For the past seven years, the school’s AP Studio Art class has been offered to the most dedicated and creative senior class artists. This course has been led by the talented Mrs. Petruzello, who has shown unwavering commitment to her students throughout the years. This year’s senior class has demonstrated genuine talent, drawing inspiration from their personal experiences and expressing their art through their unique perspective.
To provide a better understanding of what our school’s AP Studio Art class is all about, you can explore a detailed article from a previous JCHS AP art senior, “A Look into this year’s AP Artists” by Marisa Brown.
This year’s 2025 AP Studio class consist of nine very skilled and creative seniors taking the course:
Kite Rozell’s investigation is based on how they view themselves, physically, mentally, and emotionally, compared to how they view those in their life, their relationships, and their struggles. It also explores combining different mediums and developing their artistic process to improve their artwork as a whole. Kite’s investigation became more personal than they expected. Though their overall topic is a personal one, it has developed into one of the most personal projects they have ever done. Kite has explored different topics they haven’t discussed with anyone, their exploration has become an emotional outlet, through the way they view it as an emotional tool rather than a hobby and passion. The photo above is a favorite of theirs
Ema Mezini’s investigation is a deep dive into creating art pieces that reflect the idea of people moving to a new country and how it affects them. She wanted to be able to express that feeling in artwork since she has experienced it. She decided to split some artworks on how life can feel like in your old home, how it is now and how you’re trying to accommodate a new environment. The picture above is a favorite of hers as it represents the feeling of how she felt when she began enjoying the U.S. after exploring places and starting to accommodate it. This piece is the first time she has explored the use of UV light to draw and it was a very fun experience and it turned out to be exactly how she wanted it to be.
Luke Fierro investigated his family history and explored old photographs of his family members that have been lost to time. The art piece above is a favorite of his because he feels it is his most creative one. He also likes it because it’s a piece of his grandma who passed away in October, this piece has allowed him to feel more connected to her as a result.
Ariana Belton’s investigation is based on girlhood. She wanted to express the highs and lows of being a teenage girl in today’s society. The piece above is one of her favorites because it has a lot of sentimental value. She has always grown up being afraid of wearing her hair naturally in school, and so this piece is an expression of that fear.
Henry Fernandez’s investigation is about how all the things he’s experienced have influenced who he is today. His life, the places he’s been, the people he loves, and the emotions he’s felt are all subjects of his pieces which serve as a collective reflection on his past, present, and future. The piece above is a favorite of his as it ties together who he is as a person and the places he grew up. There are two collages shown, one with newspaper for his old home and another with peeled paint for his current home. He is placed in the center to show how both places have influenced who he’s become, both old and new colliding to become something unique.
Maiya Akira Theodule’s investigation is about the history of art and romanticism. She uses inspiration from old Renaissance artists to create pieces that provoke stories and emotions. The piece above is her favorite because she believes it demonstrates her art style and concept the most. This piece also reflects one of her favorite Greek mythology love stories, the story of Eros and Psyche. Additionally, she loves how this piece sets off a romantic feel with the color scheme and composition.
Kiera Padover’s investigation is the exploration of childhood emotions and relationships with different family members through the portrayal of different colors and objects. The piece above is one of her favorites because it was the most difficult to make as a lot of it was made separately and glued onto the paper. The feeling of this piece captures the energy she wanted to have for her investigation and represents a lot of emotions from her childhood.
Portia Cina’s investigation uses lyrics from her favorite songs and creates narrative and dimensional illustrations using watercolors. The painting above is her favorite because it captures the emotions behind the song, “Messy,” by Lola Young. The blue tones add to the sense of sadness and isolation, reinforcing the emotional weight of the lyrics. Portia loves the monochrome look and feel of the painting and said that the expressions were really fun to create.
Sophia Basile’s investigation focuses on connections with her family while growing up. She’s explored family traditions, portraits with family members, significant symbols that remind her of loved ones, and important places. The collage technique is incorporated in all of my portfolio pieces. The piece Sophia chose is one of her favorites because of how vibrant it is, she loves how all the different colors interact. It is also a piece that represents her childhood growing up around her aunt. When she was younger she’d always put on her aunt’s shoes and walk around in them. To this day she continues to borrow her shoes, but now they fit her much better.
