Arts
A Saint David's Pillar
How do conventions and innovations shape works of art and reflect human values over time?
How do practices of analyzing and creating artwork together deepen understanding?
How do the performing arts help us tell stories, share emotions, and connect with others?
At Saint David’s, the arts are a formative part of each boy’s education—developing both the critical mind and the creative spirit. Through hands-on work in visual and performing arts, boys are encouraged to observe carefully, think independently, and discover where their passions lie. The process is as important as the product: a space to take risks, express emotions safely, and build confidence as their skills take shape. In a moment when the creative lens is more essential than ever, the arts equip boys to seek—and to see—truth, beauty, and the good in the world around them.
60+ performances each year
6 instrumental and vocal ensembles
22 classes taught at The Guggenheim and The Met
Better learning comes from better seeing.
Studies conducted at Yale and Columbia Medical Schools established that medical students provided with observational art classes became far better diagnosticians than colleagues without that training.
Careful observation is a skill that transcends disciplines. In the Saint David’s art studio, it begins with learning to see—lines, light, form, and meaning—and builds toward deeper habits of attention and interpretation. Creative exploration here is not just encouraged; it’s expected. Boys don’t shy away from the arts as they grow older, as many do in co-ed settings. Instead, they continue to engage with confidence, discipline, and joy—discovering how the arts sharpen perception, expand understanding, and reveal new ways to make sense of the world around them.
What We Offer
Studio Art
From sculpture and painting to observational drawing and woodworking, Saint David’s boys engage deeply with the visual arts. Students learn not only how to make art, but how to see it—through hands-on studio work and regular visits to world-class institutions like the Met, Guggenheim, MoMA, Frick, and Whitney.
In second grade, boys spend a full semester of art sessions at the Guggenheim. By the eighth, they’re at the Met most Fridays. In humanities, students study works through the lens of history, philosophy, and technique—building both a critical eye and the confidence to speak with clarity about what they see. And, a yearlong art history class culminates with ten days in Rome and Florence, where boys encounter, in person, the masterworks they’ve studied all year.
Performing Arts
In every grade, Saint David’s boys take the stage—through music, drama, or both. These performances invite them to step outside themselves, explore emotion, and inhabit new perspectives. Many productions connect directly to classroom study, deepening understanding while developing poise, presence, and creative expression.
Music
Music is woven throughout the Saint David’s experience—from foundational instruction in Pre-K through Grade Seven to a range of ensembles that invite deeper exploration. Lower School boys may join First Orchestra, Lower School Percussion Ensemble, and First Choir. Upper School boys can participate in Philharmonic Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, and Chamber Singers. Each group performs throughout the year, helping boys develop skill, discipline, and the joy of making music together.
Private music instruction is available during lunchtime or after school.