural objects A series using multiples to create formal three-dimensional design A series of personal icons A series of enlarged common objects constructed from unusual materials A series of interpretive busts or figure studies that emphasize expression and/or

abstraction A series of architectural models for homes, public buildings, or monuments A series of assemblages that juxtapose the coarse and refined qualities of a material A series of multiples/modules to create compositions that reflect psychological or

narrative events A series of sculptures that explore the relationship between interior and exterior

space A series of personal or family history communicated through the content and style of

narrative assemblage A series of figures exploring aspects of self A series of sculptures and installation pieces centered around cultural views of

women and their bodies A series of sculptures reinterpreting themes and deities from world religions A series of self-portrait busts A series of welded metal sculptures that investigate formal design elements

Class Requirements: Summer Assignments: Completion of 3 summer pieces of art work will be required.

Additionally, activities involving concentration development, idea development, artist and exhibition analysis will be included in summer expectations. Specifics of summer expectations will be given prior to the conclusion of the current school year. All work will be due the first week of the new school year.

Munson – AP Syllabus 6 of 9 Folder: This notebook/folder is to be used to keep all course information, course

syllabus, AP requirements, work completed list, "to do" list, etc. It will be checked periodically for a grade.

Journals: Journals are required for each student. These will be used to record ideas and experiments for various assignments. Each 6 weeks, a double page journal entry will be due that focuses on design and conceptual development. Journals will also be used for mixed media assignments and can be included in the portfolio.

Studio Time: Studio work will include assigned projects and exercises as well as independent work in areas of the student’s choosing.

Studio Night: Twice a month (on Thursdays, from 4:00pm – 6:00pm), students will be required to attend “Studio Night.” During this time students will be exposed to media, processes and techniques that might not be possible during the regular class period. Many of these activities can be further developed and used as an outside assignment. A calendar of dates will be given at the beginning of each semester so that work schedule and extra-curricular conflicts are avoided.

Outside Assignments: Every 2 weeks an outside assignment will be due. This assignment is planned and developed solely by the student. The media, size and subject is of the student’s choosing. Students should always have projects in progress, both at home and at school.

Gallery Visits: Students will be expected to visit galleries, museums and/or art shows on a regular basis and write about their experience. Due dates will be announced well in advance to allow an opportunity to plan a visit.

Digital Images: Digital images of the student’s work must be taken for portfolio submission. Students will do this following the format and guidelines set forth by The College Board.

Student Blog: Each student is required to create and maintain a blog. Critquing and research assignments are required and will be posted to your blog. Set up your blog at www.blogspot.com. Once your blog is completed, link it to our class blog at http://munson-ap2010.blogspot.com/

Supplies: A $65.00 supply fee will be assessed to students for a sketchbook, basic drawing materials and general supplies used for the course. As areas and mediums of interest are determined, students will undoubtedly need to expand their supplies at their own expense. Our best local art supply stores are Binder’s in Buckhead and Dick Blick in Roswell. Many of these items can also be found at Michael’s or at a local office supply store.

Grading Criteria: Each assignment will have specific objectives and criteria. Students are expected to complete each assignment to the best of their ability. The total semester grade will be an average of the following parts:

75% Class and Home Assignments 15% Journals, notebooks, critiques, and written assignments 10% Final Exam

Due Dates: Students will be given adequate time to complete each assignment. Advance notice will be given of both homework and class work. Assignments not turned in on time will receive 10 points per day deduction.

Absence Make-Up Work: Upon returning to school following an absence, it is the student’s responsibility to contact the teacher to request make up work. Students with an excused absence, per the office, have the number of days they were absent to make up an assignment. Make up work will be done outside of class time either in the mornings, after school or at home.

Munson – AP Syllabus 7 of 9Conference Info: Teachers are available to meet with students or parents by appointment. Parents will be notified by letter or telephone if their attention is required for assistance in student remediation or for notification of outstanding accomplishment.

Recovery Policy:Fulton County Policy – Provision for Improving Grades Opportunities designed to allow students to recover from a low or failing cumulative grade will be allowed when all work required to date has been completed and the student has demonstrated a legitimate effort to meet all course requirements including attendance. Students should contact the teacher concerning recovery opportunities.  Teachers are expected to establish a reasonable time period for recovery work to be completed during the semester.  All recovery work must be directly related to course objectives and must be completed ten school days prior to the end of the semester. Teachers will determine when and how students with extenuating circumstances may improve their grades. Honor Code: As explained in the student handbook, cheating is defined as “the giving or receiving, in any form, information relating to a gradable experience.” Violations of the honor code will result in a zero for the assignment, plus an honor code violation form placed in the student’s disciplinary file. Read the handbook carefully to fully understand what constitutes a violation.

If you have any questions or concerns, please email the art department:Ms. Munson: munsond@fultonschools.org

Bibliography Enstice, Wayne & Peters, Melody. Drawing Space, Form, & Expression, Englewood

Cliffs, NH: Pearson- Prestice Hall, 2003. Kleiner, Fred & Mamiya, Christin. Gardner’s Art Through the Ages, 12th ed. Belmont,

CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning, 2005. Luecking, Stephen. Principles of Three Dimensional: Objects, Space, and Meaning.

Cliffs, NH: Pearson- Prentice Hall, 2002. Mackey, Maureen. Experience Clay. Worchester, MA: Davis Publications, Inc., 2003. Ragans, Rosalind. ArtTalk, 4th ed. Mission Hills, CA: Glencoe McGraw Hill, 2000. Sprintzen, Alice. The Jeweler’s Art. Worchester, MA:Davis Publications, Inc.,1995. Williams, Arthur. Beginning Sculpture. Worchester, M.A: Davis Publication, Inc., 2005. Zelanski, Paul & Fisher, Mary Pat. Design Principles and Problem 2nd ed. Belmont, CA:

Wadsworth/ Thomson Learning. Zelanski, Paul & Fisher, Mary Pat. Shaping Space 2nd ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/

Thomson Learning, 1995.

Munson – AP Syllabus 8 of 9

Munson – AP Syllabus 9 of 9AP Studio ArtMs. Munson [munsond@fultonschools.org]

Please sign below that you have read the syllabus, understand it and the requirements of this course. Please return to me within 3 days.

I have read this information and understand the expectations of Advanced Placement Art.

_________________________________________________ Student Name (print clearly)

_________________________________________________ Student Signature

*_________________________________________________ Parent Signature

*_________________________________________________Parent Email Address

Materials Fee and Fine Arts Association Membership

For the Advanced Placement Art courses at Riverwood International Charter School most materials necessary for class are funded by the school system. However, students are assessed a fee to cover the expense incurred by using professional level materials in the portfolio submissions.

We are asking for a $65.00 (cash or check) donation to the RICS Art department to cover consumables. If paying by check, please make the check out to Riverwood International Charter School. If there is a financial hardship, parents or guardians should contact me by writing, phone message, or email and accommodations will be made.

Students are required to create and maintain a personal blog that will be linked to our class blog at http://munson-ap2010.blogspot.com/

Ms. MunsonEmail: munsond@fultonschools.org