“Art matters because it illustrates the human experience—the wonder of it, the bewilderment of it, the whimsy of it, and so much more. We would not be connected so deeply without the existence of art.”
​– Kathleen Dinsmore

​Ms. WHITE's 10 Ways to support the arts and
​Art Education!
  1. Tell your elected officials why arts education and programs are important
  2. Voice your advocacy to your school administration for more arts programs in your school district
  3. Become a member at a local or county museum! (See this list!)
  4. Visit museums and exhibitions (openings are really fun)
  5. Support the National Endowment for the Arts or your favorite local or public arts program
  6. Buy from local online artists for home decor, crafts, and gifts
  7. Go see a live concert, broadway show, or local play in your community
  8. Volunteer your time at a school or community center during an arts class
  9. Make art! Participate in a visual or performance arts class and learn a new skill or technique
  10. BECOME AN ART TEACHER! :)

What's New? 5/25/18

  1. Revised Critical Date list
  2. ​New Finding Philosophical Problems activity! Good for post-exam time!
  3. New discussion starter! Originality in Art
  4. Added critical thinking questions to the What is Art? essay​
  5. New Art Criticism Page and separate ​Elements and Principles page.
  6. A few more documentaries/series have been added to the movies list.
  7. Fixed broken link for 2017 Illuminated Letter examples
  8. www.mchsapah.com has changed its domain name to vwarthistory.com
  9. I will do my best to keep up the site throughout the year even though I won't be teaching APAH for the second year in a row (not enough kids to fly the course in my new district). I feel a little piece of my soul leaving my body. Please let me know if you find broken links or videos that are no longer available.

Course Description

             Art history is designed to be a college level survey course approved by College Board. Students will learn from a College Board set list of 250 artworks chronologically, beginning with Paleolithic painting/sculpture and ending with Post-Modernist contemporary artists (a number of artworks will be added throughout the year in addition to the set list). The course will spend the most time on Renaissance art to the 21st century. We will explore ancient through the Medieval ages, and global arts including Africa, the ancient North and South Americas, Asia, Near East, Oceania, and Islamic traditions. Throughout the year the students will be guided by Essential Questions put forth by College Board; What is art and how is it made? Why and how does art change? How do we describe our thinking about art?
*See College Board's description for AP Art History
Students will:
1. Contextualize and analyze European and global artworks using form, function content, and context
2. Gain a deep understanding of the meaning of artworks
3. Apply complex terminology to artworks, styles and movements
4. Learn to communicate at a post-secondary level
5. Experience some art creating throughout the year
6. Analyze traditions and change through global connections
7. Interpret works of art by analyzing contextual variable
8. Develop skills in visual, contextual, and comparative analysis
9. Recognize and identify title, artist, date, and materials of works of art and architecture 

What students say...

"AP art history has genuinely been the most engaging class I've taken in high school. I walk in each day knowing that I'm going to learn something new and incredible about our tendency--or rather--our need to create stories through art; no other class gives you a more intimate analysis and appreciation of the human story than AP Art History." -Riley Civerolo-Douglas '18
"This class is so amazing and provides a modicum of merriment into my day. I am always learning new things inside and outside of class with the help of this website. There are so many resources and videos that help me extend my knowledge and further study art history on my own"  ​-Kelsey Dubinsky '17
"This is the class that I completely adore and Ms. Park is actually one of the most amazing teachers. The discussions are so enthusiastic and she just adds life to an otherwise boring high school experience!" -Tommy Tomikawa '17
"Art History is definitely one of the most interesting classes I have ever taken. I'm glad that I got the opportunity to learn about the many different art movements that shaped the current artistic world. I never thought I would be so culturally enveloped in a topic that was previously unknown to me." -Conner Oberst 16'
"It opens you up to more cultures that you wouldn't normally be aware of. You learn a lot about different aspects of history and the upbringing of cultures. It was probably my favorite class." - Roman Bertozzi '15
"I've honestly been surprised by how many times art history has been relevant when I'm traveling or watching movies or the subtle mentioning of artworks.  I'm glad that I took the class because it provided me with more knowledge of history." - Arielle Sheres '15
"It's a unique perspective on history. There is something really special about looking at someone's art because it really tells their emotions and their experiences of that historical time period." - Sabrina Mongiello '14
"You get to have really great discussion with people that also like art as much as you do." - Jasmine Williams '14

About Mrs. white

Picture

​            I studied Art Education at Cal State Long Beach and graduated in 2010. I am currently teaching at Vista High School. I have taught AP Art History at Mira Costa High School for 6 years.
           I have also taught art classes in Phnom Penh, Cambodia and English Language Skills in Hangzhou, Zeijiang, China.
           I am a Google Certified Educator. Ask me questions!

Ways to Contact Me

Email strongly preferred:   valeriepark@vistausd.org
Award Top 20 Art History Blog by 
http://blog.feedspot.com/art_history_blogs/

Links

Learning Outside the Classroom
High School Insider
Teacher 2 Teacher

Ms. Park's Schedule

1st: 3D Design
2nd: Art 1
3rd: 3D Design
4th: IB Visual Arts- SL, HL
5th: Conference
​6th: Art 1

Grading
Aeries

  • No Late work will be accepted.
  • Make-up quiz days are usually the day you return to class 
  • I do not round grades, extra credit is given throughout both semesters (more in the first). The grade in Aeries is the one that goes on your transcript.
  • I do not raise or lower course grades based on your College Board exam score. 
Ms. Park, Valerie, Park, Advanced, Placement, Art, History