She attended Barnard College for two years where she was active in the experimental college, a collaborative, co-living, and self-directed schooling experiment between Barnard and Columbia University starting in 1968.[3][4] Oxenberg transferred to California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) and initially she studied feminist art with Judy Chicago and Miriam Shapiro, but later transferring into the CalArts film school.[3] In 1972, Oxenberg was one of the many participants in Womanhouse, the first feminist art installation and performance art (specifically within the art pieces - Three Women, Birth Trilogy, Necco Wafers).[5]
In the 1970s, she was involved with ELF (education liberation front), a traveling educational resource, carrying information and books on liberation movements, racism, ecology and more.[3] Around 1974, she was active in producing a radio series called "Lesbian Sisters" on KPFK Los Angeles.[3]
This film is regarded as one of the first feminist lesbian films[10] and was shown at the Womanspace Gallery in 1973.[12][13] It revisits old home movies but with a queer narrative.[14]
^ abSavage, Ann M. (2008). "Women film directors and producers". Digital Commons at Butler University. p. 387. Retrieved 2019-10-01. Jan Oxenberg's experimental short Home Movie (1972 ), frequently regarded as one of the first lesbian feminist films, details the filmmaker's life as a young girl encouraged to be feminine, contrasted with coming out as an adult.
^ abLebow, Alisa (2008). First Person Jewish. University of Minnesota Press. p. 111. ISBN9780816643547.