The National Visual Arts Standards (NVAS) present ways for students in the United States to create, present, respond, and connect to the world of art and artmaking. This article focuses on the practices of one visual arts educator, Educator A, who taught in a state-sponsored specialist music high school, guided by the following question: "How does an experienced secondary New South Wales (NSW) visual arts educator employ the Frames and the Conceptual Framework of the NSW Visual Arts Syllabi within her art classroom?" The author found that Educator A used the Framework as a way of teaching about the world and its history, emphasizing the importance of philosophical ideas as much as artmaking. This resulted in classrooms becoming small artistic communities where students could collaborate and explore.