Caroline Woolard is teaching a class about barter at The New School. For her latest video of live/work/philosophy go to http://vimeo.com/31042328. She is also is co-founder of Trade School and will represent them for smART power in Delhi, India. Trade School is a non-traditional learning environment that runs on barter. Anyone can teach a class, and students sign up for classes by agreeing to meet the barter requests of teachers. Now in its third year, Trade School celebrates practical wisdom, mutual respect, and the social nature of exchange. Trade School classes range from weaving and grant writing to ghost hunting and balloon animals, and teachers have asked for everything from research and advice to vegetables.
If at any point Oxbow doubts the good it does, I just want to reassure you all that you’re changing the lives of young artists every semester.
— Colin Davis, Fall 2009
I want to thank you all for being so supportive and wonderful, thank you for running this incredible program. And half of my acceptance to RISD is because of Oxbow. (Especially thanks to Chris who wrote my letter of rec, to Jennifer who revised my essays, to the admissions team who helped me with my portfolio.
— Jeff Shen, Fall 2014
It's been a whirlwind week, but also a time when I sang the praises of Oxbow to my colleagues. I've been thinking much about how Oxbow is an exemplar of true education. That art centers the curriculum is hardly surprising, and for those of us who work within the traditional educational mold Oxbow offers a gold standard of focused project based learning. Beyond the school's approach to immersive experience are the intangibles which make Oxbow different. The sense of community and of working together, even as each student retained their strong individual presence is palpable. The feeling of warmth and trust between the adults and the nearly adults in the Oxbow community could be felt throughout the campus. The openness of the architecture and interconnectedness of the three studios in themselves speak of the Oxbow philosophy and identity. More than form follows function, the physical attributes of Oxbow have a distinct warmth and invite exploration.
I'm sure that the ongoing challenges of leading and reinventing your school might sometimes keep you from having the time to see Oxbow with the fresh eyes of a visitor, but your steady presence and vision are really visible in every detail. Thank you for inviting me to one of the most profound experiences in my career.
— Ken Rush, Visual Arts Department, Packer Collegiate Institute
A School Like No Other