What is Cottonwood Classical Preparatory School?
Cottonwood Classical is a charter school of the Albuquerque Public Schools. Founded in 2007 and offering the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program to juniors and seniors for eleven years, we serve 778 students (chosen through a very popular admission lottery) in grades 6-12 – and as such we are the 2nd largest charter school in New Mexico. CCPS received an A from the New Mexico Public Education Department last year, and we are historically rated as one of the top five public schools in the state by niche.com and US News. Students come from across Albuquerque and surrounding communities and represent the ethnic, racial, cultural, and economic diversity of this city.

Read more about our school on our official site at: https://www.cottonwoodclassical.org/

What is IB?
As stated by IB itself, "The International Baccalaureate (IB) is a global leader in international education—developing inquiring, knowledgeable, confident, and caring young people. Our programmes empower school-aged students to take ownership in their own learning and help them develop future-ready skills to make a difference and thrive in a world that changes fast" (ibo.org).

IB is an organization with a variety of programs designed with the idea in mind of creating a well-rounded, globally-minded individual. Cottonwood Classical Preparatory School offers the their Diploma Program and IB classes to all 11th-12th grade students wherein students will undergo a rigorous curriculum that will teach them a variety of well-rounded skills and broaden their horizons through a selection of unique classes that will push them beyond the limits of what they thought was possible academically.

Read more about IB and its programs here: https://www.ibo.org/

What is IB Visual Arts?
IB Visual Arts is a two-year IB class that can be taken by 11th and 12th grade students at Cottonwood Classical Preparatory School. Over the course of these years, students are taught how to analyze styles of art and artists throughout history, given the opportunity to explore various mediums, their own personal development and processes in art, and finally present what they have learned at the end of their two-year class in the form of an exhibition that the class puts together as a whole.

I really enjoyed the art/site/etc. here and would like to leave feedback, where can I do that?

Unfortunately you cannot contact artists directly, however if you have any feedback you'd like to leave, please check out our Google Forms where we will collect any comments you may have!

Link to the forms: https://forms.gle/jW1Hc4HFfyNFfRfz5

Can I share this website?

Please do! Feel free to share the link to our site as much as you please, we are extremely proud of our work.

I'm a Sophomore at CCPS and I'm thinking about taking IB Visual Arts but I'm not sure if I should do it, should I?

Absolutely, you should if you find yourself interested within the arts. Many people take IB Visual Arts because they believe it will be an easy class, but many find it more challenging than they expect. However, it should be known that if you really apply yourself to the class that you'll find the reward is great. Not only have I been able to get personal joy and make friends from the class, but I have been able to develop the way I think artistically, develop my artistic processes and methodologies and create a college-level portfolio that I am proud of. My art has changed for the better and if that is something you are interested in, go for it.

I also recommend the class to anyone who thinks they're "not good at art" or "can't draw." To those of you who have an interest in the class but do not believe you are good enough to participate, (1) in my time pieces were graded on participation and how much effort you put into the class and (2) you will find there is much more to art than the completion of your efforts and even learn new skills such as how to present your ideas and your own projects to others, give and get constructive feedback, or even find mediums you might enjoy and become proficient in.