Oxbow School

Oxbow Summer Art Camp

Summer Arts Program
Napa, California


		Program Description Program Overview Visit Web Site Get Free Info See Photos

For More Information, Contact
Oxbow Summer Art Camp
Oxbow School
530 Third Street
Napa, California 94559
707-255-6000
http://www.NoLanyardsCamp.org

Type of Program: Visual arts
Participants: Coeducational, ages 14 to 16
Enrollment: 48 campers per session
Program Dates: Serious Art, Serious Fun: June 27–July 13; More Art, More Fun: July 20–August 6, 2008
Head of Program: Barbara Bitner, Oxbow Summer Program Director

Location

The campus is located in Napa, California, at the oxbow of the Napa River and within walking distance of cafés, shops, and theaters in downtown Napa. Napa Valley is renowned for such recreational activities as biking, hiking, and hot air ballooning. The Oxbow School is located 1 hour north of the many arts and cultural attractions of San Francisco and the Bay Area and within day-trip distance of the Sierras and the Pacific Coast.

Background and Philosophy

For the past eight years, the Oxbow School has offered a one-semester, visual arts–based program for high school juniors and seniors nationwide. Since 2003, it has added a summer camp program for youth ages 14–16. Oxbow was established on the belief that active involvement in the arts fosters flexible thinking and creative problem-solving skills that will serve students in all their future pursuits. The School is unique in this respect, as it is the only institution in the United States that educates all of its students through immersion in the visual arts and interdisciplinary academics.
Oxbow Summer Art Camp believes that there is no limit to what a student can achieve given high-level instruction in an inspiring and nurturing environment. To that end, Oxbow fosters a community of creative, inquiring minds where respect of self, others, and the environment; risk-taking; openness; and honesty in a nonjudgmental atmosphere are highly valued. Each individual’s uniqueness is honored and “held” within the arena of the safety and unity of the camp community. It is an arena that promotes self-discovery, self-confidence, and creative expression. Students are encouraged to seek out their own artistic interests while learning at their own pace and being challenged to broaden their horizons. Students form potential lifelong bonds with like-hearted, like-minded fellow campers, and they have a lot of fun.
Campers spend roughly half their day in artistic pursuits via instruction or time in the studio, with the other half devoted to additional creative time or recreational activities with fellow campers, including field trips, sports, or projects with visiting artists.

Program Offerings

The program offers two sessions. The first session, Serious Art, Serious Fun (SASF), is based on the Oxbow semester model. This session focuses on creating project-based art. Taught by professional artists and art teachers, it emphasizes both the conceptual and the technical aspects of art. In the first week, SASF campers explore the fundamentals in several mediums to find and develop their particular passion. They then propose a final project in the medium of their choice to complete in the time remaining. Primary mediums offered include drawing, painting, sculpture, photography, and fabrication and installation.
The second session, More Art, More Fun (MAMF), expands on the offerings in the Serious Art, Serious Fun session. Students can still work in painting, drawing, digital photography, or sculpture; however, there is an added element of writing stories, both personal and fictional, and telling them through art. Campers explore ways of coming up with great story ideas with compelling plots and memorable characters, while learning the fundamentals of the visual arts needed to express their ideas. Their stories then come to life in the medium of their choice. Mediums offered in this session include storyboarding and story writing; digital photography; digital filming and editing; comic books, children’s books, and anime; drawing and painting; and stop-motion animation and puppet-making.
In both sessions, each camper’s creativity is nurtured. Students come away from the program inspired by what they have seen and learned, with enhanced art skills and with a personally significant piece of work. The final show on the last night is a chance for family and friends to view and celebrate the camper’s accomplishments. Parents often fly in from many parts of the country to attend.

Enrollment

The program enrolls a maximum of 48 boarding campers per session. They represent a wide variety of geographic, demographic, and artistic backgrounds.

Daily Schedule

7:30–8:00
8:30
9:00–12:00
12:00
12:30–3:00
3:00–4:00
4:00–5:30
5:30
6:30–8:00
8:00–8:30
8:30–10:00
10:30

Wake-up
Breakfast
Studio sessions
Lunch
Afternoon activities
Bunk Time
Studio session
Dinner
Studio time or recreational activities
E-mail
Evening activity
Lights out

The studio sessions offer instructional sessions in all four studios for the first half of the session. In the second half, the students work independently on a large project of their own design. Afternoon activities include swimming, kayaking, field games, “art angel” time, or dorm activities. During bunk time, students have time to write, sketch, or spend time with their bunkmates. Recreational activities after dinner may include field games such as Ultimate Frisbee, soccer, touch football, and more.

Extra Opportunities and Activities

Students may spend their afternoons playing sports or participating in other recreational activities. Their evenings are devoted to a wide variety of activities, including movie nights, camp fires, dancing, a party, talent shows, skits, costume making, and activities led by visiting artists. The evening before camp ends, there is a final show to highlight and celebrate the accomplishments of the campers. Families and friends are invited.

Facilities

The campus is located on a 3-acre site that includes dormitories, studios, a dining hall, faculty housing, and an organic garden. Boarding campers live in dorm suites that have three bedrooms, two baths, a common area, and laundry facilities. There are 2 or 4 campers per room, with a dorm counselor assigned to each suite. The award-winning studios with roll-up glass walls provide state-of-the art working facilities that are virtually outdoors.

Staff

Oxbow Camp fosters a community of creative, inquiring minds where respect, tolerance, risk-taking, openness, and honesty are highly valued. The summer staff members are chosen for their commitment to these principals and are trained in how to share them with others. There are 14 instructors and counselors at the camp, leading to a student-counselor ratio of 4:1.
Dorm counselors function as “art angels” for the campers—they are friends and advisers. In addition, they ensure that camp rules are followed and that campers are healthy and safe and getting the most from their experience at the camp. The counselors are either college graduates or undergraduates in art or a related field. Many are alumni of the Oxbow Semester program.
The faculty members are drawn from the Bay Area’s rich community of talented professional artists and teachers. They are carefully chosen for their years of experience working with youth as well as their expertise in their field. Outside of the studios, the faculty members continue to participate as an integral part of the camp community.

Medical Care

Medical care is available 24 hours a day at a nearby hospital. Staff members accompany students to the medical facilities. After submitting the camp registration, students must submit a medical history and release form and a signed Physician’s Medical Statement along with proof of insurance.

Costs

In 2008, tuition plus room and board are $3150 per session. This includes all program fees and three meals per day. A $750 deposit is required before May 1 in order to reserve a space. Those students who register and pay a deposit before December 31 of the previous year receive a $250 discount on the program.

Transportation

Oxbow provides free transportation via shuttle vans between the airport and Napa for students flying into either Oakland or San Francisco airports. The Sacramento Airport is another option, but pick-up service is not available, so other arrangements must be made. The campus is located off of Highway 29. Directions are available on the Web site at http://www.NoLanyardsCamp.org.

Application Timetable

For registrations received before May 1, a $750 registration fee is required, with the full balance due on May 1. Registrations received after May 1 must include full tuition payment. For registrations to be considered complete, a signed Physician’s Medical Statement and a completed Enrollment Agreement are required. These can be downloaded from the Web site. Once enrolled, there are other forms that can be completed online, downloaded, or received by mail.