What happens when art is treated as more than an elective?
At Academe of the Oaks, art is part of how students learn to observe, think critically, solve problems, communicate ideas, and understand the world around them. As a college-preparatory high school in Decatur, Georgia, Academe brings the arts into an educational experience that emphasizes creativity, hands-on learning, intellectual curiosity, and meaningful connections between subjects.
For families looking for a private high school where students can develop both their analytical and creative abilities, the arts are an important part of the Academe experience.
A Strong Arts Focus Throughout the Curriculum
Academe of the Oaks places a strong emphasis on the arts alongside rigorous academics in science, mathematics, humanities, and foreign languages. The school describes its curriculum as STEAM-based, bringing together Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics.
Arts education is not reserved for a select group of students. Academe states that arts are taught at every grade level and for all students, with artistic techniques, history, and creative work woven into other areas of study.
That interdisciplinary approach reflects the school’s broader philosophy: students learn best when they can actively engage with an idea rather than simply memorize information.
For example, a student may use illustration to communicate information in a project, apply artistic thinking to mathematical concepts, or explore how visual representation can change the way an idea is understood. Academe has also highlighted student work connecting mathematics and art through Projective Geometry, where students explore perspective, proportion, and spatial reasoning through hands-on artistic projects.
What Art Classes Are Offered at Academe?
Academe’s fine and practical arts program encompasses a wide range of creative disciplines. Curriculum materials published by the school have included courses and experiences such as:
- Drawing
- Ceramics
- Jewelry
- Painting
- Sculpture
- Advanced Art
- Illustration
- Printmaking
- Bookbinding
- Oil painting
- Blacksmithing
- Art history
- Photography
- Music and performing arts
The exact course offerings can evolve from year to year, but the breadth of the program reflects something important about an Academe education: students have opportunities to work with both traditional artistic media and practical forms of making.
The school’s current faculty also reflects this commitment to hands-on artistic education. Fine and Practical Arts teacher Cosby Painter Hayes is a muralist and public artist whose work combines traditional media, community engagement, and technology. His approach emphasizes collaboration, artistic process, exploration, and helping students develop their own creative voices.
Academe also has a long history of practical arts education. Fine and Practical Arts faculty member Corrina Sephora Mensoff, a professional sculptor and metalsmith, teaches ninth-grade blacksmithing. Her professional work includes sculpture, furniture, architectural works, and public art throughout Atlanta and beyond.
Art Is About More Than Making Something Beautiful
At Academe, artistic education is also an education in observation and thought. The school’s curriculum is intentionally designed around developmental stages of learning. Freshmen focus on observation and the question “What?” Sophomores develop comparison skills through the question “How?” Juniors move toward analysis and interpretation through “Why?” Seniors work toward synthesis through “Who?” Art can support each of these stages. A student drawing an object must learn to observe it carefully. A student comparing artistic styles learns to identify similarities and differences. A student studying a work of art can investigate its historical and cultural context. And a student creating an original piece must eventually synthesize ideas, technique, experience, and personal expression.
This makes art a natural partner to Academe’s larger goal of developing resourceful, clear, and flexible thinkers.
Hands-On Learning Is at the Heart of Academe
One of the defining characteristics of Academe of the Oaks is project-based learning.
Rather than relying exclusively on textbooks or worksheets, students are encouraged to engage directly with materials, ideas, experiments, projects, and real-world problems. The school’s curriculum describes these projects as intentionally designed experiences that ask students to find solutions independently or collaboratively.
Art fits naturally into this model.
Students can move from an idea to a sketch, from a sketch to a physical object, and from a physical object to reflection and revision. They learn that creative work is a process. Mistakes become information. Materials respond differently than expected. A design may need to change. A technique may require practice.
These are the same habits of persistence, experimentation, problem-solving, and reflection that students need far beyond an art studio.
A Modern Art Studio on Campus
Academe’s Decatur campus includes a modern art studio, along with academic buildings, gardens, greenspace, and outdoor classrooms. The school describes its campus as a place where students can learn, socialize, and engage with their surroundings.
Having dedicated creative spaces reinforces the idea that artistic work is a meaningful part of the high school experience rather than an occasional activity added around the edges of academics.
For students who learn best by doing, creating, building, drawing, painting, performing, or working with physical materials, this environment can provide another pathway into challenging academic ideas.
Art, STEAM, and the Future
Art also plays an increasingly important role in interdisciplinary education.
Academe’s STEAM approach deliberately adds the arts to the traditional STEM framework. Science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics can inform one another in ways that encourage students to approach problems from multiple perspectives.
Design requires both creativity and structure. Architecture requires artistic vision as well as mathematics and engineering. Film combines storytelling, visual composition, technology, sound, and communication. Product design requires an understanding of materials, function, aesthetics, and the needs of other people. Even mathematics can become visual and creative. Academe’s Projective Geometry work demonstrates how students can use artistic projects to explore mathematical ideas such as perspective and spatial relationships. This is one reason the arts belong in a rigorous college-preparatory education. Creativity isn’t separate from critical thinking. It can strengthen it.
Art and the Waldorf Tradition
Academe of the Oaks is part of the international Waldorf school movement, and its educational philosophy places importance on educating the whole student.
The school combines rigorous college-preparatory academics with the arts and practical experiences. Its curriculum includes sciences, mathematics, humanities, languages, technology, and the fine and practical arts.
This balance is particularly meaningful during adolescence, when students are developing not only academically but also socially, emotionally, creatively, and personally.
Art provides students with another way to ask questions, communicate experiences, work through challenges, and discover what interests them.
Why Art Matters in High School
A strong high school arts program can help students develop skills that reach far beyond the studio.
Through artistic work, students can practice:
- Careful observation
- Creative problem-solving
- Communication
- Patience and persistence
- Collaboration
- Spatial reasoning
- Independent thinking
- Attention to detail
- Reflection and revision
- Confidence in expressing ideas
At Academe, these skills complement the school’s broader mission of preparing students to become resourceful, thoughtful, and adaptable thinkers.
The goal isn’t simply to produce artists.
It is to help young people become people who can observe carefully, imagine possibilities, make thoughtful decisions, create meaningful work, and contribute something of value to the world around them.
Discover the Arts at Academe of the Oaks
For families exploring private high schools in Atlanta and Decatur, Academe of the Oaks offers an educational experience where the arts are woven into the larger academic picture.
From visual art and practical arts to interdisciplinary projects, STEAM learning, music, performance, and hands-on experiences, creativity is treated as an important part of how students learn.
Academe is currently accepting applications for the 2026–27 school year. Families interested in learning more about the curriculum, visiting the campus, or discovering whether Academe is the right fit for their student can contact the school at 404-405-2173 or visit Academe of the Oaks in Decatur, Georgia. Schedule tour today and check out everything we have to offer for your childs future.
At Academe, art isn’t simply something students study. It is one of the ways they learn to see, think, create, and understand the world.
Interested in learning more about Academe of the Oaks? Contact us today.