One of the things I treasure most about One River School, is the importance we have placed on showcasing contemporary artists through our lesson plans and our exhibition program. Let’s face it, in today’s busy world how much time do you get to visit contemporary art galleries and hear directly from artists about what inspired their artwork and their art making journey?

This past weekend I had the chance to visit our schools in Allendale and Montclair, New Jersey to witness the opening of two exhibitions and watched our students and staff engage with Jason Stopa and Mairikke Dau. Both of them have burgeoning careers in the artworld, yet they are interested in not only showing their artwork at One River but also sharing their life experiences with us. They also jumped into the studio and provided our Teen students a workshop experience that they will never forget.

When you watch our students connect with these artists you can see their wheels turning and the inspiration growing. Creative education happens in lots of different ways, and at One River School it happens through the lens of the living artists.