Modeled after the semester program, students who participate in the Oxbow Summer Art Institute will have the opportunity to have the social, intellectual, and art experience that Oxbow is so well known for! The immersive visual arts residency program invites young artists to engage in a creative course of studio practice rooted in deep intellectual inquiry.
Oxbow Summer Art Institute
In partnership with working artists, students will create work towards an art portfolio and conclude the program with a capstone final project. Participating artists have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make art in our well-equipped studios among like-minded peers overlooking the Napa River. Students work in a variety of media spanning: drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, and animation. In addition to extensive art-making, students have opportunities to explore the sublime landscape that defines Northern California. They also have access to contemporary work on exhibition at local museums and galleries around the Bay Area. This 6-week summer term is open to rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors as well as those taking a gap year after high school. Students will receive an entire year’s worth of studio art credit with an official high school transcript from Oxbow. This unique residency program is grounded in the philosophy that there is no limit to what adolescents can create when provided an open-minded environment with high-level instruction, personal and collective accountability, and support. They return home having developed their art practice and sense of self.
DATES
June 18th - July 31st, 2022(6-week intensive)
TUITION
$16,000 - Includes room and board, activities, and all supplies needed. Limited scholarships are available, please contact the admissions team for more information at admissions@oxbowschool.org.
AVAILABLE MEDIA
Students work in a variety of media of their choosing, such as:
- Drawing
- Painting
- Sculpture
- Printmaking
- Photography
- Fabrication & Installation
- Animation & Video
At Oxbow, teens’ creativity is nurtured and explored. Students come away from the program inspired by what they've seen and learned. They develop enhanced art skills, life-long friendships, and personally significant artwork.
FAQ
Who is eligible to attend? Rising sophomores, juniors, seniors, and post-grad students are welcome to attend the Oxbow Summer Art Institute.
I have heard a lot about the “Final Project.” Will there still be a final show? Yes! All students will have an opportunity to pursue a topic in depth working in a medium of their choice presented as a final project at the conclusion of the program. Students will collaborate with the faculty to execute their vision and install the work in a gallery style format.
How do I apply for the Summer Art Institute? All interested students will complete Part One of our application and designate Summer in the selected field. As part of our Summer application, we require a Student Questionnaire, Parent Statement, and a Self Portrait in any medium material or style. We have limited scholarships available for this program.
Can you describe what a typical Summer day will look like? We strive to include simplicity, mindfulness, and intentionality into our everyday practice. This isn’t typical school. Let’s celebrate the fact that it’s summer and summers are meant to be fun! While you will receive inspiring, innovative, and challenging instruction from experienced faculty, we value the time that comes from sleeping in, lounging on the lawn to read a good book, sketch or paint, or heading into the woods for a day-long hike.
A day in the life of a Summer Oxbow student might look like:
- 9:00am Breakfast
- 10:00am Meet in small groups for elective programming
- 12:30pm Lunch together on the back deck
- 1:30pm Art in the studios
- 5:00pm Break
- 6:30pm Dinner together on the back deck
- 7:30pm Open studio time or scheduled events
- 10:00pm Dorm checks
Oxbow, for my daughter Diana, was like opening a massive window in her mind and heart. To seeing the world in new ways, to seeing herself with a new language. For years, I've watched her draw, without instruction, and make leaps on her own, which reflected the life she was braving. But at Oxbow, she got to share that, to connect to a frequency that kids get so little of in their overwhelming pressure cooker lives. Oxbow was about community. And that sense of community awakened a sense of purpose and joy in my daughter's work and life, that couldn't carry a price tag. The instruction and exchange of ideas and opportunities were the catalyst for paradigm shifts I see in Diana's art and life. I've always told my daughter that she should fill her space. The newfound respect she's developed for her own voice was a spark that ignited at Oxbow. I'm grateful for it, and excited as I watch it grow and turn it into arrows she follows for the rest of her life.