RISD BIX 2022

May 30th - June 5th RISD BLOCK EXPERIENCEISLAND(BIX) 2022

Jen Bissonnette Interim Director

Edna W. Lawrence Nature Lab

With so much gratitude,

Dear Delle,

We left Point Judith on a sunny Memorial Day morning, a somewhat fatigued group of grads and undergrads who had just finished up their semester’s requirements the Friday before. Many had never been to that end of the state, some had never been on a ferry. As we chugged the one hour out to the island from the mainland, the fact that we’d only met for the first time two weeks before seemed to slip away, dissolving in the excitement of this shared adventure. Our professional artist, Amy Bartlett Wright, painted the scene from the ferry, drawing in students and fellow passengers to her process. And so it began, this long-awaited experience, getting to know the island, her history and people, and the many creatures who call her home. We would learn about the geology that formed the island over the millennia, the plants and animals that had taken up residence along the bluffs, in the hollows and the fresh water ponds, and the unique species that inhabit the spaces where the land meets the sea. Kim Gaffett of The Nature Conservancy, a lifelong Block Island resident, helped us identify sites to explore and dedicated her week to showing us the insider’s knowledge of the island. Every site we visited had us learning from experts, and using our own senses to document what we were experiencing in our journals and sketch pads, our renderings honed under the guidance of Amy who helped us see more clearly and express more ful ly what we saw. Throughout the week, we heard from indigenous people of Narragansett and Mannissean descent, the history of their people on the island and how they had lived within its ecological boundaries. Our goal was to give students a sense of their place, in this state and in these ecosystems, so that they might be mindful of how their own work fits into both natural and human systems. In so doing, we created a community that never would have otherwise existed. This book aims to capture some of the feel of our time on the island, and how thankful we are for your generosity in affording us this opportunity. Skylar Perez, our graduate assis tant, captured the moments and assembled the content, including the two-page spreads created by each student participant. We hope it gives you a sense of the beauty and won der and impact your gift has created.

N PointSandy PreserveWildFamilyHodge WaysAndy’s BlockJudithPoint FerryIsland ISLANDBLOCK

InnBarrington PavillionViewOcean PondFreshFarmDicken’s BluffsMohegan

A member of the Manissean Tribal Nation and one of the remaining indigenous citizens still living on the island, Maryann has been part of a team based out of URI focused on documenting the post-contact history of Native and African American residents on Block Island.

Field Guests

endawnis Spears–Co-Director, Upstander Academy Endwanis has worked for the Heard Museum, Museum of Northern Arizona, Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center, was a Peabody Essex Museum Native American Arts and Culture Fellow, and currently serves on the board of the Federation of State Human ities Councils. Endwanis is the Co-Director of the Upstander Academy, a Boston based intensive professional development equipping classroom and public history educators with tools to teach about genocide. She is the Director of Outreach and Programming and founding member of the Akomawt Educational Initiative, an Indigenous education and interpretive consultancy for museums, K-12 schools, and colleges/universities.

AlongSchoolwith her work at the Tomaquag Indian Memorial Memorial Museum, Lorén is an educator k-8(certified 1-6), cultural educator, and traditional artist with over 20 years of experience. Focus on educating the public on Indigenous issues, arts, culture, and history through cultural arts programming, lectures, art classes, and inter-generational program ming. Cassius Spears Jr.–First Councilman, Narragansett Indian Tribe of Rhode Island Cassius graduated from the University of Rhode Island in 2010 with a B.S. in Environmental Management and Science. He is the Narragansett Indian Tribal delegate for the Nation al Congress of American Indians and has served on the Board of Director for the United Southern and Eastern Tribes since 2015. Cassius works for the Natural Resource Conserva tion Service as a District Conservationist.

Lorén Spears–Executive Director, Tomaquag Indian Memorial Museum/Nuweetooun

Kim Gaffett–The Nature Conservancy’s Naturalist on Block Island Kim grew up on Block Island, and served on its town council for 18 years. She has a degree in biology and environmental science, and worked for the Ocean View Foundation on the island for 20 years before taking her position with the Nature Conservancy. Kim also runs the bird banding station on Block Island, which documents the local bird populations as well as migrating species that stopover on the island as they travel the Atlantic Flyway.

Maryann Gobern Matthews–Chief Executive Officer, Multicultural Innovation Center

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Amy Bartlett Wright–Independent Fine Art Professional Amy has worked for thirty five years as a professional artist, as a muralist and natural sci ence illustrator. She specializes in portraying animals in their environments on a large and small scale that create a sense of space and dimension. She enjoys exploring the woods and shores of Rhode Island where she lives and works. Amy received a BA in Scientific Illus tration from University of Maryland in 1980. While at UM, she worked as an illustration intern at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian in the Departments of Bot any and Entomology. She furthered her studies in painting and drawing at Rhode Island School of Design where she earned a Certificate in Scientific and Technical Illustration in 1990 and is now part of the RISD Continuing Education Faculty.

