Thursday, October 1, 2026
Soraya Primavera, a senior at Sanford H. Calhoun High School, has been selected for the 2025 AP Art and Design Exhibit. Her portfolio, which blends architectural form, fine art techniques and human anatomy, was chosen from thousands of submissions the College Board received from students around the world.
Her work will be showcased digitally in December, with a virtual awards ceremony to follow in January 2026.
Primavera, who has been drawing and painting since childhood, said her featured piece reflects her broader creative interests. Although she plans to pursue acting after graduation, she views her artistic identity as grounded in multiple disciplines that inform and influence one another.
During her sophomore year, she took a sculpture course that sparked an interest in structure and dimensionality, leading her to enroll in an AP architecture class the following year. There, she began exploring ways to merge architectural ideas with her personal art practice.
These experiences became the foundation of her portfolio.
“I was really shocked,” Primavera said of learning she had been selected for the national exhibit. “I didn’t expect it at all, because last year we had somebody else who got selected for the AP Art and Design Exhibit and I was so in awe of her. Then this year, I found out I did as well, and it was crazy because I didn’t expect anything of it when I was submitting.”
Primavera said she drew inspiration from architect Zaha Hadid, whose work is known for dynamic, curved and layered structures. She applied those ideas to her featured piece, which centers on the human heart as both a physical organ and a structural form.
“I really liked how [Hadid’s designs] were almost layered, and it was very dynamic,” Primavera said. “I wanted to bring that into my own work.”
Her AP art and design teacher, Joan Gonzalez, supported her throughout the project.
“Soraya’s AP sustained investigation explored the intersection of human anatomy and architecture, drawing inspiration from the body’s structure, movement and function,” Gonzalez said. “The study of the heart muscle, combined with architect Zaha Hadid’s style, drove the curved spatial organization and planar perforation.”
Primavera said the connection between human anatomy and architectural design felt natural to her.
“They were both very new subjects to me,” she said. “I found it very interesting to draw inspiration from the human body, because there are so many different things that inspire architecture, and I really like natural and organic pieces. I thought that the body was a really good way to bring that into architecture.”
Calhoun Interim Assistant Principal Nick Grande said Primavera’s recognition reflects both her hard work and the emphasis the school places on encouraging students to explore varied creative interests.
“I think it’s important for students to express themselves,” he said. “Even though Soraya isn’t planning to pursue visual art professionally, it’s still something that’s meaningful to her.”
Primavera previously earned a Gold Key in the 2023 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards. She continues to stay involved in the school’s drama program, designing and painting sets for Calhoun’s theater department while also taking advanced 2D art courses.
