The Oxbow School | di Rosa Ramblings

Inside Oxbow

di Rosa Ramblings

02/14/15

Friday marked OS32's first fieldtrip, which we spent at The di Rosa in Napa. Students had the unique opportunity to see a private collection of gargantuan proportions and varied styles. Not only does the di Rosa maintain a historic farmhouse and warehouse gallery overflowing with paintings, sculptures and installations, there is also an expansive (think: "acres") sculpture meadow, as well as a separate gallery currently showcasing work from a new artist residency partnership with Stags' Leap Winery.

To the left is a shot of Richard T. Walker's show, the fallibility of intentin the Gatehouse Gallery. Walker is the first artist in residence through Stags' Leap Winery and his mesmerizing show was an aural and visual journey through the deep connections and transcendent awe one may feel in a sublime natural setting. Perfect companion to the students' reading and investigation of "Walden"!

Below are some shots of us touring the residence and interacting with pieces by Gordon Huether, David Ireland, and Mildred Howard.

photos by: Pattiann Koury and Megan Broughton

Check our Instagram for more di Rosa pics.

I learned to drop all previous assumptions I had about people because I had never met anyone like the other students at Oxbow. For the first time, my peers and their insightful thinking inspired me. For example, during the ‘Einstein’s Dreams’ presentations, I kept looking around the room thinking, I can’t believe all of these students are talking the way I think.

— Sara DeLong, Spring 2010

Artistically, I learned a lot of new techniques and mediums while here. I had access to much more than before and I made the most of it. I tried everything I could and always talked to my teachers and peers about new ways I could make art. Every so often, I completely stepped out of my comfort zone. Experimenting with technique and testing my artistic boundaries has helped me realize how many paths I have to choose from in the art world and that makes me excited for the future.

— Macy Manning, Fall 2023

The art that goes on in most high schools is usually relatively skill-based. At Oxbow, there is more emphasis on looking and seeing and more critical thinking about what you are doing, the human connection, that personal element. Through art you can begin to understand yourself better. That may be the biggest eye-opener for students. It is almost a preview of college. Get out of the mechanical factory high school education and get into something open, new, and invigorating in a small environment.

— Bill Barrett, Former Oxbow Board Member, Former Executive Director of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art & Design (AICAD)

A School Like No Other