High School Art Program Newsletter for Students and Families

High school art families have different needs from elementary art families. They are thinking about portfolios, college applications, scholarships, and whether serious art study is a viable path for their student. A high school art newsletter that addresses those concerns directly, while also communicating the genuine intellectual and creative work happening in the studio, builds the kind of family support that sustains a serious art program.

Portfolio development communication

Portfolio development is the central ongoing work of a high school art program and it is largely invisible to families. Include portfolio milestones in your newsletter: when students are beginning new series, when critiques are scheduled, when portfolios should be at a certain level of completeness.

"Students in AP Art are currently building their sustained investigation series. By the end of this month, each student should have at least six pieces that explore their chosen inquiry. Families who want to support this work can ask their student to explain their investigation question and how their recent pieces respond to it."

AP Art explanation for families

AP Art Studio is misunderstood by many families as simply a harder art class. Your newsletter should clarify what the program actually involves and what the portfolio submission process looks like. Include the May submission date in every newsletter from September.

The sustained investigation requirement is the most important concept to explain. Students are not completing assignments. They are developing a personal inquiry and making a body of work that explores it. That distinction matters for families who are wondering whether their student is working hard enough or on the right things.

Scholarships and competitions

High school art students are eligible for more scholarship and competition opportunities than most families know about. Include a section in your newsletter each semester (August and January) covering current opportunities with deadlines:

• Scholastic Art and Writing Awards: January deadline, regional and national recognition.
• Congressional Art Competition: spring deadline, winners displayed in the US Capitol.
• Local and regional art center scholarships: deadlines vary.
• College art department portfolio scholarships: vary by institution.

Art show communication

High school art shows deserve the same three-newsletter build-up as elementary art shows: an anticipation newsletter six weeks out, a logistics newsletter two weeks out, and a reminder one week before. High school art shows often include senior recognition and are emotionally meaningful events for families of graduating students.

Art as career preparation

Some high school art families quietly wonder whether serious art study has a future beyond high school. Your newsletter can address this occasionally without being preachy. "Design fields including UX design, game design, industrial design, architecture, and animation employ large numbers of graduates from studio art programs. The skills in this program: visual thinking, problem-solving, iteration, and communicating ideas visually, are in demand across industries." One paragraph. Once a semester.