The AP Art students are currently hard at work on their pieces that contribute to their “sustained investigations” that will be submitted in May. Led by Mrs. Toomey, the class is by far the most rigorous art course you can take in East Islip High School.
The class usually gives hours of homework a night, and the classwork they do is rigorous, to say the least. They don’t necessarily work on projects per se, but instead these larger bodies of work called “sustained investigations.” These contain several, usually more than a dozen pieces of art that all support a larger theme or deeper meaning.
“It’s so much more demanding. The pace is a lot quicker, so students have to finish art work so much faster,” AP Art teacher Mrs. Toomey said. She doesn’t normally teach AP Art, so the increased rigor and sophistication of the course compared to regular art courses definitely stood out to her.
The students are currently on their second sustained variation of the year, and have to create around fifteen pieces of art for it.
“Almost all of the colleges I’m applying to require a portfolio of around fifteen pieces. About half of my pieces are from AP Art and I’ve only been in the class for a few months,” East Islip High School senior Liam Eichler said. He praises the course for its acceptance and rigor. “I like the way my drawings look and I appreciate all of the help that I received from my teachers.”
Keep an eye out for some of the AP students’ work on display in the art hallway and for more information about the course, ask your guidance counselor or Mrs. Toomey in room 110.
