Visual Arts
Color and line, pencil and paper, camera or brush – Saint Stephen’s fosters the confidence and the skills that allow all of our students to express their ideas in visual media.
Our visual arts curriculum guides students to observe the world critically and express original ideas three-dimensionally. In purpose-built studios, students work across multiple mediums, learning that mistakes are simply iterations in the creative process.
From the tactile beginnings of hand-building clay to digital design suites and fine-art photography, students develop technical mastery and conceptual voice under the guidance of experienced faculty.
Drawing & Painting
Our drawing and painting courses emphasize foundational skills — line, value, color theory, and perspective — before encouraging students to experiment with conceptual voice and scale.
Upper School students work in open-studio layouts, creating independent bodies of work for national competitions and AP submissions. Those who have met high standards and specific course criteria in the visual arts earn the special Arts Conservatory distinction at graduation.
Ceramics & Sculpture
With dedicated ceramics wheels, glaze stations, and professional kilns, our 3D arts program teaches students the chemistry and structural engineering of clay.
Students explore functional pottery, architectural hand-building, and multi-media installations that challenge spatial thinking. In the spring, the Pre-K through 8th Grade Art Show and the Upper School Alexi Tucker Memorial Juried Art Show highlight student achievements and successes in the visual arts.
The work.
Student pieces, exhibitions, and studio life — drawn from the school's own photography.
Student work on the gallery wallExhibition Student show in the libraryExhibition Fiber Arts Club at the annual Club FairFiber Arts Student photography on display Fun student ceramics Student clay projects prior to being painted Finished student ceramics on display Student art on display in the Pullen Center
We are not just teaching students how to draw; we are teaching them how to see and how to trust their own observations.
Visual Arts Director · Saint Stephen's Faculty