Explore our Curriculum

Visual Arts (MS)

The ESA visual arts program provides a learning environment that stimulates and maximizes the creative and artistic potential of each student. The learning experience emphasizes creative problem solving and critical thinking. We passionately believe that the experiences of creating and contemplating art are essential for each student’s development into a full person. The arts foster creativity, self expression, and awareness of the world around us, and are an important part of fulfilling ESA’s mission to challenge students to develop intellectually, spiritually, and physically. Through art classes, students actively engage in the process of creating art and develop habits, skills, and ways of seeing that enhance their lives on many levels. Students are challenged to use creative problem solving strategies and to experience first hand the failures, successes, and frustrations of producing art. Emphasis is on the quality of experience and creative process, rather than product, for student evaluation. 

Middle School required courses: Art 6 and Art 7

At the successful completion of Design Foundations in the eighth grade, 0.5 upper school credit is awarded towards the visual/performing arts  graduation requirement. The final grade earned in Design Foundations will appear on a student's upper school transcript and is counted in a student's upper school GPA.


  • Art 6

    The foundation of Art 6 is artistic thinking. Artistic thinking reaches beyond the art classroom. In art, students will be challenged to problem solve, make choices, and take risks. There will be opportunities for students to continue to build confidence through the practice of different aspects of the creative process. Art benefits students by cultivating self esteem by introducing them to different kinds of literacy. They develop unique forms of expression reflecting reasoning, imagination and dexterity. They will explore technology and media working in conjunction with the technology department in the creation of art work to learn to adapt to the future and change.

  • Art 7

    Art 7 builds on the foundations of Art 6 where the focus is artistic thinking. Artistic thinking reaches beyond the art classroom. In art, students will be challenged to problem solve, make choices and take risks. There will be opportunities for students to continue to build confidence through the practice of different aspects of the creative process. Art benefits students by cultivating self esteem by introducing them to different kinds of literacy. Students add a year to the experiences of sixth grade and develop unique forms of expression reflecting reasoning, imagination and dexterity based on these experiences Through a connection with the technology department, they will explore new technology and media in the creation of art to learn to adapt to the future and change.

  • Design Foundations

    This course is designed to offer students a foundation in the visual arts. During one semester students will explore a variety of media to create works in 2D and 3D. By tailoring projects to the understanding and manipulation of the elements and principles of design, the goal is for students exit the class fluent in the language of visual arts. Students will develop their ability to critically analyze, discuss, and evaluate work made by themselves and others. Design Foundations will also offer students some insight into the skills, knowledge and technical applications necessary for the upper level Art courses offered at ESA. 

    This course earns 0.5 credit towards the visual/performing arts graduation requirement. Accordingly, the final grade for the course is listed on the transcript, and it is counted in a student's upper school GPA.

Our Faculty

  • Photo of Elise Sonnier
    Elise Sonnier
    Visual Arts Teacher
    (337) 365-1416 x326
    Massachusetts College of Art - B.F.A.
    Year Appointed: 2007
  • Photo of Andrea Fortier
    Andrea Fortier
    Visual/Performing Arts Teacher
    (337) 365-1416 x322
    University of Oxford - M.F.A.
    The Juilliard School - B.M.
    Year Appointed: 2020
  • Photo of Jennifer Graycheck
    Jennifer Graycheck
    Visual Arts Department Chair, Visual Arts Teacher
    (337) 365-1416 x345
    University of Georgia - M.F.A.
    Sewanee: University of the South - B.A.
    Year Appointed: 2015
  • Photo of Amie Rogers
    Amie Rogers
    Visual Arts Teacher
    (337) 365-1416 x308
    California State University - Chico - M.F.A.
    University of Louisaina - Lafayette - B.F.A.
    Year Appointed: 2016

Episcopal School of Acadiana

Episcopal School of Acadiana is a private coeducational day school for students in grades PK3 through 12. Our mission is to instill in every student the habits of scholarship and honor.

Episcopal School of Acadiana (Lafayette Campus)

PK3 through 5th grade
721 E. Kaliste Saloom Rd. Lafayette LA, USA 70508
Phone: 337-993-2263

Episcopal School of Acadiana (Cade Campus)

6th through 12th grades
1557 Smede Rd. at Hwy. 92 Broussard, LA, USA 70518
Phone: 337-365-1416
ESA does not discriminate on the basis of physical disability, race, religion, gender, or national or ethnic origin.
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