Visual Arts
See the world differently.
At OES, students bring their imagination to life. Through drawing, painting, ceramics, photography, design, and digital media, students develop the skills and confidence to create work that reflects who they are. The journey begins with curiosity and grows through experimentation, collaboration, and practice. Along the way, students become artists, thinkers, and problem-solvers who understand that creativity is a powerful way to communicate and make an impact.
Lower School
In Lower School, students discover the joy of making through hands-on experiences with a wide range of materials and techniques. They experiment with color, shape, texture, and form while learning that creativity is a process of discovery. Through drawing, painting, collage, sculpture, ceramics, printmaking, and digital tools, they learn that there are many ways to express an idea. Projects like the kindergarten owl masks and the third grade imaginary world maps connect artistic skills with scientific concepts. Students are often allowed and even encouraged to pursue their own special art projects if they feel passionately about them.
Middle School
Middle School students move from exploration to more intentional artistic practice. Through studio-based learning, students strengthen technical skills while developing the ability to reflect, revise, and communicate their ideas. They work across a variety of media, including drawing, painting, ceramics, printmaking, sculpture, and design. Highlights of the program include drawing and painting three dimensional shapes, the 8th grade ceramic bobble head unit, and showing work to parents at the Middle School Arts Night.
Upper School
Through advanced studio courses, Upper School students develop technical mastery while exploring personal ideas and creative perspectives. Faculty with professional and collegiate experience challenge students to create work that is thoughtful, ambitious, and unique. In addition to more traditional mediums like drawing, painting, and sculpting, students can explore digital illustration and animation, apparel design, 3D design, CAD, laser cutting, and more. We celebrate our students’ creativity in the Imaginative Minds Art Gallery at OES (IMAGOES), a virtual art space that showcases the artistic talents of the entire OES student body.
A studio built for discovery.
We provide spaces and tools that support both traditional craftsmanship and new forms of creative expression. By combining time-honored artistic practices with emerging technologies, students learn how creativity can take many forms. Our students have access to:
- Painting, drawing, and mixed media studios filled with natural light and inspirational decor
- Ceramics studios with pottery wheels, kilns, and glaze libraries
- Printmaking equipment and presses
- Photography studios and darkroom facilities
- Digital design labs with Adobe Creative Suite, animation tools, and illustration technology
- 3D printers, laser cutters, and fabrication tools
Made for more.
Visual arts are about more than the final product. Students learn how to observe closely, solve problems, communicate ideas, and see possibilities where others might not. They develop the confidence to share their perspectives and the skills to bring meaningful ideas to life. At OES, every student has the opportunity to discover not only what they can create—but what they can say.