Buxton School - Williamstown, Massachusetts

Structured Art Class

At Buxton, we see the arts as an essential part of education and of life. Unlike the many schools that see the arts as “extra” or something you fit in only when your academic life allows it, Buxton builds arts courses into the fabric of students’ day-to-day lives. A typical Buxton student takes four or five academic classes and one or two arts classes each term. We offer arts courses in a variety of disciplines: studio art (which includes painting, drawing, and sculpture), ceramics, photography, music, and drama. Students are allowed and encouraged to deepen their education in areas in which they are already skilled and/or confident; they are equally encouraged to explore brand-new art forms—where they may find new talents or exciting new ways of viewing or experiencing the world around them.

African Drum Class with Guest Artist

In addition to the many arts classes we offer, Buxton also has extensive extracurricular opportunities in the arts. A major afternoon activity is our African Drum and Dance program, which has a well-deserved reputation for excellence. We also offer after-school classes in Improv, screen-printing, and experimental photography.

Our evening arts activities serve as a backbone of the arts offerings at Buxton. Each weeknight sees a different major arts program in action. The Drama department produces three major productions each year, including the winter term’s All-School Play, which is performed during our annual All-School Trip. The Buxton Chamber Orchestra is open to all interested players. The Chorus takes all comers and typically encompasses more than half of the student body and the faculty. The Musical Ensembles activity allows students to prepare and perform music in smaller groupings. Creative Writing allows students to spend time honing their expressive skills in that area. And we are able to take our students to Figure Drawing classes at nearby Williams College at least once a week.

Chorus

In our course catalogue, you will see more in-depth descriptions of the arts classes. And click here to see photographs of student art, dance and drama performance. Finally, this link will allow you to hear Buxton student music compositions, performed by professional musicians.