50p
The Art of Learning History
The world of art history is an infinitely complex and fascinating realm. AP Art History has been offered at Brentwood for many years and based on its past success, it can be confidently said that it will live to see plenty more.
From ancient cave paintings to Italian Renaissance artworks, Mr Luna takes his students on a Magic Schoolbus journey through time as we study and analyze the relevant works of art. In the first introductory class, after everyone went around the room introducing their name and favourite colour, each student received a gargantuan textbook; one that could easily be compared to the weight and size of the stones that make up Stonehenge. This brick-like textbook contains every work of art that will be covered throughout this year and is expected to be on the upcoming Advanced Placement exam that will take place in May, 2023.
Mr Luna, who joined the Brentwood family in 2011 and is the current teacher of this thought-provoking subject, began teaching AP Art History in 2012. Previous to his arrival the course was taught by former staff member Robert Maclean who mentored Mr Luna with teaching and the extensive material of this course. He has been teaching art history courses at various colleges and university extension programs since 2003 and continues to run summer programs for colleges when a particular subject interests him; last summer he gave a zoom lecture series on the Whitney Biennial (a major American Contemporary Art exhibition) through the Vancouver Island School of Art. Without Mr Luna’s passion for the subject, and love for his students, passing the class and enjoying it would not be possible.
Although the course material is rooted in European notions of art and history, the curriculum also looks at art from around the world, including many indigenous traditions. Mr Luna describes the course as “a sweeping survey of art from the prehistoric to the present” and admits that it can be “exhilarating” to teach, but also exhausting. He confesses, “Teaching this course makes me feel very much like a student myself being that it is very similar to the same art history course I took in my first year of university in 1989”.
It is not only the enriching information and excellent teacher that makes this class so special. Every student’s genuine passion and love for learning about the stories behind the artwork and their creators make this learning environment unique. Sarah O, Hope ‘23 mentions that our late-night study sessions during prep and interactive classroom discussions have allowed our class to “bond and get to know ourselves and each other the way very few other classroom settings do”. Looking around the classroom, it is clear that this opinion is the consensus among the class, and without each other, we would not survive the rest of the year, much less pass the exam in May.
We hope to build on the momentum we have gathered from September to guide us through a productive and insightful year. At the university level, courses are often taught as lectures in huge halls, but at Brentwood, learning Art History through seminar-style discussions in small groups makes the knowledge that much more fruitful. Mr Luna acknowledges that he thinks the students and he are “very fortunate to get to engage this subject in such a friendly classroom setting” and I think I can speak for every one of his students when I say that we wholeheartedly agree.
For any current Grade 10s and 11s who enjoy discovering the fascinating stories behind the encounters we share with famous artworks, this is the course for you.
Christine L, Mack ‘23
From ancient cave paintings to Italian Renaissance artworks, Mr Luna takes his students on a Magic Schoolbus journey through time as we study and analyze the relevant works of art. In the first introductory class, after everyone went around the room introducing their name and favourite colour, each student received a gargantuan textbook; one that could easily be compared to the weight and size of the stones that make up Stonehenge. This brick-like textbook contains every work of art that will be covered throughout this year and is expected to be on the upcoming Advanced Placement exam that will take place in May, 2023.
Mr Luna, who joined the Brentwood family in 2011 and is the current teacher of this thought-provoking subject, began teaching AP Art History in 2012. Previous to his arrival the course was taught by former staff member Robert Maclean who mentored Mr Luna with teaching and the extensive material of this course. He has been teaching art history courses at various colleges and university extension programs since 2003 and continues to run summer programs for colleges when a particular subject interests him; last summer he gave a zoom lecture series on the Whitney Biennial (a major American Contemporary Art exhibition) through the Vancouver Island School of Art. Without Mr Luna’s passion for the subject, and love for his students, passing the class and enjoying it would not be possible.
Although the course material is rooted in European notions of art and history, the curriculum also looks at art from around the world, including many indigenous traditions. Mr Luna describes the course as “a sweeping survey of art from the prehistoric to the present” and admits that it can be “exhilarating” to teach, but also exhausting. He confesses, “Teaching this course makes me feel very much like a student myself being that it is very similar to the same art history course I took in my first year of university in 1989”.
It is not only the enriching information and excellent teacher that makes this class so special. Every student’s genuine passion and love for learning about the stories behind the artwork and their creators make this learning environment unique. Sarah O, Hope ‘23 mentions that our late-night study sessions during prep and interactive classroom discussions have allowed our class to “bond and get to know ourselves and each other the way very few other classroom settings do”. Looking around the classroom, it is clear that this opinion is the consensus among the class, and without each other, we would not survive the rest of the year, much less pass the exam in May.
We hope to build on the momentum we have gathered from September to guide us through a productive and insightful year. At the university level, courses are often taught as lectures in huge halls, but at Brentwood, learning Art History through seminar-style discussions in small groups makes the knowledge that much more fruitful. Mr Luna acknowledges that he thinks the students and he are “very fortunate to get to engage this subject in such a friendly classroom setting” and I think I can speak for every one of his students when I say that we wholeheartedly agree.
For any current Grade 10s and 11s who enjoy discovering the fascinating stories behind the encounters we share with famous artworks, this is the course for you.
Christine L, Mack ‘23