The O’Donnell Foundation announces the 19th annual Young Masters Exhibition on view February 25 - April 16, 2017 at the Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) in the Concourse Gallery. The exhibition features selected original works created by Advanced Placement® Studio Art, Art History, and Music Theory students from ten Dallas-area high schools, participating in the O’Donnell Foundation’s AP Arts Incentive Program.
Three students from Coppell High School were selected for the exhibition:
Adhithi Baskar, Studio Art
Kirstin Boyer, Studio Art
Julie Choi, Studio Art
Selected by a panel of respected professionals from the arts and music fields, the 2017 exhibition features 65 original pieces chosen from 896 works submitted by AP Fine Arts students. The exhibition includes fifty-four 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional works of art created by AP Studio Art students, five essays analyzing works of art in the DMA’s permanent collections by AP Art History students, and six 4-minute original compositions by AP Music Theory students.
Schools represented in the exhibition are Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts (BTWHSPVA), Colleyville Heritage High School, Coppell High School, Creekview High School, Grapevine High School, Lovejoy High School, Plano East Senior High School, Plano Senior High School, Plano West Senior High School, and Richardson High School.
“The Young Masters Exhibition recognizes outstanding intellectual and creative expression in students participating in our AP Arts Incentive Program. In its nineteenth year, the students’ work featured in the exhibition continues to inspire,” remarked Edith O’Donnell, founder of the program. “The talented students who participate in our program and complete rigorous AP arts and music coursework build essential skills to ensure their success in the 21st century global economy, including stimulating innovation, cultivating critical thinking and developing a greater understanding of diverse cultures. I continue to be very proud of their accomplishments.”
The O’Donnell Foundation’s Advanced Placement Fine Arts Program was founded twenty-three years ago to motivate high school students’ interest and success in rigorous college-level fine arts courses. This year, 137 teachers and 1,661 students from 16 Dallas-area high schools participate in the program. Courses include AP Art History, AP Studio Art Drawing, AP Studio Art 2D Design, AP Studio Art 3D Design, and AP Music Theory. Pre-AP courses may include any classes that prepare students for AP arts courses. The Foundation also provides superior AP and Pre-AP training in the schools that participate in the program.
Based on the 2016 College Board AP fine arts qualifying exam results of a “3” or higher, the Foundation’s grant schools account for 19% of the state’s qualifying AP Fine Arts exams; 29% of the state’s qualifying AP Art History exams, 25% of the state’s qualifying AP Music Theory exams, and 13% of the state’s qualifying AP Studio Art exams. Eight of the Program’s schools are included in the top ten state rankings for comprehensive AP Fine Arts schools (campuses that offer all three disciplines: AP Studio Art, AP Art History, and AP Music Theory). Eighty-nine percent of the Foundation’s AP Fine Arts students taking an AP Fine Arts exam in 2016 received a qualifying score.
Since its founding in 1994, more than 19,000 arts and music students have benefited from the O’Donnell Foundation’s AP incentive programs. Last year, graduating seniors earned over $34 million in scholarships.
Admission to the Young Masters exhibition in the DMA’s Concourse is included with free general admission. For more information, visit www.apstrategiesarts.org or www.DMA.org.