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News + Notes

COVID-19

03/19/20

Dear Friends and Visitors of The Oxbow School,

The health and safety of the community is our utmost priority. Due to the spread of COVID-19, The Oxbow School has suspended on-campus programming and transitioned to distance learning until it is safe to travel. We believe suspending on-campus programming is the best way to protect the welfare of our Oxbow community and neighbors in Napa as we are committed to help “flatten the curve”—that is, to contribute to the national effort to slow the spread of COVID-19 to ensure broad access to healthcare for our most at-risk populations.

We appreciate your cooperation and understanding. We are committed to doing our best to navigate this new reality with everyone. The Oxbow faculty are working diligently to create and implement a dynamic and meaningful experience for our current students. Check out our Instagram for lively updates and stay at home art projects and recommendations.

While we are all living in uncertain times, we encourage you to take this time to embrace the present moment by fostering virtual relationships with your loved ones for support, compassion, and connectedness.

For prospective students and families, please know that your interest in The Oxbow School is important to us. We take tremendous pride in being the preeminent thought leader in arts education for young people. We look forward to welcoming you to campus once we reopen.

Unfortunately Oxbow has had to postpone many of our annual fundraising events which directly support student scholarships. Please considering "joining us" for the Oxbow Anti Event to benefit student scholarships and support the arts!

Warm regards,

Jennifer Jordan

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

I want to thank you all for being so supportive and wonderful, thank you for running this incredible program. And half of my acceptance to RISD is because of Oxbow. (Especially thanks to Chris who wrote my letter of rec, to Jennifer who revised my essays, to the admissions team who helped me with my portfolio.

— Jeff Shen, Fall 2014

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

A School Like No Other

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