The Visual Art Department at Germantown Academy is committed to providing a comprehensive education in the arts within the context of a liberal arts education.  Our foundation and advanced curriculum is a well-rounded and versatile approach to the study and application of art. It is designed to provide a creatively stimulating education in an open environment of studio classes.  Experimentation and innovation, collaboration and social responsibility are themes built into the curriculum.  While these courses extend excellent opportunities for the general study of art and life-long arts advocacy, they are also designed to cultivate serious talents in the visual arts. Many of our students have gone on to prominent careers in commercial, fine, and applied arts.

Our program offers introductory, advanced, and honors courses in painting, drawing, sculpture, silver photography, digital design and filmmaking, studio recording, and advanced placement art history.  In addition, students have the opportunity to travel twice a year to prominent regional urban centers, partake in National Portfolio Days, participate in Philadelphia’s First Friday Art events, exhibit in a variety of arenas outside of school, train at area universities in their weekend programming for art students, and participate in open studios and art club at the Academy. 

The study of art teaches students how to solve old problems in new ways, to think differently, progressively, and with great confidence in their ideas. The study of art cultivates original thinking. Thoughts, concepts, and ideas are highly valued assets in our new global economy.  The most successful people will combine their training in creative thinking with excellence in other fields.  We see the study of art throughout the duration of a student’s high school career as a necessary component of their success in any future field of study.