As students select their courses for the next school year, they face the age-old dilemma of which elective they should take. Students who tend to aim for a rigorous course load, demonstrate interest in history, and need to complete their Visual and Performing Arts requirement may be interested in taking AP Art History, now offered at the school.
In AP Art History, students analyze works of art through observation and research, discussing various art pieces with the class and sharing their own knowledge.
“Students will be doing a significant amount of work and taking frequent difficult exams,” said AP Art History teacher Ms. Anne Fernandez.
Fernandez also requires writing essays for the course work while analyzing different pieces of artwork.
“If a student has been in an AP History course, they will have an understanding of the type of workload they will be facing,” said Fernandez. “However, despite the rigor of the course, if a student is fascinated by history, and by art, this course will be a wonderful addition to their learning. It truly brings a deeper understanding of human existence.”
Art History can give students a broader view of history and a greater appreciation for all different types of artworks, from prehistoric to modern day.
“I think this class is worth taking because you get a well rounded idea of world history and what makes cultures and the art they produce special,” said Simran Prajapati ‘25. “With over 250 artworks, it’s hard to be able to memorize the significance of each work. While this may not cover the knowledge that comes into daily use, it genuinely enhances a students cultural knowledge.”
Some students recommend this class as an overwhelming course load with many artworks to cover, but it can deepen a student’s cultural literacy beyond mere art history study.
“This class helped increase my cultural knowledge as I learned a lot of history through the artworks,” said Sachita Balamurugan ‘25. “I recommend this class for peers who are interested in learning art on a deeper level.”
The nature of art is explored through timelines and cultures across ten different units in the curriculum, making this class interesting yet challenging for many students.
“I anticipated AP Art History being similar to the other elective AP classes in terms of the class flow and difficulty,” said Muhammad Taha Shaikh ‘24. “However, the class was harder than expected, but is interesting and satisfying as long as you study and work hard enough.”
“Taking AP Art History has been one of the most challenging and rewarding courses I’ve taken,” said Mei Kim ‘24. “I never would’ve learned about art from different cultures, old and new, or learned how to speed-write notes the period before. It was definitely a very insightful and informative class, and I learned a lot of valuable lessons and skills in the class.”
The College Board offers a wide range of AP classes for students to engage with and challenge themselves in specific areas of study. Edison High offers many of these courses and makes them available to students.