The school has a lively arts program.  The St. Bernard’s visual arts program instills in the boys a keen interest in self-expression and creativity.  Art is an integral part of the kindergarten curriculum.  Formal art classes begin in the first grade and continue through ninth grade.  Projects help boys develop an understanding of color, line, and form and master both two-dimensional and sculptural forms.  Various media include work with pencil, oil pastel, paint, scissors, clay, and charcoal.  The exercises and projects have been specifically designed to improve dexterity, design, and composition.  Most of the boys’ work goes on display in the school throughout the year.  An art show is held in the spring, and selected pieces are published in The Budget, the school’s literary magazine.

Music classes at St. Bernard’s seek to encourage enjoyment, open-mindedness, and an appreciation of music that will last a lifetime.  We encourage confident performance (whether in public or private) and fluency with the language of music, so that boys will be excited to explore new music and new challenges.  Junior School introduces boys to singing, reading, and listening to music.  Third graders begin to play the recorder.  Middle School emphasizes performance, basic theory, and guided listening to music of many genres.  The boys begin to study famous composers and their works.  Upper Schoolers explore the history of music from the Renaissance to the 20th Century.