News + Notes

The Oxbow School Gifts Campus to Napa Valley Education Foundation

04/30/25

The Oxbow School Gifts Campus to Napa Valley Education Foundation

Napa, CA – April 30, 2025 - The Oxbow School is pleased to announce that its campus, including its studios, dorms, dining hall, and office, will be gifted to the Napa Valley Education Foundation (NVEF) following the school's previously announced closure last August. This transition ensures that Oxbow’s legacy of creativity, learning, and community engagement will continue to thrive in Napa Valley.

Over many months, a subcommittee of the Board of Trustees carefully considered several potential recipients, seeking ones that shared its values as a nonprofit institution and had a demonstrated commitment to arts education and academic excellence. The Board sought an organization that would honor the vision of the school's founders, Ann Hatch, Robert and Margrit Mondavi, whose dedication to arts education and the creative development of young people laid the foundation for Oxbow’s mission.

“For more than two decades, The Oxbow School has provided an immersive and transformative educational experience for young artists,” said Beth Karpfinger, Chair, Board of Trustees of The Oxbow School. “We are proud to pass this campus to an organization that shares our commitment to creativity and education. The Napa Valley Education Foundation is uniquely positioned to build upon Oxbow’s legacy and ensure the campus continues to serve students and the Napa community. In gifting the campus to the Napa Valley Education Foundation, the Board is confident that this legacy will continue to thrive and serve future generations.”

The Napa Valley Education Foundation, an education-focused nonprofit, has long inspired and supported public school students in Napa Valley.

"We are honored to carry forward the legacy of The Oxbow School campus and its deep commitment to arts education," said Jennifer Stewart, Executive Director of the Napa Valley Education Foundation. "This gift ensures that the campus remains a place of creativity, learning, and inspiration for future generations. We look forward to building upon Oxbow’s incredible foundation and continuing to serve students and the broader community in meaningful ways."

The transaction will close in early May. More details on the transition and future programming at the campus will be shared by NVEF in the coming months.

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About The Oxbow School
The Oxbow School was the nation’s only art-focused semester boarding program for high school students, offering a transformative educational experience that combined immersive studio art practice with rigorous academics. The school provided a space where students explored creativity, critical thinking, and self-discovery in a supportive, interdisciplinary environment. For additional information, please visit www.oxbowschool.org.

News + Notes

The Oxbow School: Closure Announcement

05/25/24

Dear friends, families, and colleagues of The Oxbow School community,

In everything we do, we strive to embody openness, honesty, and true partnership with this community. In our 25th year, we reflect on the many challenges we have faced, and now, it is our duty to write to you in the spirit of partnership, albeit with difficult news.

The Board of Trustees made the difficult decision to close The Oxbow School following the 2024 Summer Art Institute session. In recent weeks, the Board has carefully and painstakingly considered the future of The Oxbow School and has been in touch with both its former and current Heads of School, Stephen Thomas and Jennifer Jordan, respectively. The headwinds against independent schools have been, and remain, quite strong, and the practical and financial realities of operating a small, arts-focused boarding school such as ours have dramatically evolved.

This was not a decision we took lightly, but it was one the Board was called to make. In the end, we simply could not adapt our unique and intimate school experience without losing the special character and identity that have defined Oxbow.

We recognize this news is heartbreaking for everyone in our community, past and present. Yet, we know our shared mission and the impact we have made extends far beyond the walls of this school, now and in the future.

Even after The Oxbow School closes, our students will continue to seek growth and knowledge in new ways. We know that education is fueled by passion, which burns deep within each student at The Oxbow School. We know that inspiration is found in every avenue of life and that transformative and innovative learning does not exist here alone.

We are deeply grateful to our dedicated and talented faculty, whose unshakeable belief in our students and the arts laid the foundation for many meaningful experiences. Importantly, school leaders will identify and share ways in which we can appropriately celebrate and honor the legacy of this school and the pioneering contributions of our founders, Ann Hatch and Robert and Margrit Mondavi, together while reflecting on the many lives we have touched.

We strongly believe, as we know you do too, in the power of the arts. We encourage our students, faculty, and alumni to continue seeking knowledge and inspiration, and we know you will continue honing your unique talents for years to come. We have forged lasting experiences, bonds, and memories here at Oxbow. We will collectively carry the achievements we have accomplished together.

Thank you for being a part of this exceptional community.

