Chagrin Falls students place works in Ohio Governor’s Youth Art Exhibition; board hosts AP portfolio showcase

The Chagrin Falls Exempted Village Schools Board of Education heard a student art showcase during its March 20 meeting, where 2D art teacher Jill Eiser introduced five AP studio seniors whose work was accepted into the Ohio Governor’s Youth Art Exhibition.

Eiser said the statewide exhibition accepted roughly the top 300 works and that, this year, five Chagrin Falls students had eight works juried into the show after a competitive process that drew more than 8,100 entries from about 3,000 Ohio high school students. She described the AP portfolio as an intensive, yearlong process requiring students to submit a focused body of work and supporting written reflections.

Students who spoke about their portfolios included Anna Beaker, who said her work explores domestic scenes and introduced an element of chaos using oil paint and neon underpainting; Isabelle Narboni, who described multi-layered shadow boxes; Clara Ives, who linked printmaking and traditional techniques to explore growing up; and a student identified as Kaz, who painted a decorated skateboard as part of a portfolio about optimism versus pessimism.

Board members asked about the time and effort required to complete AP portfolios. Eiser described a pathway of preparatory classes that build breadth in multiple media followed by the AP year’s deeper, student-centered inquiry. She said students typically produce five to eight major works plus process documentation and artist statements; the final portfolio often includes about 15 slides with a minimum of five finished works.

The board and administrators praised the students and teacher, and arrangements were made for photographs of students with their work. The district also noted that the Hamlet Art Show will display student work including pieces by grades seven through 12.