Harding Academy’s visual arts curriculum combines art history and appreciation with media-rich studio work in both two- and three-dimensional formats. Projects have interdisciplinary connections to history, social studies, literature, botany, zoology, and math, and frequently include written components to accompany the artwork.
In the spring each year, Harding hosts the Spring Arts Festival, a day of activities that can include both hands-on workshops as well as performances. Over the years, the school has played host to a vast array of artists, from puppeteers and dance companies to sculptors, potters, and painters. The Harding Art Show, a Nashville institution since the 1970s, provides additional opportunities for our students to be inspired by and interact with professional artists. Every year, our students work in tandem with selected artists from the Harding Art Show to create unique pieces.

Harding Academy middle school students routinely enter the Scholastic Art Awards competition, and are often among the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Key recipients. Having developed strong technical skills in lower school, and later guided to create original work that reflects their own artistic voice and vision, our middle-schoolers are prepared for the rigor of the Scholastic judges.
Inspiring The Mind  •  Nurturing The Spirit