Julian is the great-great-grandson of Gilbert G. Davis, the founder of the magazine, along with three prominent art educators from Massachusetts in the early 1900s.

SchoolArts magazine originated in 1901 in Worcester, Massachusetts when Henry Turner Bailey[1] (state agent for the Promotion of Industrial Drawing), Fred Daniels (supervisor of drawing in the city of Worcester), James Hall (supervised drawing in Springfield), and Gilbert Gates Davis (a printer) collaborated to produce The Applied Arts Book, now known as SchoolArts.

Contributing writers have included Arthur Wesley Dow, Viktor Lowenfeld and John Dewey.

Every thematic issue offers studio lessons for early childhood, elementary, middle, and high school.

In addition to lessons and articles the magazine produces features focusing on art history, contemporary artists, careers in art, and support for teachers in addressing the needs of all learners, including students with special needs and English language learners.