Congratulations!

Congratulations!

Welcome to AP Senior Portfolio, Senior Design Productions and Senior Portfolio!

All meetings are required!

If you are reading this letter, it means that you have been accepted into Senior Portfolio, AP Senior Portfolio, and Senior Design Management starting May 21st,  2018 and going into the fall and spring school year. These courses starts now.

I hope you are as excited as I am for the upcoming journey you will take during this challenging & rewarding course. Many previous graduates, myself & the Art Dept have worked very hard to make this opportunity available to you. I look forward to working with you as you work to achieve your goals for high school & beyond.

This letter is meant to remind you of the serious nature of the course, and more specifically, of the intense focus and workload expected of you in the year to come and this summer. Each of you comes from a variety of artistic experiences, and has different artistic intentions for your future. This course is created to help you become the best visual creator you can be and help you understand how & why you make art. These realizations, along with sketchbook formulation, writing, help from your peers in SP, AP, SDP , and the creation of a strong portfolio. This will serve as a visual narrative of who you are artistically & may help you to be accepted into Art or Design schools &/or possibly earn you scholarship money.

SP, AP, and SDP are a custom created courses based on enrollment and he approved district/AP syllabus.  YOU will follow an approved Syllabus with assigned projects for the summer with tutorials, research, technology requirements and new projects in the fall. Then in November if on track each student will develop a path of concentration projects. With approval students will choose their direction, media in order to develop a body of work, amounts depending on media choice. This will be accomplished with the help of the course syllabi's throughout the year.

Your media will need to predetermine prior the second meeting with Mrs. Kidd, please pick up an application from Mrs. Kidd. However, I also advise you to choose the purpose of you taking S.P/ (AP).  What do you want this course to do for you? This is a course of self exploration and I will act as a guide through the projects.

My motto is, “You get out what you put in.” Your outcome is dependent entirely on you. During Summer Semester of your junior/senior year, I want you to do some soul searching. The summer work should set you up to what is expected for this year.

If you choose not to put in the time, you will be removed from the Senior Portfolio,Senior Design Productions  and/ or AP program. The art department is looking for the students that want to better themselves and have a positive attitude to support each other and them self’s.

Look forward…do you see yourself at an Art School, Four Year, Two Year, trade school? Where? What do you want to achieve in a year? Or four years? What do you NOT want? What is your financial situation for college? It may seem early – but having a plan will help you decide what S.P. and AP will be for you.

If you intend to go to Art School or major in Art, I suggest you do the following before fall 2015:

1. Gather your work from this year & keep it in a safe place. It may be used in an application portfolio and A.P. ALL WORK!!!! No more given it away or framing it! From this moment it is not for sale, not for friends or family, it stays put with you in a safe place. I am not joking, they can buy or have it after May 8th 2016.

2. Research schools & majors. Where? What? Talk to your family regarding the reality of college. Visit the Career Center to make an appointment with Mrs. Audette for assistance.

3. If you took Drawing & Painting your sophomore year, much of that work is outdated for a portfolio - spend some time out of class re-creating it. Draw from LIFE! Not photos (even your own). Concentrate on skill. You will need portraits, still life, and basic life studies.

Jobs and basic expectations for all students enrolled:

• Have all of you work that you created this summer ready to go day one!  
• Have your blog updated, every second and fourth Fridays by 12:01 am every week all summer long.
• You will be setting up a display case, for the whole school to see! See Blog/binder, Google Drive, and google Community site.
• You will have good amount projects that need to be completed during the summer and new ones starting the first week of school.
• We will have a sharing critique the first week of school to view what you have done over the summer.
• Think about enrolling in a workshop or summer course if you can. (example; see MCC courses or Park District, Dole Manson)
• Make sure you read ALL handouts for projects and jobs that need to be accomplished this summer. Ask questions!
• Again – if you need a scholarship or want acceptance to an Art program focus your work on observational Drawing/Painting.
• See me if you need suggestions for projects or establishments/studios to take classes at.
• The work and preparation you do now and this summer are only the beginning of a very rigorous year for you- rigorous but rewarding as well.  You will be astonished by the end of the year!

Bear in mind that the amount of work you do and art you make will be more than you’ve ever done.  You will be pushed to your limits and asked to expand your mind beyond what you think you know.

For example, your experience will consist of:

• Group, Partner and Individual critiques.  You MUST share and talk about your work.
• Everything being posted.
• 10 - 20 hours of tutorials.
• Required certification for Light room, photo shop, in-design, and or other depends on media.
• Progress and Final critiques. You will receive feedback on your progress and finished work. in individual meetings. May be outside of class time.
• Choosing and following a “theme” or area of “concentration”.  This is what your work is about- NOT a media theme.  You will follow it for the second semester or once you have finished expectations from the fall.
• Multiple projects.  You will be expected to make a minimum of 12 – 16 projects/series.  That amounts to a project complete every one per week, and SP every two weeks.  In previous courses, we usually take 3 to 4 weeks to complete a major project- from prep to reflection.  You will need to double your work time.

• Sketchbook creation / documentation.  Document your experience. Note taking, inspiration, creation, journals.  You will be expected to maintain one, digital or print. Many art schools have great interest in this. Its about the process of thought, and working out ideas.

• Creation of a Portfolio, traditional based and digital based. Your work will be showcased in a digital and/or hard-copy portfolio.  

• Creation of an Artist Statement.  You will need to verbally express what you do & why.

• Single Artist Showcase.  At year’s end, you will be in control of creating your own showcase here at South.  It will spotlight your individuality as the artist you have become. This is part of your grade and you are required to be present.

• Required to be present at the spring art show, showcasing all of your work! In May. Set-up will be from 3 - 4. Show will be 5-8:30, take down 8:10 - to 9 pm
• Participation in Art Shows & competitions.  Usually in spring and one in the fall.

• Field trips to Art museums and other places of interest in school and out.

• Summer fun field trips will be provided, through out the summer for you. Come join us if you would like.  

I am very excited to work with you as a new group starting now and into the fall.  It gets better and more rewarding every year.  I’m here to help you- that is my main role in SP, SDP, and AP. Feel free to visit or ask questions.  I can advise you on your schedule, work to do this summer, schools for you to visit.  This is just as a reminder each of you should be enrolled or already been enrolled in Art and Media Techniques (even photo) and then Senior Portfolio/AP/Design.

So think, talk, research, and work: work: work!  

Sincerely,

Mrs. Michelle Kidd

Visual Art Instructor

Industry and Careers Divisional Leader

Crystal Lake South High School

mkidd@d155.org