This study aimed to reveal the reasons underlying school principals' preferences for paintings to be exhibited on their school's walls. Also, it was examined whether there is a difference between the frequency of school leaders' participation in artistic activities as well as their preferred art genres represented by different paintings. The participants in the study consisted of school principals working in high schools located in the central district of Sivas in the middle of Turkey. The research was conducted using a mixed method methodology. Data were collected by using semistructured interviews, surveys and questionnaires. A qualitative analysis method was used to find out reasons for school principals' preferred paintings. In addition, a quantitative analysis was performed to ascertain the differences, if any, among participants as regard to their frequency of attending artistic activities and artistic movements they preferred. According to the findings, the school principals chose paintings illuminating ideas such as green consciousness, ways of thinking, ethical principles, time perception, national values, and artistic perspectives.