From drawing to graphic design, Staples High School has a variety of art electives allowing students to explore many different areas of art. However there is one class at Staples that combines all areas of art together and that is Staples AP Art and Design class. This class allows students to combine all previously learned art skills in depth and continue learning new ones.
“In previous art classes, you stick to a certain project,” Allison Cancro ’25 said. “With AP Art, you’re really focused on creating what you want to create and really testing the limits of what you can create.”
The class is highly competitive to get into, as only 10 students are accepted in and only open to seniors and juniors. In February, AP Art and Design teacher Stephanie Sileo sends out a portfolio for students to complete if they are interested in enrolling in the course. After their portfolio is evaluated by the Staples Art Department. If students are being considered for the course, they will receive a teacher recommendation in PowerSchool and must have completed at least three studio art classes, including one at the advanced or honors level.
“AP Art and Design is a course that invites students to explore their personal interests and develop a cohesive body of work centered around a self-directed investigation,” Sileo said. “ Students can work in any medium. I have students work in 3D, digitally, and traditionally such as painting and drawing.”
This class also helps kids explore different areas of art in depth, allowing students to find the type of art that they are passionate about. More than half of the year is spent doing a project called the sustained investigation which is a project where students self-generate questions or ideas that will help guide their work.
“I chose my sustained investigation to explore my injuries,” Gaby Fischel ’25 said “I think that really helped me, because I was able to define injuries like other people don’t know I have and I could kind of show them how it feels through my art, because they’re kind of things that go unnoticed.”
This class has also inspired students to pursue art in the future by exposing kids to all the different types of art that are out there.
“I think it inspired me to do art in the future because by showing how many [types of art] are really out there,” Ari Brodows ’25 said.
Even though this class is mostly meant for the student, Sileo has gotten a lot out of it for teaching the class. This class has allowed her to have very meaningful conversations with her students and see them explore many different mediums of art.
“I enjoy having deeper conversations about art and watching students learn to make intentional, meaningful decisions about the materials and processes they use to support their overall work,” Sileo said. “It’s very rewarding to see students begin to understand their interests and tendencies and make confident choices in their artwork.”