Young Tennessee Artists: 2014 Statewide Upper-Level Studio Art

This fifth biennial exhibition showcases a selection of the finest artwork created in Advanced Placement*(AP) and International Baccalaureate** (IB) studio art programs throughout Tennessee in 2014. The thirty-nine drawings, paintings, photographs, and mixed-media works represent student artists from sixteen schools and were chosen from 600 submissions statewide.

Upper-level high school art programs provide opportunities for highly motivated students to concentrate on studio practice and refine their artwork through ongoing critical investigation and reflection. With the encouragement and guidance of committed AP and IB teachers, these students produce works that challenge their artistic perceptions and develop their aesthetic methods, both conceptually and in terms of execution. At the end of the school year, these students submit a body of work for review by either the AP College Board or IB examiners. The assessments enable colleges to acknowledge and encourage students’ accomplishments by granting them credit for these courses.

This exhibition reveals the students’ execution of thoughtful artworks that skillfully synthesize form, technique, and content. The range and quality of work demonstrates a growing sophistication of AP and IB Studio Art programs across the state.

View the Young Tennessee Artists’ Digital Gallery Guide.

We would like to acknowledge and thank the selection committee:
Jamaal Sheats, adjunct professor of art, Fisk University; Terry Thacker, professor of fine art, Watkins College of Art and Design; and Mark Scala, chief curator, Frist Art Museum

This exhibition was organized by the Frist Art Museum.

* Advanced Placement is a trademark of the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this exhibition.

** International Baccalaureate is a registered trademark worldwide by the IB Organization, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this exhibition.