![“[Building nerf blasters] became this outlet of creativity for me that hasn't been matched by anything else. The process [of] making a build complete to your desire is such a painstakingly difficult process, but I've had to learn from [the skills needed from] soldering to proper painting. There's so many different options for everything, if you think about it, it exists. The best part is [that] if it doesn't exist, you can build it yourself," Ishaan Parate said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/DSC_8149-900x604.jpg)
![“When I came into high school, I was ready to be a follower. But DECA was a game changer for me. It helped me overcome my fear of public speaking, and it's played such a major role in who I've become today. To be able to successfully lead a chapter of 150 students, an officer team and be one of the upperclassmen I once really admired is something I'm [really] proud of,” Anvitha Tummala ('21) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Screen-Shot-2021-07-25-at-9.50.05-AM-900x594.png)
![“I think getting up in the morning and having a sense of purpose [is exciting]. I think without a certain amount of drive, life is kind of obsolete and mundane, and I think having that every single day is what makes each day unique and kind of makes life exciting,” Neymika Jain (12) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Screen-Shot-2017-06-03-at-4.54.16-PM.png)
![“My slogan is ‘slow feet, don’t eat, and I’m hungry.’ You need to run fast to get where you are–you aren't going to get those championships if you aren't fast,” Angel Cervantes (12) said. “I want to do well in school on my tests and in track and win championships for my team. I live by that, [and] I can do that anywhere: in the classroom or on the field.”](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/DSC5146-900x601.jpg)
![“[Volleyball has] taught me how to fall correctly, and another thing it taught is that you don’t have to be the best at something to be good at it. If you just hit the ball in a smart way, then it still scores points and you’re good at it. You could be a background player and still make a much bigger impact on the team than you would think,” Anya Gert (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AnnaGert_JinTuan_HoHPhotoEdited-600x900.jpeg)
![“I'm not nearly there yet, but [my confidence has] definitely been getting better since I was pretty shy and timid coming into Harker my freshman year. I know that there's a lot of people that are really confident in what they do, and I really admire them. Everyone's so driven and that has really pushed me to kind of try to find my own place in high school and be more confident,” Alyssa Huang (’20) said.](https://harkeraquila.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/AlyssaHuang_EmilyChen_HoHPhoto-900x749.jpeg)
Intense Emotion. Different worlds of food. Body Art. Animal Photographs. 3D creative shapes. These are only a few of the themes that 18 AP Studio Art seniors used as their concentration projects.
On March 23, students and faculty gathered in the Atrium to view the AP Studio Art exhibition. The display showcased both two and three-dimensional artwork, making this the first year in which the exhibit required use of both floors in Nichols.
“What I was really excited about this year was the range of work we had,” said AP Studio Art teacher, Pilar Aguero-Esparza. “We had photography, we had digital combined with painting, digital combined with print making, drawing, and all kinds of different media so it did really feel like this year was an expansive year, with the number of students and their approaches to making art.”
Each student must complete 12 pieces of art by the time the AP rolls around in May to fulfill the course.
“Before, I had never had to create 12 pieces of art on a certain topic in a certain amount of time; I just did what I wanted,” Katie Forsberg (12) said.
Katie was excited to present her work in the exhibition.
“I think that the exhibition went well. I was really proud of my work, but I felt that maybe not everyone understood the point of my project. My favorite part about the exhibition was having numerous people give me feedback on my work,” she said.
Aguero-Esparza also emphasizes the fact that most of the students and faculty are surprised that AP Studio Art students come up with such creative and intricate concepts for their concentration pieces.
“I always felt that when it comes to art, you’ll learn ten times more from an artist than from an art teacher.” Michael Patland (12) said. “I am happy to say that I regard all of Harker’s art staff not as mere instructors, but true masters of their craft. For that reason, I feel I’ve learned a great deal from Harker’s art program and felt very well prepared entering the AP Studio Art course.”
Priya Sahdev (12) states that AP studio is different from the other AP courses because it is more of individual based work.
She believes that AP Studio art was the perfect way to express herself as “in my painting and drawing, I love creating intricate patterning and abstract designs. For my concentration, I have created a series of body art works referencing the ancient practices of African tribal painting and eastern mendhi designs. I did my paintings directly on the bodies of friends and family, using non-toxic acrylic paints as my medium,” she said.
Even though some students still have to finish their concentration projects, Aguero-Esparza stresses that when it comes to this course it is not about grade or the exam score. She said, “It’s really about the journey to be able to carry through things and ideas and see where it gets you.”
