Wexford Collegiate School for the Arts

Wexford has had a specialized Visual Arts Program for over forty years. All visual arts courses taken at the school are done in one of the classrooms located in The Art Centre. The Art Centre consists of nine studios, each specifically equipped to deliver a specialized course. One of these courses is the Life Drawing course, in which Wexford is the only secondary public school in Toronto that offers the course.

For students in the Special Series and Media Arts Program (more commonly known as the "Visual Arts program"), a choice can be made at the end of grade ten where students can either earn the Grand Masters Certificate or the Visual Arts Certificate. For students earning the Grand Masters Certificate, they must take four art credits in both grade eleven and twelve, meaning half of their schedule consists of art credits. For students wishing for the Visual Arts Certificate, they must take 2 art credits in both grade eleven in twelve.

For students who have graduated from Wexford but would like to construct a portfolio as a part of their college, university or career application, they can apply for the Portfolio Year, where they will spend half to a full year constructing their portfolio with the assistance of the art teachers.

Each year, the Special Series Visual Art Program staff and students put on an original exhibit known as, The Great Masters Art Show. It typically takes place during the month of May, and is open to the public free of admission.

If accepted after participating in the audition process, students will be placed either in the Music Theatre program or the Drama Focus program.

Music Theatre students will take a Music Theatre course as well as a course either in Drama, Vocal or Dance, depending on where they are placed.

The Music Theatre program holds strong ties to the film, television and theatre community in Toronto. Workshops are frequently conducted between these artists and students.

These ties to the professional community have also given professional opportunities to some Wexford students in film, television, musical theatre and radio jingles. In the 1990s, Wexford established a great relationship between the Music Theatre students and the Hospital for Sick Children's Telethon produced by CFTO. The students were invited back for a seventh year in 1997. In 1993 they had four "spots" on the telethon, including the final number which they shared with Colm Wilkinson (The Phantom) and Michael Burgess (Les Miz, Man of La Mancha). The Music Theatre students also performed in a video with Donny Osmond (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat) and in 1994 shared the stage with Micheal Bell (Show Boat).

In addition, the students have performed live both on CBC and CTV networks; live on stage at the New Yorker Theatre; recorded the original song "Keep the Spirit Alive" for the special Olympics; performed at the Celebrity Sports Auction; performed with Robert Pilon at Casa Loma for CEO's from all over the world; performed along with the Leahy's and Andre Philipe Gagnon; entertained 5,000 representatives from all over North America at the Metro Convention Centre; and, appeared along with the cast of Rent at Mel and Marilyn Lastman's Inaugural Ball. In 2011, the Wexford Glee Club, known as "The Wexford Gleeks" won the first ever Show Choir Canada National Championship.[5] In 2012, the Wexford Gleeks placed second in the SCC Nationals, but were the audience favourite as the only choir to receive two standing ovations during the competition.[6] In 2013, the Wexford Gleeks placed 2nd once again in the SCC Nationals, but won eight out of the ten awards that were given to individual choirs and choir members. In February 2013, the Wexford Gleeks recorded a song with an extraterrestrial Chris Hadfield and Ed Robertson of the Barenaked Ladies. Hadfield, astronaut and amateur musician, was circling the earth on the International Space Station at the time of the recording.

At the end of each school year, a musical is put together by the students and staff of the Music Theatre program.

Drama Focus students will take a course of their choice either in Vocal, Dance or in Instruments in addition to their required Drama Course. Drama Focus students and staff put together a showcase in the Fall during each school year.

In addition to the Performing and Visual Arts programs, students who have gone through either audition process may be placed in the Comprehensive Arts program. This program allows students to take two, as opposed to one, art credit beginning in grade nine. These credits, however, are not specialized credits like those found in the Performing and Visual Arts programs. These credits are regular credits taken by students who attend the school but are not a part of either programs.