Sincerely,

Oxbow School, Board of Trustees

OS50 FS
News + Notes

OS50 Final Show exhibition and presentations

02/21/24

The Oxbow School is pleased to invite you to the OS50 Final Show on Saturday, May 11th. Please find details below. We look forward to seeing you there!

The doors open for the Final Show at 3:00 PM on Saturday, May 11th. Formal student introductions before the studios begin at 4 pm, followed by oral presentations until 6pm. Insider tip: The best shows have an active and participatory audience. Please ask questions of the student presenters; offer insights as you listen to the presentations and absorb the artwork. This is often the first time students are acknowledged as artists with complex ideas. Your very presence and participation validate their hard work and creative vision.

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News + Notes

OS49 Final Show exhibition and presentations

12/15/23

The Oxbow School is pleased to invite you to the OS49 Final Show on Saturday, December 16th. Please find details below. We look forward to seeing you there!

The doors open for the Final Show at 3:45 PM on Saturday, December 16th. Formal student introductions before the studios begin at 4 pm, followed by oral presentations. Insider tip: The best shows have an active and participatory audience. Please ask questions of the student presenters; offer insights as you listen to the presentations and absorb the artwork. This is often the first time students are acknowledged as artists with complex ideas. Your very presence and participation validate their hard work and creative vision.

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Admissions

Oxbow Fall Portfolio Day 2023 - RSVP HERE!

09/19/23

The Oxbow School
Fall Portfolio Day 2023

On Thursday, November 16, 2023, some of the nation's top art and design schools will be reviewing student artwork and answering questions about their individual programs on Oxbow's campus in Napa, CA. This event is open to Fall 2023 students, Oxbow alumni, and high school/gap year students from the local Bay Area. Please find a partial list of participating schools below, additional programs will register in the coming months.

In order to participate, please RSVP HERE. We hope you can join us for this event!

California College of the Arts

California Institute of the Arts

Carnegie Mellon School of Art

Cornish College of the Arts

Laguna College of Art + Design

Lesley Art + Design

Maryland Institute College of Art

Massachusetts College of Art and Design

Montserrat College of Art

Pacific Northwest College of Art

Pratt Institute

Ringling College of Art and Design

The School of the Museum of Fine Arts at Tufts University

VCUarts



Secrets of the Garden Sophia Gordan
News + Notes

Oxbow Summer Art Institute 2023 Final Show!

07/24/23

The Oxbow School is pleased to invite you to the 2023 Summer Art Institute (OSAI02) Final Show on Saturday, July 29th. Please find details below. We look forward to seeing you there!

The doors open for the Final Show at 10:45 am on Saturday, July 29th. Formal student introductions in front of the studios begin at 11:00 am, followed by oral presentations. Insider tip: The best shows are those with an active and participatory audience. Please ask questions of the student presenters; offer insights as you listen to the presentations and absorb the artwork. This is often the first time that students are acknowledged as artists with complex ideas. Your very presence and participation validates their hard work and creative vision.

SCHEDULE AT A GLANCE

Saturday, July 29, 2023
10:45 AM - Campus opens
11:00 AM - Presentations begin in the studios
1:00PM - Campus closed to the public


If you have any questions, don't hesitate to get in touch with the Oxbow Admissions Office at admissions@oxbowschool.org or by call/text at 707.363.0449.

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Admissions

The Oxbow School: Weekly Summer Virtual Admissions Open Office Hours!

06/08/23


We are pleased to announce that we will be hosting Admissions Open Office Hours this summer each Wednesday for prospective students and families to share details about Oxbow's programs and the application process. We would love for you to join us! These weekly info sessions are designed to acquaint you with a semester or summer away at Oxbow and provide an excellent chance for you to meet our Admissions Team. You can find the dates and respective links below:

Wednesday, June 21st: 5 - 6PM PST
Wednesday, June 28th: 5 - 6PM PST
Wednesday, July 5th: 5 - 6PM PST
Wednesday, July 12th: 5 - 6PM PST
Wednesday, July 19th: 5 - 6PM PST
Wednesday, July 26th: 5 - 6PM PST
Wednesday, August 9th: 5 - 6PM PST

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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

Oxbow was, without a doubt, the best part of my high school experience. A year after leaving, and I still feel as though it were yesterday that I was sitting on the lawn, eating in the dining hall, and laughing with my friends in the studios.

— Julia Weir, Fall 2015