Four of Killeen ISD’s most talented high school artists displayed their work in a first-ever Advanced Placement art show.
The students displayed elements of their just-completed AP art portfolios.
Assistant Fine Arts Director Morganne Davies said it was the students who requested the show.
Killeen High School seniors Emily Parsons, Amarilis Muniz and Adelaide Olvera joined Early College High School senior Layla Frutiz at the inaugural event.
Research, practice, experimentation and revision are part of the process the advanced art students experience to produce the variety of high-quality pieces, Davies explained.
“The purpose is really to help students find their self-expression,” she said. “You can see a variety of styles, a variety of media, you can see the personal journey they have taken as artists.”
As part of the opening Friday, Parsons received a surprise first place prize in the U.S. Congressional Art Contest.
Her framed western-themed painting will hang for two years at the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C. representing the 11th Congressional District.
“It’s really exciting, especially since last year I got second. I worked all year on this because I wanted to get first place this year,” she said.
Her inspiration was the state of Texas with a cowboy and horse and landscape with emotion and nostalgia. “I was proud of it,” she said, noting she doesn’t paint a lot of landscapes.
Going through AP art has been a huge benefit for the young, gifted artist, who is on her way to Boston University to study graphic design.
“It’s been really fun to pick my own theme and not have to follow what a teacher is assigning me,” Parsons said. “I can explore my own ideas.”
Her portfolio explored how people have used myths and the supernatural to explain what they don’t understand.
“It’s a good way to express yourself and explore the medium you are most comfortable with,” said Muniz, another award-winning artist who benefited from the freedom of AP art.
“You can pick whatever topic, whatever ideas you have,” she said. “You can experiment and play around with your art styles.”
She explored ways to express her feelings and emotions by using things relevant to her life.
In one painting, a self-portrait dressed in cap and gown with diploma, Muniz communicated a positive outlook using pink and blooming flowers in the background, her favorite color in childhood and a symbol of growth.
