Visual Arts Program | Chattanooga Christian School Fine & Applied Arts

Row of hand-turned wooden bowls drying on a workshop table.

At CCS, the visual arts inspire students to imagine boldly, create fearlessly, and express their unique perspective. Visual artists begin exploring the fundamentals when Lower School students learn about artists and artistic techniques. Opportunities for visual expression continue to grow in Upper School with advanced classes and events to create and showcase hands-on media. Through these experiences, students discover their creative voice and refine their technical abilities across a variety of artistic mediums. Annual exhibits and community showcases celebrate their talent, inspiring a lifelong appreciation for the arts and creative expression.

Class Offerings

Studio Art

Studio Arts encompasses a variety of different class offerings, providing exposure to new techniques and materials, including graphic design, multimedia art, printmaking, and 3D fabrication, to create unique and expressive works of art. They also have the opportunity to showcase their pieces in our Fine Arts Center Gallery and participate in community events.

Courses Offered:

Studio Art I & II
Introduction to Art
Design I & II
Drawing I, II, & III
AP Art & Design

Ceramics

Ceramics introduces students to hand-building, wheel-throwing, and sculptural techniques using clay. Students experiment with form, texture, and glazing to create functional and artistic pieces. Their work has the option to be displayed in our Fine Arts Center Gallery, as well opportunities to showcase and sell pieces at community events.

Courses Offered:

Ceramics I
Ceramics II
Ceramics III

Industrial Arts

Industrial Arts students begin by learning essential shop safety and tool usage. They then move on to designing, building, and finishing projects such as cutting boards, furniture, and more. Advanced woodworkers have the opportunity to create marketable art using a variety of materials, including wood, metal, pottery, leather, and stone. Their work is displayed in our Fine Arts Center Gallery, with opportunities to showcase and sell their creations at community events.

Classes Offered:

Middle School Woodworking I & II
High School Woodworking
Advanced Woodworking

Clubs & Co-Curriculars

Art Club

Art Club is offered in both our Middle School and High School. It's a time to meet other creative individuals and have fun exploring all kinds of art. Whether face painting at football games, bleach art on shirts, or block printmaking, members do not need to be a "good artist."

Art Club provides the opportunity to learn new things and even sell your own art without the pressure of doing it alone. It's also a good opportunity to hang out with new people and play a variety of art-related games.

Nonesuch

Nonesuch is a committed group of High School students striving to cultivate a culture of independent creative writing, performing and artistry in the High School. Dedicated team members meet weekly to review hundreds of original works of poetry, prose, fiction, songwriting, film, and visual art submitted over the year, and to plan the best ways to showcase our student body's best work.

Theatre Club

All students are invited to get involved—whether you love to sing, dance, act, design, or create. In addition to performing roles, visual artists have exciting opportunities to join the behind-the-scenes crew, contributing their talents in makeup artistry, costume design, set dressing, and stage design. Auditions are required for all performing roles, while crew positions are open to all students—no audition needed. Together, every participant helps bring each production to life through teamwork and imagination.

Studio Arts

Our Studio Art students have access to fully equipped Middle and High School studios with top-tier supplies, offering a wide range of disciplines from traditional techniques to modern methods like graphic design, printmaking and 3D fabrication.

Industrial Arts

A 5,000+ sq. ft. workshop for Industrial Arts students, featuring a wide selection of top-tier, industrial-sized tools from renowned brands like Powermatic, Festool, and more!

Ceramics

The Ceramics studio boasts 17 pottery wheels, two industrial-sized kilns, and state-of-the-art equipment, providing our students with the tools they need to create market-ready pottery.

Student Work

NONESUCH

Nonesuch is a dedicated co-curricular club for students passionate about fostering a culture of independent creativity and artistry. More than just an extracurricular, it displays a deep commitment from its members, who work collaboratively to showcase original student work through various platforms. These include Nonesuch Magazine, an annual literary and visual arts publication; Spotlight, an engaging online blog; Sidestage, a weekly lunchtime performance series in the gallery; and Nonesuch Originals, a monthly variety show. Members meet weekly to review submissions of poetry, prose, fiction, songwriting, film, and visual art, ensuring that student creativity is given the platform and recognition it deserves.

For 13 years I grew up in those blue and gold halls and discovered my passion for photography. The personal and creative development that I experience at CCS led me to become a confident and ever-growing artist. CCS gift me with the ability to see the bigger picture—to take a step back and see things from every perspective, under a different light, and through every lens available to me.Stephanie Van Horn Class of 2016