Oxbow Picnic 2016 301
Around the Bend

3rd Annual Riverside Picnic & Concert

06/20/16

To everyone who joined us for the 3rd Annual Riverside Picnic and Concert on Saturday, June 11 to RAISE THEIR PADDLES in support of The Oxbow School, THANK YOU! The event was once again a wonderful gathering of friends on Oxbow’s stunning campus to enjoy great food and wine, fun live bluegrass music, and we raised over $75,000 in support of deserving Oxbow students. Thanks to the generosity of the community who shares our commitment to student diversity, we are able to provide financial aid and create a school of access for students from a diverse array of backgrounds and experiences.

This event would not have been possible without our sponsors. Their contribution of delicious cuisine, wines and beer made the Riverside Picnic and Concert an event to remember - words cannot express how grateful we are to have the support of these fine Napa and Bay Area purveyors:

Cowgirl Creamery, Don Perico, Downtown Bakery & Creamery, Eight Noodle Shop, govino, Hog Island Oyster Co., Lagunitas Brewing Co., Let's Be Frank Dogs, Model Bakery, Napkins Bar & Grill, Roccia Viva Olive Oil, Silverado Vineyards, Thistle Meats, Zuzu Wood-Fired Paella Co.

Thanks also to our individual sponsors for their generosity in helping to underwrite the event: Ann Hatch, John Sanger and Maria Vella, Ross Levy, Catherine McNamee and Chris Miller, Jeremy Stone and Darren Waterston.

Thank you also to the Benefit Committee: Catherine McNamee, Amy and John Nichols, Katie Wheeler, Patricia Curtan, Mary Bourke, Susan Moodie, Terry Schulken and our event photographer Jason Tucker OS20. A special thanks to faculty and staff volunteers Tracy Bates, Jenny Emanuel, Cinde Cromwell, Patrick Foy, Holly McVeigh and Amy Troutner; and alum volunteer Silas Blunk OS27.

It was so rewarding to see long-time Oxbow supporters rally new Oxbow supporters along with many Oxbow alumni. Thanks to all who attended and the many who donated in absentia.

Stay tuned for a save-the-date for next year’s late spring/early summer event!

Stephen Thomas
Founding Director and Head of School

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

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

Advice I would give to future students is to just do it and come to Oxbow and not overthink it because it will most likely (99.9%) be the best decision you have made in your life.

— Malachi Snyder, Spring 2018

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