People say that great art takes time, and if that’s true, then Dr. Dooley’s upcoming AP Art History class will be an excellent one. Dr. Dooley originally asked to teach the class in 2020, during her first interview with Mr. Lindsay, after teaching it at her previous school, Kehillah Jewish High School. However, due to a lack of teachers in the Social Science department to teach the core classes as well as the birth of her child, Dr. Dooley wasn’t able to teach it at Milken. But after going through the process of implementing a new class, which involves filling out a form with information about how the class is consistent with Milken’s mission, and why it should be implemented now, Dr. Dooley will finally be teaching an AP Art History class.

The new course was announced on January 31, at Milken’s State of the School. The class had been offered in previous years, before Dr. Dooley arrived at Milken, but according to Dean of Faculty Mr. Bloom, “over the years, students stopped taking it, and we only had a couple of students interested.” This year, though, the class has already garnered interest from current students. “A lot of students are excited to have a class that is history but through a different lens,” Dr. Dooley said, going on to say that she thinks the class will attract “a lot of students who may not have taken an AP in Social Science.”

But what kinds of topics can prospective students hope to learn about in the class next year? Dr. Dooley says that her favorite art movements are Italian and Spanish Baroque art, Surrealism, and Jewish Abstract Expressionism. The class will also likely look at artists like Mark Rothko and Salvador Dalí. One thing is for sure though: the curriculum will not feature any art by Jackson Pollock, the American Abstract Expressionist who is famous for his “drip technique.” “His wife [Lee Krasner] is a far superior artist and never gets any credit,” Dr. Dooley said, going on to say that Krasner’s work will “absolutely” be studied in the class.