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Music and Art Make People Better

By Matt Ross

It is a blessing when you find your passion in life. For me, I found it through creative education. I have seen thousands and thousands of kids grow up with music and art…and I have seen them become better people who are more equipped to navigate life, make friends and…

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Remaking Detroit

By Matt Ross

Almost 60 years ago, a generation of people were inspired by a movement that began in Detroit:the creation of Motown Records. The combination of “motor” and “town” helped to redefine Detroit and more importantly ushered in the racial integration of pop music in the 60’s. Art has a way of…

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Picasso’s Guitars

By Matt Ross

In the early 20th century, Picasso spent a few years working on transforming the guitar into a sculptural wall relief object. A few years ago, MOMA celebrated this work by presenting an exhibition of Picasso’s Guitars and if you know anything about me, you know that I am obsessed with…

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CQ…a new measure of adaptability

By Matt Ross

Do you ever stop and think about how complex our world is? The rapid pace of change seems to be both exciting and sometimes overwhelming as it challenges our senses to stay up to speed and to keep things in order. For a long while, I have been interested in…

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Shara Hughes

By Matt Ross

Sometimes I have to bang the table and tell people to come and look at the art we are exhibiting. I am proud to say that in the four years that we have been at work developing our “school”, we have also created a reputation for showing emerging artists that…

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The Artworld Visits One River School

By Matt Ross

I always envisioned building a space that allowed our students to have fun, make really cool artwork and learn from inspiring teachers. However, it was also a dream of mine to connect One River School of Art + Design to the artworld at large. In just the last few weeks…

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Our Youngest Students are the Most Inspirational!

By Matt Ross

I am so grateful for the response to our Student Show this past Friday night. Hundreds of adults, teens and kids who attend One River School came out to see their artwork side by side with their peers. One of the coolest things is seeing the really young kids at…

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The First Sports Super Hero

By Matt Ross

 I was born in 1961 and as a result I am a product of the turbulent times of the 60’s and 70’s. My Dad, born and bred in the Bronx, was an old school sports fan and boxing was a huge thing in our house back in the day. Muhammed…

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Graduation

By Matt Ross

The word “graduation” generates a variety of feelings for me. When I was a kid, I couldn’t get where I was going fast enough. But like most people, as you get older, you try to slow down and savor the special moments because you know how fast life ticks by.…

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We’re Multiplying: Opening in Allendale, NJ in September

By Matt Ross

We’re Having a Baby! Yes, One River School is multiplying…we’re opening our 2nd location in Allendale, NJ this September and I couldn’t be more excited about it. It’s been almost four years since we launched One River in Englewood and created “a new direction in art education.” The goal from…

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