The Oxbow School | Final Projects

Final Project

At the conclusion of the semester, the capstone Final Project is a chance for students to focus on a subject in great depth with support from faculty mentors. The primary goal of this project is to foster ongoing dialogue between inquiry, research, writing, and art-making. The learning path integrates multiple disciplines as a means to inform one’s artistic process. Students take on the model of the artist pursuing a line of work in their own studio. Many students cite this project as the highlight of their Oxbow experience, for it allows them to take full ownership over their work by engaging in a dynamic process of creative experimentation, discovery, and output.

Students will prepare for the final project throughout the semester and will spend their last month at Oxbow planning and executing research, writing, and artwork for their projects. Upon completion of the project students install their work for a final exhibition and public presentation, at which time they present their projects and research.

To view our student's Final Projects and read their artist statements, please visit the Final Project Gallery:

I have learned so many skills and habits that have made me a better person throughout my time here. To name a few: I have learned how to be a good roommate, how to communicate, and how to trust myself. I have learned the importance of staying hydrated, getting good sleep, and having a clean work space. I have learned how to share space both in the studios and dorms. Lastly, I have learned that it’s okay to advocate for what you need and that there is no harm in asking for help or support.

— Grace Reynolds, Fall 2023

At Oxbow, the eye and the hand are inseparable from the mind and because their peers are also artists, students adopt fresh attitudes toward their work.

— Charles Altieri, Rachel Anderson Stageberg Chair, Professor of English, University of California, Berkeley

In the year leading up to Oxbow, I became obsessed with the program, I was entranced with reading testimonials and researching interdisciplinary learning styles. When I arrived at Oxbow I was never disappointed, despite my endless expectations. I will forever cherish the time I spent at Oxbow and the connections I made there. Through Oxbow I was able to hone into the ideas I was thinking about, to refine my artistic process and to see the world in a new light every day of my life. I'm not going to say that without Oxbow I wouldn't be the person I am today, but I will say that without Oxbow it would have taken me at least four years to become who I am after one Oxbow semester.

— Phoebe Dubisch, Fall 2018

A School Like No Other