Visual Arts

Visual Arts

Learn to communicate your ideas visually by building foundational skills in drawing, painting, ceramics, photography and more.

Two people in winter coats view colorful paintings displayed on a gallery wall. Painted vases sit on a white pedestal in the foreground, partly obscuring the view of the people and artwork.

Visual arts coursework at Miss Porter’s School helps students use various media to investigate and express complex ideas, perspectives and experiences.

Discover & Refine Your Unique Creative Voice

Porter’s visual arts faculty treat students as serious artists, providing thoughtful and intentional guidance and helping them create sophisticated, high-quality work. During your time here, you’ll have the opportunity to experiment with different media—from charcoal and oil paint to film and Adobe Photoshop. 

Whatever your artistic interests, you’ll take part in meaningful discussions and critiques with peers, faculty and visiting artists. By engaging with different perspectives, you’ll be challenged to communicate your ideas more clearly and grow as an artist. You’ll discover and refine your artistic voice and develop a distinctive portfolio of work.

Explore Our Visual Arts Curriculum →

Our visual arts coursework spans a wide range of disciplines:

ART HISTORY CERAMICS DIGITAL ART DRAWING FILMMAKING PAINTING PHOTOGRAPHY PRINTMAKING
Colorful art installation in a large indoor museum space with patterned carpets, a central square structure, wall tapestries, and people seated or walking around. The scene blends vibrant colors and intricate designs.

Art History

Learn about renowned works and artists from the past and present, and explore how they represent and comment on the events, values and struggles of their time.

Three young women sit at pottery wheels in a bright studio, shaping clay with their hands. Shelves with supplies and large windows are visible in the background.

Ceramics

Use clay to create three-dimensional sculptures and functional objects, and learn foundational wheel-throwing and hand-building techniques.

A woman sits in a chair using a tablet and stylus to draw, with others seated and working in the background. The setting appears to be a classroom or workshop.

Digital Art

Use a variety of computer-based imaging tools to dive into different forms of digital artmaking, from digital illustration and painting to graphic design.

A woman sits on a wooden floor, drawing with pastels on large paper. Art supplies and finished artworks surround her in a bright studio with paintings hanging on the walls.

Drawing

Experiment with different drawing media—including pencil, ink, pastel and charcoal—to sharpen essential skills in composition, perspective and color theory.

A group of students sits in a dimly lit classroom watching a film projected on a screen, featuring a close-up of a woman by a lamp. The room has chairs, desks, and various equipment visible.

Filmmaking

Investigate script writing, directing, editing, production design, cinematography and sound design, and learn how to use filmmaking to communicate clear, meaningful stories.

A person paints a colorful still life on canvas, focusing on a plate of fruit using a fine brush. The painting is vibrant, with visible blue, orange, and white areas on a paint-splattered wooden surface.

Painting

Try out acrylic and oil paints and discover how to use blending, layering and other painting techniques to emphasize colors, shapes and textures in your artwork and bring your ideas to life.

Several people work at a table in a classroom, examining and organizing black-and-white photographic film negatives in plastic sleeves and boxes. Photographs and art supplies are visible in the background.

Photography

Shoot and print strong photographs using traditional analog cameras and darkrooms, or digital cameras and photo editing software like Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop.

Two people use a printmaking press in an art studio. One turns a handle while the other adjusts paper on the press. Art supplies and paper are visible in the background.

Printmaking

At the intersection of painting and drawing, explore intaglio, solar printing, monotype and screen printing techniques on paper, clothing and other materials.

“The arts help students be resilient and inventive, evolve with the times, and take care of their mind, body and spirit.”

Grier Torrence P’21, ’23
Former Visual Arts Director and Teacher
Two people work at a wooden table filled with ceramic mugs, pottery tools, and clay, viewed from above. One person holds an unfinished mug while the other’s hands are just visible at the table’s edge.
A young woman with long dark hair, wearing a black top and jeans, paints on a canvas at an easel in an art studio, holding a brush and focused on her work.
Two young women stand together indoors, looking at handwritten documents in plastic sleeves. One wears a camouflage hoodie, the other a yellow sweater with a light-colored scrunchie in her hair. They appear focused and engaged.
A bright art studio with large tables, easels, scattered art supplies, cabinets, and a computer. The room is well-lit with fluorescent lights and has various chairs and storage areas.

Space to Create

Explore the incredible facilities and gallery spaces where our students create and share their work with the entire Porter’s community.

Explore Our Arts Facilities →

Josh Bezdek, Photography and Filmmaking

Josh Bezdek teaches photography and filmmaking at Miss Porter’s School. He earned a BFA from the College for Creative Studies and an MFA in Printmaking/Drawing from Washington University in St. Louis.

An art educator since 2007, Josh has extensive experience teaching AP and International Baccalaureate art courses. In 2012, he received Special Congressional Recognition for Dedication to Art Education from the U.S. House of Representatives.

As a practicing artist, Josh has exhibited nationwide and been affiliated with galleries in St. Louis and Austin. He lives on campus with his wife, math teacher Hur-shiu Webb, and their two daughters, Beata and Andromeda.

Photography teacher Josh Bezdek in the film photography studio with vintage film cameras on the table and negatives and photo prints on the wall

A CAMPUS FULL OF ENERGY, CREATIVITY AND CONNECTION.

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