The following project description is an account of a DAP project based on regional folk art. Other possible DAP project areas for art include sculpture, jewelry design and production, graphics illustration, and stained glass. More information on DAP program requirements and project guidelines in the fine arts is available in this section's Distinguished Achievement Program and Graduation Plans pages.

Project Description

Raymond Estes is studying the bottle tree, an art form indigenous to a specific area of West Texas, and he is creating original sculptures based on his study. Bottle trees have decorated the front yards of homes in the area for many years. A bottle tree is made by pruning the limbs of a tree and placing brightly-colored bottles upside down on the limbs. Raymond's project will take the full school year. His proposal, based on research notes and ideas from his sketchbooks, is complete in the first four weeks of school. In his proposal, Raymond describes:

• Procedures and media to be explored in the communication of his ideas
• Outside resources to be used, including museums, community resources, books, interviews, photographs, and artist studios
• Specific short- and long-term goals, including formal consultation dates for Raymond, his teacher, and his mentor and a description of the final exhibit and presentation
• Brief, biographical sketch of his project mentor, local artist Katrina Raven
• Assessment criteria, determined by Raymond, his mentor, and his advising teacher, to be used as a guide by the panel of experts assessing Raymond's project at the formal exhibit of his artwork.

Working with his teacher, Tom Ross, and mentor, local artist Katrina Raven, Raymond determines the most appropriate media for his project, and together, they establish a project timeline. After thorough research, he develops the conceptual basis for his exhibit by synthesizing knowledge culled from his own bottle tree photographs, museum visits, art books, and interviews with local residents and artists. Raymond, Katrina, and his advising teacher, Mr. Ross, follow the project closely and evaluate his progress on a regular basis.

Raymond’s artwork consists of a group of five sculptures adorned with brightly colored glass, reflecting his interpretation of bottle tree art and educating viewers about the origins of the art form. The sculptures develop over a period of months that Raymond spends researching the history of bottle trees and their significance within their communities. Raymond spends hours searching out particularly beautiful bottle trees and talking to the people who made them. He learns a great deal about the different ways people have understood and made use of art. He compares and contrasts folk art with his sculptures, and other fine art or "high art", and analyzes their different roles in contemporary art and culture. His artwork evolves as he learns more about sculpture, as he gains dexterity in sculpting techniques, and as he forms clear ideas about how his sculptures express his research and the conclusions he's come to over the course of the project. The final exhibit includes a presentation describing the influence of his research on the sculptures, a discussion of the history of bottle tree art and its significance in both regional and "high art" communities.

With the sculptures complete, Raymond spends the three weeks prior to the exhibit finishing details of the show, preparing his presentation, and confirming the panel of experts. Finally, the exhibit opens, and Raymond, his family, friends, teachers, and fellow artists assemble in a gallery near the school. 

While his family and friends beam, Mr. Ross, Katrina, and the panel of experts take careful notes on how Raymond communicates his intent, the depth of his reflections, and his recommendations for future DAP participants. After the presentation, the panel and teachers question Raymond about specifics of his project and about his plans for the future. Then everyone tours the gallery, lingering over each of the sculptures, sketchbooks, and research journals. 

Final assessment of the complete project, including the grade awarded by the teacher of record, Mr. Ross, includes Raymond’s reflections and the panel’s critiques and is based on the assessment criteria specified in Raymond's original project proposal.