Student Blog post by Alexander Soria, class of 2020
Throughout high school I have taken classes that everyone takes. The usual math, science, English, history, and foreign language. However, my junior year I set out to learn something new, while still working with the academic goals that I set out for myself. Therefore, I chose to take AP Art History, one of the classes that have taught me a lot. When people hear about this class, they think about just learning about art and its different styles or who the artists were. They believe it is what it sounds like, the history of art. Although some of that is true, the students do cover eras of art, but we also study religions that students are usually unfamiliar with. The learning of religion has been my favorite part of the class because it gives the artists or the architects their motives to create something. When people think of art, they think about a painting or a sculpture, yet what we see throughout the 250 pieces that we look over include: different types of architecture, this includes sacred spaces based off of one’s religion or just because one is powerful enough to get one, literature, not the average books we are familiar with, rather they are stories about the afterlife that are shown through art. Students do learn about the traditional art that everyone is familiar with, however, we take a look at 5 basic questions: who, what, when, where, and why? Every art piece has a different story due to the time period they were created, or even the country or city they were created in.
The class is usually relatively small because most students do not think of this class to teach more than just art. The assignments are not that hard, but do require one to think and listen throughout the lecture. Of course, since the class is AP it requires time and focus. The class is usually taking notes on the form, function, content, and context of each individual art piece. There are times when it becomes tedious, but that is only because there is so much to cover in time for the exam. There is also a high pass rate for the AP exam, which again shows a lot about the class. Students usually do not have a hard time with the class, this can tell a lot by the curriculum and the teacher’s ability to get the most valid information across. I, as a student currently taking the class, recommend AP Art History due to the many things the students learn about that is not just art.
Student Blog Post by Adriana Acosta, class of 2019
Where do I even begin? This class was such a breath of fresh air from the modern times we live in. This class enriched me in culture, art, religion, and history. This class truly changed my life and assisted me in finding my passion. If it weren’t for AP Art History I would’ve continued to college having a very vague sense of what I wanted to do with my life. My teacher did an amazing job showing me and my class what a college course would feel like and thanks to her I feel that much more prepared for college. AP isn’t for everyone but if you put in the effort it is one of the most rewarding things you can complete. I am so grateful for AP Art History and everything it did for me, my future studies, and my understanding of the world I live in.
Chaffey GATE Program 