Working with confidence, imagination, and a spirit of exploration and experimentation, Lower School art students at St. Mary’s learn to use art as a means of self-expression and communication, become acquainted with famous and influential works of art, and work together to develop proficiency in multiple mediums, both 2D and 3D.

Young student artists are exposed to a variety of artists, techniques, and interpretations to cultivate the development of their own style. Lessons include self-portraiture, paper craft, and book creation projects that teach some of the most basic elements of visual art while allowing the students to create their own work.

The Early Childhood and Lower School Visual Arts program also prepares students for the more advanced art classes they will take in the Middle and Upper Schools.

Building on skills developed in lower school, middle school art courses continue to stimulate the imagination and provide opportunity for individual expression. To promote fresh thinking and prevent repetition, longer, more in-depth projects are interspersed with shorter assignments. Assessments are based more on involvement in the process than on the final product itself. Students continue to work in a variety of 2D and 3D media, and interdisciplinary lessons encourage the students to make connections between multiple forms, a valuable learning tool.

Students are introduced to both contemporary and historical masterworks, and when possible, they visit the Levy gallery, a regional art gallery housed in the SMS fine arts building to view and discuss works on display and/or meet visiting artists. 

Instrumental music and classic stories from world cultures are played in the art studio to set a mood, promote international interest, and enrich the art making experience. We also integrate technology into the process as an artistic tool, but we do not believe that the physical processes of drawing, painting, and sculpting are any less important in our technologically advancing world.

The Upper School Art Program represents the culmination of the girls’ artistic learning journey. In the studios they will create their most complete, personalized, and complex works of art, and in the classroom they will demonstrate a well-rounded knowledge and appreciation for a wide range of world heritage artwork.

Studio Art classes in the upper school cover concepts such as composition, interpretation, gesture, and color theory. By this time, students have often developed a personal style, and are now allowed to focus and develop that style until it is fully realized.

The AP Art History course is taught in a collegiate seminar style, and expects the students to prepare themselves well before class sessions. In order to absorb the class’s large amount of material and encourage student-led learning, students will be assigned to read, summarize, and present sections of the textbook to their peers in class.

When it comes to grading, a great effort that falls short is valued higher than a timid or comfortable attempt that fulfills its own goals. In Honors and AP classes, grades are given on the basis of care, depth of knowledge, planning, thought, and overall success. All grades include a written commentary.