This month our Local Love feature is on One River School of Art + Design, an innovative new art school located in Millburn, NJ.
One River School of Art + Design is the newest franchise within the One River family. One River is an art school with a wide variety of classes, from drawing and painting to digital design and film-making. One River, founded by Matt Ross who also founded School of Rock, has developed a proprietary method for teaching a wide variety of art and digital programs to students of all ages. Their process allows students to have fun, make inspiring artwork, develop new friendships and grow their skills along the way.
In 2011, founder Matt Ross began research into art programs across the United States. He noticed that there were virtually no art schools in the suburbs of major metropolitan areas. So he started a personal mission to help people of all ages grow creatively, and he founded One River School.
One River School in Millburn, which opened in April 2018, is the third One River School to open in New Jersey. The other two are in Englewood (the flagship location) and Allendale. There are also school locations in Illinois, New York, Oregon and Texas. When Ross chose Englewood to open the first One River School, he thought the location would be perfect to test the notion that cool art schools could thrive outside the city. He found his hypothesis to be correct. The opening success of One River School in Millburn also confirms his notion.
I spoke with Kristin Stazzone, Assistant Director at One River School in Millburn who told me the new business is doing great. She said the camps “are doing awesome and many are already sold out.” She also told me that when the business first opened, they even had to add additional sections for some of the classes due to high demand.
One River School can accommodate ages three through adult, with classes being age appropriate. Art Start is for kids 3-5 to experience art making in an interactive, hands-on environment. After Art Start, kids are broken out into grade level classes which are built around a project-based curriculum that celebrates artists and techniques from the last 50 years. There are a variety of studio and digital classes for teens to have fun, develop their personal art skills and gain knowledge of art history. There is also an intensive portfolio development class for those who are interested in pursuing art as a profession. Classes for adults at One River School are unique – students work in small group settings, and instructors provide one-on-one instruction. Classes are available in studio art or digital art.
Summer camps at One River offer students of all ages a series of progressive and creative courses. Weekly camps run from mid June through the end of August with morning and afternoon sessions. Instructors are professional artists and designers in their field – providing students with a fun and hands on exploration of new media, ideas, and tools.
The school also presents exhibitions from emerging artists who are making work that is believed to be current, relevant and potentially important. Their exhibition series supports working artists and their mission is to create more awareness for contemporary art.
One River School Birthday Parties provide young artists with an art making experience that is personally customized. All parties are taught by artist-instructors who focus on creating a special experience while having fun! These parties include two hours of art, play and food, a customized party theme and activity, decorations and cake.
The new state of the art space at One River School in Millburn includes two studio art classrooms, a digital design lab and an exhibition space where contemporary artists display their work.
One River aims to support and inspire new generations of artists, as well as to create employment opportunities in the arts. Director Erin Champion said, “One River is out to transform art education and make it accessible to everyone in the country.”
One River School of Art + Design
292 Millburn Ave.
Millburn, NJ 07041
973-318-9331
On Facebook: One River School Millburn NJ
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