The Frist Art Museum’s seventh biennial Young Tennessee Artists exhibition showcases some of the finest two-dimensional artwork by high school students across the state. Students in Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) studio art programs during the 2017–18 academic year were invited to submit their work to this exhibition. After reviewing more than eight hundred entries from students in home-school programs as well as private and public schools, the jurors selected works by twenty-seven students.

Upper-level studio art courses make it possible for highly motivated students to build and refine their portfolios through ongoing investigation, practice, and reflection. The dedicated teachers in AP and IB programs challenge their students’ artistic perceptions and encourage them to develop aesthetic methods, both conceptually and in execution. At the end of the school year, each student’s portfolio is reviewed by AP or IB examiners. Students may subsequently receive college course credit or other recognition of their accomplishments.

This exhibition illuminates their skillful synthesis of form, technique, and content. The array and quality of work demonstrate the growing sophistication and diversity of experiences within the AP and IB studio art programs across Tennessee.