Salihah Jakoet

Does your art connect to or take inspiration from any past or present art styles, techniques, or traditions? If yes, how?

During the time I was creating this portfolio, I was interested in the art style of Joseph Mallord William Turner. I didn’t use his techniques, but I took great inspiration from his use of both contrasting color and blending to creating a dreamlike environment in his pieces.

Which elements of art were most important in this artwork, and how did you use them to communicate your ideas?

The most important elements of art in this artwork were color and texture. I used rough and strong applications of paint to create texture and represent the chaotic aspect of my piece. For color, I used contrasting hues, purple and yellow, to make certain parts stand out.

Which principles of design guided your choices in this artwork, and why?

There were two principles of design that mainly guided my art—movement and contrast. I wanted to implement movement into my composition to show the anxiety and overwhelmingness of being out of place, with so much happening at once. I used contrast to put emphasis on the figure so that they stood out, showing how it’s often hard to blend in.

How did applying design skills (elements and principles) help you strengthen both the look (formal qualities) and the meaning (conceptual direction) of your portfolio?

Applying the principles of design and elements of art helped create consistency in the look of my portfolio by ensuring method and intention in the piece that I was creating. By being intentional about how I chose to create my pieces, it became a lot easier for me to communicate my message by carefully planning out the composition.

Can you give a specific example of how you revised an artwork to better apply a drawing and/or design skill?

There have been many occasions when I had to stop and rethink the way I was painting one of my pieces. Even for this artwork in particular, there was a point when I had to switch around the color palette I was using in order to make my message clearer and the composition a little cleaner. At first, I found myself painting the middle figure with warm tones, but then I noticed they were blending a little too much into the background, so I adjusted it to contrast it instead, so that the figure was the focus.

Which drawing and/or design skills do you rely on most often in your work, and how do they support your artistic style or message?

I rely the most on texture and color in my art. I do this because I tend to have a lot of strong emotions in my pieces that I feel the need to express, and often they are best expressed through rough and quick movements throughout the canvas, with bold colors to evoke bold emotions.

What makes you most proud of your school’s AP Art and Design program and its impact on your students and teacher(s)?

Salihah is an extraordinary artist whose work reflects both depth and originality. Her commitment to her craft and the discipline she brings to each piece exemplify the excellence for which Central’s program is known.

At Central High, we actively support the visual arts by providing professional development for teachers, securing materials and resources, hosting exhibits, and connecting students with local artists and community partners. We believe the arts are essential to a well-rounded education and to maintaining our proud legacy in creative excellence.

What advice would you share with other school leaders about building and sustaining strong AP Art and Design programs?

How often did your class meet?

All AP Art and Design courses at Little Rock Central are taught as separate courses. Students are enrolled in AP Drawing, AP 2-D Art and Design, or AP 3-D Art and Design. All three studio classes are taught by three different teachers.

How did you guide students in developing and refining their inquiry statements and portfolio direction during their Sustained Investigations?

How did you help students strengthen technical skills and apply design knowledge (elements and principles) while also developing creative problem-solving habits?

Once students complete their mind maps and select an SI, I give them a list of interpretive prompts to create compositions using the principles of design. The students are allowed to use mediums of their choice to create the prompts on an 11’ x 14’ surface. The objective is for the student to intuitively interpret the prompts and be able to discuss in class the dominant principle of design and how it was used to develop the composition. The rigor comes from the fact that I ask the students to create abstract surfaces before giving them the prompts, so they must engage in creative problem-solving to marry the artwork with the surface to create unity. The first three-to-four resolved images for the SI are aligned with specific principles of design as well. The strategy ensures that students are well-versed in building compositions that adequately address the principles of design and elements of art.

In what ways did you structure opportunities for practice, experimentation, and revision into your curriculum?

Students are required to create sketchbook entries that address the main principle of design assigned. The entry must include a definition of the principle, examples of the design in the artwork, and a photo of a contemporary artist’s work dominantly displaying that principle. Lastly, the student must draw a thumbnail sketch of their intended composition, complete with palette choice and concept ideas. Students are always redirected to their sketchbook entries for making choices for practice, experimentation, and revision. Students may also choose to use the sketchbook entry in their SI to demonstrate the structure opportunities.

I start my students out with short descriptive writings for their sketchbook entries. I like to ease them into more complex writing as the year progresses. The emphasis of the sketchbook entries is purely informational: who, what, why, and how, or subject matter, media, technique, etc. As students complete the resolved pieces, each entry must be accompanied by a short paragraph using the first question from the portfolio exam as the writing prompt. Students are given a semester exam in which they must create a Google Doc following the framework from the portfolio exam for their first four to six images.

We have developed fundraising strategies over the years to supplement the budget that we receive from our school district. For the past several years, we have had an annual holiday art sale that brings in $3,000–$5,000 each December. We also have an AP incentive budget, which teachers can use to purchase consumable supplies for art students.