The Reykjavík School of Visual Arts offers education in the field of art, design and crafts, art history and cultural studies. Thereby enhancing the student’s personal artistic expression and his awareness of the value of art and culture for society, human environment and nature.

Knowledge of the visual arts is an intrinsic part of modern literacy. Learning visual arts stimulates creative thinking and increases the understanding of imagery. The importance of visual literacy goes hand in hand with the constant growth of complexity in our environment and the ever more persistant information that is presented visually. Understanding art and imagery sharpens the individual's focus and strengthens him as a critical participant in cultural and social activities. All human beings possess creative qualities. In creation lies power that is not only very important to the individual himself but also to society as a whole. Increased involvement of the individual in creativity and cultural work strengthens the infrastructure of society and underpins a prosperous economy.

Studying art opens the student’s vision to his own artistic strength and creativity, and deepens his understanding of the work of others and thus art and cultural history in general. At pre-primary and lower secondary level, emphasis is placed on giving students the opportunity to develop their abilities through a broad variety of projects. Both the school’s foundation programme and its visual arts programme towards matriculation prepare students for further studies in art, design and architecture. The school’s diploma programmes provide the student with both theory and practical work to get a deeper insight into fields within art and design and prepare students for further studies towards a BA. It also enables them to choose to proceed directly into careers in fine art painting, textile, illustrations or ceramics.