History
Oxbow Then
Oxbow was not always the fantastic art camp it is today. In fact, at one point Oxbow was a fishing village. The reason that all the fishermen left was because their water way to Lake Michigan was about to be permanently cut off. This happened because large boats could not make the turn and because people wanted Saugatuck to become a major port, so they moved the channel to create a more gentle turn that large boats could handle. When this happened almost all of the fishermen left Oxbow and moved to Saugatuck so they could still reach Lake Michigan.
A hotel called The Riverside Hotel was left behind. With no customers, the hotel was rented out to a couple of artists from Chicago. They stayed the summer and fell in love with Oxbow. Soon the Hotel was renamed The Oxbow Hotel. After that the artists purchased the land around the property. They created an art school and ensured that no one would purchase land close by in order to preserve the natural beauty of the Oxbow bend.
Oxbow Now
Today Oxbow is a thriving, lively artist community tucked away in the forest. At an Oxbow camp, one can learn everything from glass blowing to painting. The students that go there make exceptional pieces of art and even auction them off weekly, which creates a fun event for those interested in art and nature