Letterwriting
Inside Oxbow

First Impressions

09/02/19

Many thanks to Isabela O. and Nina B. for writing such wonderful snapshots of their first week at Oxbow! Each reflection focuses on transitioning into Oxbow and finding community here. We are so excited for the rest of OS41's semester and have really enjoyed getting to know them better this week in classes, sharing meals, on excursions in town, during advising, and over a leisurely Sunday morning of writing letters home.

both of the below photos were taken by Isabela O.

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Isabela O:

From getting our first bites of incredible meals in the dining hall to getting our hands on our first Oxbow projects, we can't believe that our first week and a half at Oxbow is over. Settling down at this amazing school has been nothing short of relieving. Our applications turned into our new beds at this wonderful school we get to call home for the semester. Now it’s time to get down to business.

This initial week has been filled with bonding activities and getting to know the City of Napa. On our first full day at Oxbow, we were given the renowned task of creating an OxTag for a fellow OxKid. Then, as the sun set three days later, we gathered around a warm campfire to present our OxTags to the students we were assigned. In addition, we explored and got to see some of the familiar faces in the city of Napa through our penny exchange assignment. Each group started off with a single penny and traded up for something of greater value by visiting some of the local shops around town. Groups came back with things such as local boutique clothing, a blessed chicken bag, and a statue of the Oxbow founders.

Currently, we are getting used to the workload of our new academic classes. However, we are grateful to have amazing staff and our new Oxbow friends here to support us through it all. We can’t wait for what the rest of the semester has in store for us.

Isabela2

Nina B:


Oxbow School is a special place. Here, I am surrounded by an abundance of creativity. I am convinced that it is growing on trees in the vicinity, permeating the air we breathe. This Oxbow air has a way of stimulating my thoughts. I think about the importance of art. Art connects strangers and creates communities. The community at Oxbow is unlike anything I have ever experienced. Everyone is open and compassionate which allows for depth and meaning in conversation. Oxbow is a necessary escape from reality. Oxbow’s community is built on a foundation of mutual respect and acceptance. This foundation connects every student and faculty member. The first moment I felt connected to my peers I barely knew them. A few of us where in the painting studio after dark. We were drawing, freed from any inhibitions, as a student’s music thrummed around us. It felt natural. It felt like home. With every passing day we have all grown ever closer. I look forward to many more moments of interconnectedness.

Isabela

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 opened me up to what was out there in the world to go out and grab, and gave me so much that I take with me everywhere I go, with everything I do.

— Nina Palomba, Spring 2008

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

A School Like No Other

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