Saint Viator offers a full complement of Fine Arts courses that draws students to explore music, theater and visual arts, far more than the half credit course they are required to take for graduation. In fact, students can take music and visual art classes all four years of high school.

Band students will be seated in either the concert band or the more sophisticated symphonic band. Both meet as a class every day, while the high powered jazz band rehearses two evenings a week. Students also perform in a pep band at football and basketball games, and many audition for a pit orchestra during the winter for the school musical.

Among Catholic high schools, Saint Viator musicians have compiled a strong reputation. The combined concert and symphonic bands have placed in the top three of their class 11 times over the last 16 years and won Best in Class five times at the prestigious State of the Art Catholic Band Competition. Individually, students have been recognized by the Illinois Music Educators Association, the Northshore Solo & Ensemble Contest and at Jazz in the Meadows.

Every other spring break, band members perform and participate in workshops at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando.

Concert choir members learn a mix of traditional choral literature with pop, Broadway tunes and Gospel spirituals. Members may also perform in smaller ensembles, such as Chamber Singers. Additionally, choir members sing at school Masses and other special events throughout the year. Music appriciation is also offered to all students.

Saint Viator has always had a strong theater program, based in part on its winter musical, which dates back nearly as far as the school. Musicals are double cast, meaning two full casts alternate performances, giving more students a chance to perform. A fall play, an assembly and two arts festivals round out the performance opportunities.

Academically, supporting students in their exploration of the theater are courses such as Theater I and Theater II, which cover the elements of acting, from imagination and improvisation, to character development and performance.

Another course, Stagecraft, teaches students about the backstage elements that go into mounting plays, including using computer-assisted design, while Film Study & Production goes from analyzing films, to examining cinematography, editing, lighting and sound.           

Visual Art classes run the gamut. They include traditional classes that start with Art One and Art Two that expose students to the principles of design, as well as give them hands-on experiences in drawing, painting, design, sculpture and other art forms. They proceed up to Advanced Art and Oil Painting. Ceramics are also offered to all students in both beginning and advanced levels.

Increasingly, emphasis has been on the blending of traditional art instruction with technology through courses in digital photography and computer image editing such as Introduction to Adobe Photoshop.

• Band students have multiple ensembles to perform in, including concert, symphonic, pep and jazz bands, as well as the pit orchestra during the winter musical.
• Saint Viator bands have placed in the top three of their class 13 times over the last 16 years in the State of the Art Catholic Band Competition.
• Choral students perform in concert choir, as well as smaller ensembles.
• Nearly 200 students take part in theater productions each year, including the winter musical and fall play. Theater classes give them a foundation in acting and production skills, while Film Study & Production covers analysis, as well as filmmaking.
• Visual art students may begin with traditional classes that cover drawing, painting, design and sculpture, before exploring the blending of art with technology, through digital photography and computer image editing.