This year, Delbarton has twelve artists in the Class of 2024 who displayed their full Sustained Investigations at the annual AP Art Exhibit in the FAC.

Meet our next student artist, Michael Van Raaphorst '24:

"Art is so meaningful to me that my life would be incomplete without it," he started in his Artist Statement. "My love for art stemmed from early classes in grade school with my teacher, Mr. Brown, and continued to grow as I took classes at Delbarton." For his Sustained Investigation, Van Raaphorst pulled inspiration from a place that means most to him. "At first, I was not sure what I was going to select for my senior year sustained investigation, but as I looked back into my past, I discovered the place that brings me the most joy: the beach, more specifically, the waves."

Through his work with oil pastels and acrylic paint, Van Rapphorst captures his lifelong fascination with ocean waves. From their intricate choreography and dynamic movement to how the light hits each wake before it crashes, Van Rapphorst found that waves tell their own story, constantly inspiring and impressing the observer.

"In the future, I hope to see my work come together through my specific techniques, focus on depth, and use of color." We salute him and his fellow AP Art artists for their exceptional achievements in the arts at Delbarton this year!