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In Memoriam

Ryan Humphries OS11, June 1988 - May 2011

05/29/11

It is with great sadness that we send news of the first loss in the Oxbow Alumni family: Ryan Humphries, OS11, sweet guy, gifted artist, and caretaker to many friends, died in his sleep on May 27th; he will be missed.

Ryan was a student at the California College of the Arts (CCA) with an Annie Glass Scholarship, making beautiful work; his drawings are simply incredible.

You can pay homage to this remarkable young man by visiting his website at www.ryanhumphries.com. You can share your personal thoughts with Ryans family at www.legacy.com.

Press

Oxbow School lures students from across U.S.

10/25/10

Napa Register October 24, 2010

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English teacher Jennifer Jordan demonstrates book binding.

by Jennifer Huffman

Napa’s Oxbow School is not your conventional high school.

Seeking admission, an Oxbow applicant recently submitted a small suitcase. Inside, the case contained a dress made from her own design out of a netting-like material. Folded into the dress

This “self-portrait” — a requirement for admission — is but one of countless ways that the Oxbow School, a private arts boarding school serving both local students and those from across the U.S., distinguishes itself.

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Press

A Garden Full of Inspiration

10/20/10

gardenshot.jpgOxbow School's new creation is a 'site of imagination'

REBECCA YERGERNapa Valley RegisterSaturday, October 9, 2010 12:00 am

Secluded along the banks of the Napa river on the Oxbow School campus is a garden of inspiration.

Rooted — literally — in garden design history and academic discourse about nature versus industry, this outdoor classroom and its design concepts encourage contemplation of its principles and hypotheses as well as abstract thinking and creativity.

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Press

Creative License: Using Art as a Medium for a Well-Rounded Education

08/20/10


Blood Work: Norbert Garcia Jr., of Tucson, touches up a giant red blood cell for his final project on AIDS.

Edutopia Magazine July 2006

Under a blue sky during the cool northern California winter, Michael Lopez was conducting first-person research for his final art project at the Oxbow School, a semester-long art program in the Napa Valley. Lopez's subject was low-wage labor, and his research that afternoon consisted of raking leaves. As he worked, he ticked off the skills he had learned in fifteen weeks at the school: time management, self-control, a research-based approach to creating art, and confidence in his ability to talk about his ideas. Strange lessons learned at an art school? Perhaps. But just the sort of skills Oxbow's faculty intend to teach...

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Press

Against the Current: The Oxbow School

08/04/10

Artweek February 2002
By Collin Berry

It overlooks a narrow bend in the river, the eponymous oxbow that sends the muddy Napa flowing west, then south, towards San Francisco Bay. From the street, its five square buildings stand in stoic contrast to the modest Victorians that line the neighborhood’s shady streets. Although it comprises just over three acres, The Oxbow School—a tiny, one-of-a-kind boarding school in Napa, California, that features visual arts at the center of its curriculum—feels much bigger, like a college campus, a spiritual retreat or a private community. In a way, Oxbow is all of these, and for six years has been trying to prove the legitimacy of an intensive, art-based, interdisciplinary semester program for teenagers.

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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

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

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

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