Visual Art education in Greenville County Schools begins in Kindergarten.  Students in Kindergarten through Fifth Grade attend weekly art classes, taught by certified visual art teachers.  Elementary Art engages students in hands on creation, exposure, and response to visual art and artistic expression. Aligned with SC Visual Art Standards, the elementary visual arts program allows our youngest students to become more aware of the role of the arts in the world around them.  During their time in elementary school, our students will develop a foundational understanding of a variety of art forms and techniques, including painting, drawing, printmaking, weaving, 3-dimensional construction, design, ceramics/clay and more. Students are introduced to art history through the study of a variety of artworks and experience different cultures through the study of those cultures’ visual art forms. In elementary art, students begin to build and develop a vital relationship to the arts. Through their experiences, they learn to express their own creativity, communicate in their own, unique way, expand visual perception, and develop skills needed for future success.

Elementary students and teachers share their art in shows throughout the school year in their school and community. Each year, all Greenville County elementary schools are invited to participate in an annual district-wide Art Show. This event features over 100 pieces of artwork, highlighting outstanding two and three dimensional work from around our district. 

Students grow and develop exponentially during the time they are in middle school and the arts are an intricate part of their development. Greenville County middle school visual art teachers recognize that finding passion and developing art skills at this crucial stage is essential to the developing artist. It is during this time that students grasp large scale visual art concepts and begin to fully develop the craftsmanship needed to produce outstanding work. 

Students wishing to pursue art during or after middle school will have the opportunity to sign up for Art 1 HS credit. Most Middle Schools offer an accelerated path for students to complete their Art HS credit during their MS years.  Students who demonstrate strong visual art skills have the opportunity to audition into the Fine Arts Center in the areas of Visual Art or Architecture. 

Each year our award winning middle school art teachers host an amazing end of the year adjudicated public Art Show.  Here art work from all 22 middle school sites is showcased and select students are awarded.  First place winners are also invited to show their work at a gallery at the District Winners Show.

High School Visual Art programs in Greenville County Schools have a long history of excellence.  

Since 2005, Greenville County Schools has sponsored a District-wide high school art show, highlighting the best-of-the-best from each of the 14 high school programs and the Fine Arts Center.  From 2013-2019 the District Show was co-sponsored by Artisphere - one of the Top 10 Art Festivals in the nation.  2019 was without a show as Greenville County Schools were fully virtual due to the Covid-19 world-wide pandemic. Spring of 2020 has seen the return of the District-wide show but on a virtual platform. Approximately 200 student works can be viewed at the link below.