Visual Arts

The lower school visual arts program focuses on developing students’ creative confidence, critical thinking and global awareness. Students explore the artistic process through drawing, painting, printmaking, digital tools and sculpture. In addition to their studio work, students are introduced to a diverse range of story books and contemporary artworks to broaden their artistic perspectives. The arts curriculum is frequently integrated with classroom topics to deepen student engagement with core curriculum. 

The visual arts program is designed to balance exploration and skill development. Over the course of their middle school career, students will engage in complex, multi-step projects that develop foundational artistic techniques while building organizational and time-management skills. Inspired by artists from around the globe, students will gain a better understanding of art’s function within society while gaining experience using a variety of media. With a strong focus on drawing, painting and design, students will leave the middle school with a skill set that prepares them for the options that lie ahead in the upper school curriculum. 

The upper school visual art program promotes open-mindedness, global thought and personal creative actions. Student-artists experience art through many lenses: hands-on practice, historical inquiry, group critique, museum trips and visiting artist connections. We value the process of creating art and developing technical skills in the upper school curriculum, rather than the visual product.

Studio experiences include the disciplines and media of  ceramics, drawing, new media, painting, darkroom and digital photography, printmaking and sculpture. Student-artists have access to a darkroom, ceramics lab, 2-D and 3-D studios, and digital media equipment. Both introductory and advanced level courses are offered. Experienced student-artists and individuals preparing for visual studies at the college level may design an independent study or pursue Advanced Placement Studio Art. Collectively, the visual art courses provide a framework for students to learn and grow, to be inspired to observe, synthesize, generate and appreciate art.