The Arts

Lower School students have art and music classes twice per week. Working in the arts helps our learners to develop creative problem-solving skills, in addition to developing fine motor skills, decision-making, risk-taking, and inventive thinking.  

The Lower School Visual Arts program engages students in hands-on, exploratory art experiences that build creativity, confidence, and foundational skills. Classes explore a variety of mediums, including painting, drawing, printmaking, and clay. Students have the opportunity to engage in choice-based art time, which fosters individual curiosity and interest and experimentation with a wide range of materials and processes.

Music education in the Lower School encourages creative expression through student-chosen opportunities to sing, dance, and play instruments. By engaging in activities that spark their interests and excitement, students develop confidence and a meaningful and personal connection with music, and discover the joy of making music together.
 

The arts are a vital and integrated part of the middle school curriculum. Students rotate between drama, music, and visual arts. 
The Middle School drama program begins in sixth grade with an introduction to the foundational skills of theatre and performance. Students continue to build upon these skills throughout their time in middle school with more advanced theatre games and activities, and culminate their work with a full-scale production in eighth grade. 

Music class is all about performing and creating music together. Students explore traditional and modern band instruments in addition to progressing their understanding of the variety of musical styles around them. Each school year concludes with a Battle of the Bands, where each class performs to earn the votes of their schoolmates.

Visual arts class is a time for students to grow and explore technique and materials. The program lays the foundation for students to communicate visually and verbally utilizing drawing, painting, printmaking, and sculpture art forms. Students exhibit work throughout the year on campus with the opportunity to participate in a juried student show in the second semester.
 

In High School, the arts transition into electives, allowing students to pursue their unique interests. Through these immersive courses, students build community, discover new passions, and take full ownership of their creative work.

The drama program helps students develop foundational skills in creative play, improvisation, and performance techniques drawn from multiple acting traditions. Students present a Winter Showcase during the first semester and a full-scale production in the spring as part of the Evening of the Arts. This program offers field experiences at a variety of professional theatres throughout Atlanta, including the Alliance Theatre and City Springs Theatre Company. In recognition of their work and commitment to the program, students also have the opportunity to be inducted into the International Thespian Society and attend ThesCon as registered members of The Howard School’s Thespian Troupe.

The visual arts program offers a wide scope of art experiences combined with detailed explorations into media and materials. Key design concepts, creative problem solving, and an understanding of art styles are developed. Each student creates a digital portfolio recording their work. Student art is exhibited throughout the year, culminating in a spring art show, Evening of the Arts.

In the music program, students work as an ensemble to explore modern band instruments, diverse genres, and the music of different time periods. Each class celebrates student interests and strengths, helping every learner develop technical skill, musical literacy, and confidence in performance.