Megan Landau is happily working away in the Fashion Design program at Parsons NYC. She's not getting a lot of sleep, but loving it all the same. She mentioned that Oxbow and her experiences here helped her adapt to the Parsons life and shape her design style, love for hard work and passionate art. There are about five other girls from Oxbow's OS19 semester that either go to Parsons or live in New York City. She keeps in contact with the special friends made at Oxbow, friends that she'll always have and love. The accepting and creative energy on the Oxbow campus was infectious and it was the first time she felt like being absorbed by art was not unusual or out of place. Being comfortable as an artist never felt right until Oxbow and she's not sure she would have transferred to Parsons if she hadn't had Oxbow as an experience to support her decision. She wrote to tell us how much our school really does affect people's lives.
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)
Oxbow School is one of the preeminent choices for creative high school students interested in the arts. Their project-based, integrated approach to learning mirrors the approach of many top art schools. At California College of the Arts, we are thrilled to see applicants who have attended Oxbow because we know they are well prepared for the rigors of college level work. I wish there had been an Oxbow School when I was a high school student!
— Stephen Beal, President, California College of the Arts
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