Visual Arts Program
At Ashford Ridge Academy, the visual arts are not extracurricular — they are essential. Our program nurtures creative discipline, visual literacy, and artistic voice through studio practice guided by working professional artists.
Art as a Way of Seeing
The Ashford Ridge visual arts program believes that artistic practice sharpens the same skills that define great scholarship: close observation, creative problem-solving, and the willingness to iterate toward excellence. Students work across traditional and digital media in a curriculum that culminates in the annual Spring Exhibition.
Through our partnership with the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, advanced students participate in portfolio reviews, artist talks, and gallery visits that connect classroom learning to the broader art world.
Explore Three Creative Disciplines
Students may concentrate in one discipline or explore all three as they develop their artistic portfolio.
Drawing & Painting
From observational still life to expressive abstraction, students build foundational skills in graphite, charcoal, watercolor, oil, and acrylic across four progressive course levels.
Ceramics & Sculpture
Hand-building, wheel-throwing, and three-dimensional design in our dedicated ceramics studio with two electric kilns and a wood-fired kiln built by students and faculty.
Digital Arts
Photography, graphic design, digital illustration, and motion graphics using Adobe Creative Suite in our recently renovated digital media lab with 20 high-performance workstations.
Taught by Working Artists
Every instructor in the Ashford Ridge visual arts department maintains an active professional practice. Our faculty exhibit nationally, contribute to public art commissions, and bring real-world creative experience into the studio every day. Students learn not only technique, but the habits and discipline of a practicing artist.
The Whitfield Arts Center
Opened in 2018, the 12,000-square-foot Whitfield Arts Center houses dedicated studios for drawing, painting, ceramics, and digital media, along with the Mercer Gallery — a professional exhibition space where student work is displayed alongside visiting artists throughout the year.
The Spring Exhibition
Each May, the Mercer Gallery transforms into a professionally curated exhibition of student work from across all disciplines. Seniors present portfolio collections that reflect their four-year artistic journey, while underclassmen display selected pieces judged by guest curators from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. The evening reception has become one of the most anticipated events on the Ashford Ridge calendar.
Ashford Ridge gave me the discipline to treat my art like a practice, not a hobby. The faculty pushed me to take risks, and the Spring Exhibition taught me how to present my work to a real audience. When I arrived at RISD, I had a portfolio — and the confidence — that most freshmen were still building.
Discover Your Creative Voice
Explore the studios, meet our faculty artists, and see what’s possible when creative discipline meets dedicated mentorship.