AP Art Student Feature: Kat Garabedian

Shutter Success: A Snapshot of Senior AP Art Courses featuring Kat Garabedian

Photo by Bryan Dong

With over a semester of intensive work and dedicated studio time under their belts, the senior AP Art students are nearing the end of their creative processes, heralding the exciting prospect of complete AP Art portfolios. Amidst a diverse array of advanced art classes, AP Art courses stand out as arguably the most demanding creative classes, requiring not only meticulous classwork but also a comprehensive portfolio submission for the AP exam. Among the creative minds taking on such a challenge, Kat Garabedian, senior AP Photography student, and star ice hockey player, walks us through her experiences in building her senior portfolio. Kat generously shares not only the creative essence of her portfolio but also her personal perspectives that breathe life into her artistic expressions. Get ready for an insider view into the artistry and craftsmanship that make Kat’s portfolio truly exceptional. 

Kat Garabedian decided to center her portfolio around the theme of expression. Although having produced a myriad of pieces throughout the semester, Kat alludes to her favorite submission in her AP portfolio: an image displaying the contrasting nature of our inner and outer worlds. Her image features several senior classmates, many of whom are in her AP Art: Studio 2-D class, in a spectrum of lighting and tone. Kat highlights the identity of senior student Luca Raffa by presenting part of his charismatic charm and character in warm, yellow tones while reflecting his internal conflicts in a mirror image, demonstrating the duality of the human mental state. Kat, enlivened by her desire to support others in self-expression, goes on to feature other peers with a variety of creative techniques. Kat’s image not only served as a spectacular visual appeal but also as a means of “getting people to think about themselves and others on a deeper level.” 

Moreover, Kat gives us an exclusive glimpse into her creative process and the techniques she employs in capturing her compelling images. Kat first drew inspiration for her portfolio when researching lighting-focused artists but surprisingly gained most insight from John Mold, a private wedding photographer from the UK. Having identified the creative style she would go on to emulate, she considered her own values in coming up with her central theme. Kat wanted to “make commentary on normal occurrences that can be seen in daily life, something everyone can relate to.” With this, Kat set out to explore the evident vulnerability and openness many of our inner selves fall victim to. Kat made use of the high-end lighting facilities in the BAP art studios along with professional Canon cameras provided by the course to not only express her senior creative skills but also tap into the aspirations of her younger self.

Kat, despite being renowned for her creative works, is recognized by most as a student-athlete: a star ice hockey player who most would not expect to be engaged with photography. Kat reveals that her passion for photography was ignited at a young age. Having grown up near Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire, Kat spent much of her childhood taking pictures of the lake sunset with her mobile phone. Coming to Middlesex, however, she never envisioned this passionate pursuit of photography: “If you told my freshman self I would go on to take AP Photography, she would have been star-struck.” Kat denotes that she first found interest in AP Photography when she met Roan Callahan, Middlesex’s charismatic and multi-talented photography teacher, in her dorm. She highlights that despite AP Art courses being quite intimidating on the surface, she has gained some of the most invaluable experiences and relationships in working with photography. Looking forward, Kat plans to pursue a possible minor in photography and continues to build indelible memories with peers bonded through art. 

Kat leaves those considering taking an AP Art course with a word of note: “Art for many is an incredible means of expression, a means of finding parts of yourself you would never have expected––of forging and strengthening some of the greatest connections you’ll ever have.”  

Bryan Dong