To leave one community is to find a new one. The Oxbow School of Art and Academics in Napa, California became my new home for four months during my junior year of high school. I gained new perspectives from teachers who challenged the way I approached and thought about art, and I realized the process required as much rigor and discipline as writing, science and math. Furthermore, I really came to appreciate Fieldston’s community because I learned how many of my new classmates felt ostracized as serious art students in their own schools. This helped me grow not only intellectually but also personally in a way that I did not expect, and which I will always cherish. As somebody who loves Fieldston and started in pre-k, it was difficult to think about leaving for a semester, but looking back, it was the best decision I ever made.
Growing up in the world’s art capital, I was exposed to all the city’s art opportunities at an early age by my parents: my mother is an architect and there are artists and architects as well on my father’s side of the family. Fieldston’s incredible art resources encouraged me to explore arts education further. When I learned about The Oxbow School, I jumped at the opportunity to immerse myself in an interdisciplinary studio art and humanities program for an entire semester.
Situated on the beautiful banks of the Napa River, The Oxbow School is centered around four studios with floor to ceiling glass studios that focus on Painting and Sculpture, Humanities and New Media, Printmaking and Sculpture. Humming birds flew into the studios while we were working and fresh lemon and orange trees surrounded the campus. We woke up each morning to mouthwatering meals. Many believe that boarding school food is mediocre, but Oxbow’s food was, in fact, delicious. When the school was founded by the winemaking Mondavi family, Alice Waters– an American chef and the founder of the ‘farm-to-table’ concept– became invested in the development of Oxbow’s food system and created a food culture in which food was to be cherished and harvested with care. Oxbow students were treated to a wide variety of foods such as piping hot blueberry muffins, japchae, steak, tofu, fresh salads and creamy popsicle sticks. The incredible chefs made sure to cook food for all dietary restrictions and niche allergies.
The Oxbow Class of ‘48 (forty eighth semester) was an intimate yet fearless one, uniting eighteen students from places such as North Carolina, Massachusetts, Illinois, Seattle, New York and different areas in California. I was in one of the four dorms, West D, and shared a room with a student from North Carolina, Maddie Jackson, who has become one of my dearest friends. Oxbow students came from vastly different backgrounds and, by spending abundant amounts of time together, we learned each of our unique stories and created lifelong friendships.
There were three three-week class rotations: Painting and Sculpture, Environmental Science and Printmaking and Humanities and New Media. Depending on the academic requirements for all of the students’ high schools, some of us had additional instruction in math and language. A lot of bonding occurred during studio time and after dinner, as we listened to music, while simultaneously chatting and making a mess out of materials for our own art making or homework assignments.
I started in Painting and Sculpture with five other students. The curriculum consisted of art history lessons, thoughtful discussions, critiques of each other’s art work, homework assignments and field trips to the local thrift store or SFMoMA in San Francisco. Our assignments engaged us in abstract concepts of ‘Mask, Mirror, Shadow and Self’ which combined art making techniques and challenged us to also analyze our self-perceptions. I learned how to explore different concepts about identity through a multitude of materials which broadened my artistic skill set.
Next, I took Environmental Science and Printmaking. The course taught environmental ethics, sociology, justice, history, ecological citizenship, climate activism and food systems. This interdisciplinary class highlighted the significance of responsible and impactful printmaking through environmental literacy. Class time was spent in the Oxbow garden, natural Californian landscapes and the studio. Throughout the course, I was challenged to think critically about existential questions surrounding emerging climate impacts and solutions while intertwining printmaking skills. I learned many printmaking techniques such as aquatint, which uses acid to remove ink on a copperplate.
Lastly, Humanities and New Media encouraged students to explore creative writing through reading a wide range of texts, including works by Terrance Hayes, Alison Bechdel, Cathy Park Hong and Thomas King. The course inspired students to think about how literary works affect our own personal outlook on the world and empowered students to write for enjoyment and with freedom. In New Media, students learned how to use Adobe Photoshop to create ‘zines,’ which are self-published books with texts and images, about our own important stories.
After nine weeks of class, we began to think about a final project which gave students a chance to fully hone in on a topic through art and mentorship. Our final project allowed me to create a more intimate relationship with my mentor, who helped to edit my research paper and critique my artwork. I found that my ideas became more complex because of the way in which Oxbow taught me to approach my artwork critically and with precision. My process truly boiled down to the culmination of everything I learned in each of my classes, creating a very holistic visual and thought provoking experience for all students. Our families came to see all of the artwork displayed in an exhibition and we celebrated with much love and joy.
Teachers, mentors and classmates became family to all. My friend Sara Miller said, “For me, Oxbow was an incredible learning experience, in terms of art and academics but also in terms of introspection. The school creates a uniquely safe and open environment in which I was allowed to explore sides of myself I typically conceal, and truly dive into my passions without fear of judgment. The community there, built both by students and faculty, was truly supportive and genuinely kind. The relationships I created there were especially meaningful and will extend beyond the single semester we had together. In simple terms, it was an absolute privilege to have the opportunity to attend Oxbow.” Oxbow was a place for cathartic reflection and escape from everyone’s respective home lives. During the last night, we all shared our gratitude for one another and the moment brought me to tears because I realized how profound and unique of an experience Oxbow was for most students. I loved and highly respected all of my classmates but was heartbroken to hear that many of my kind and talented friends felt isolated and bullied in their schools. This made me extremely appreciative of Fieldston’s supportive community, where arts education is encouraged. I was also gratified to hear that my fellow Oxbow students found a creative space in which everyone truly cared for and inspired one another.
I met some remarkably hardworking, kind, respectful and supportive people at Oxbow, and I plan to carry that positivity with me in the future. From an academic standpoint, I was able to explore multiple mediums of studio art, and found that there was a rigor in artistic education that trained my mind to think critically and also more expansively.