Hope Leeson–Lecturer, History Philosophy Social Sciences, RISD As a botanist with nearly 30 years of field experience in southern New England, Hope Lee son’s feet and eyes have traveled over most of the state of Rhode Island. Her many years of determining where the edge of a wetland lies, and searching forests for rare and unusual plants, have contributed to her intimate knowledge of Rhode Island’s natural areas and plant communities. Her work experience has included employment for the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, United States Fish and Wildlife Service RI Refuge Complex and several environmental engineering firms. Additionally, she has consulted for the state’s non-profit organizations (Rhode Island Wild Plant Society, New En gland Wildflower Society, The Nature Conservancy-RI, Save the Bay and the Rhode Island Natural History Survey), documenting Rhode Island’s rare plant populations, native plant communities and invasive species, as well as providing public education on these topics.

Kevin McBride–Associate Professor Ph.D. University of Connecticut Kevin is an archaeologist and associate professor of anthropology at UConn.[1] He has led numerous excavation projects across New England with a focus in local community engagement. As the former Museum Director at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research Center, McBride helped plan engaging exhibits for the community during the muse ums opening in 1998.[2] His work as Project Director of the Battlefields of the Pequot War Project and Project Director of the Battlefields of King Phillip’s War Project has included partnerships with the National Parks Service American Battlefield Protection Program and local community organizations. His research on Colonial & Native American Archaeology in the Northeastern United States as been published in numerous academic journals that focus on historical archaeology and indigenous studies, and he has conducted extensive archaeological research on the history of the Manissean people on Block Island.

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Martin Wencek–Wetlands Supervisor, The Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM) Diandra “Dee” Verbeyst–Great Salt Pond Scientist, The Nature Conservancy

Epstein currently teaches a solution-based geology course at RISD entitled Environmen tal Disasters and Design Solutions. She also founded and continues to work on the Rhode Island Museum of Science and Art (RIMOSA), an initiative to create a hands-on, interactive museum in Rhode Island to inspire curiosity in older children and adults.

During Robert Kenney’s 35 years at the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography, I have participated in two major research projects that were centered in Rhode Island, CETAP and SCOPEX. Both of them were linked to another project—the North Atlantic Right Whale Consortium—one of the world’s most successful collaborative long-term studies of an endangered whale species. His research experience in marine mam mal survey, data analysis, and environmental assessment has naturally expanded into such arenas as assessing and monitoring the potential impacts of wind farms, other industrial developments, and naval training activities on protected marine species.

Dr. Robert D. Kenney–Emeritus Marine Research Scientist

Bonnie Epstein earned an undergraduate degree in Geology/Biology from Brown Uni versity and a PhD in Geological Oceanography from the University of Rhode Island. Her interests lie at the junction of science, art and education. As a principal investigator for the New England Aquarium (Boston) for more than seven years, she helped develop, im plement and evaluate programs and exhibits for informal scientific education. During that time, she served as director for the New England Aquarium’s Newport Exploration Cen ter – a small science museum in Newport, RI currently run by Save The Bay – and led the Aquarium’s NSF-funded exhibit on jellyfish as environmental indicators (Amazing Jellies).

Armand Aromin–Musician

Will Mentor–Professional Square Dancer

Will Mentor is a square dance and contra caller from Northern Vermont known for his clear teaching, upbeat wit, and relaxed stage presence. He loves to choreograph evenings with a variety of dances and tempos that at times surprise and always delight, all the while keeping intact his guiding principle as a caller: “It’s about the dancers!”

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Armand Aromin is a violin maker and musician based in Providence, Rhode Island. He has studied at Berklee College of Music and is a 2013 graduate of the North Bennet Street School in Boston, MA where he earned his diploma in Violin Making & Repair. Under the tutelage of master violin maker Roman Barnas, Armand built six violins and one viola, each one crafted in the style of the classic Italian instruments of the 17th and 18th cen turies. He has participated in workshops led by Hans Nebel at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams, MA; and is a two-time recipient of the Kaplan-Goodkind Scholarship Fund from the Violin Society of America.

Bonnie Epstein Silverman–Lecturer, History Philosophy Social Sciences, RISD

Benedict Gagliardi – Staff Biologist and Collections Manager, RISD Nature Lab

Jen is an ecologist and marine scientist whose work engages techniques of transdisci plinary inquiry to merge natural sciences knowledge, techniques and methods of inquiry with art|design thinking and studio practices. With a BS in Biology from Eckerd College, and a Ph.D. in Marine Science from the College of William and Mary/Virginia Institute of Marine Science, her work focuses broadly on human-nature connections and systems thinking to help innovate design solutions to environmental and societal challenges. Her past experience includes working on Capitol Hill as a natural resources legislative assis tant, coastal resource management work for the state of Virginia, and teaching college classes on a variety of topics including aquaponics, biomaterials, sustainable and regenerative design, biology, ecology and marine science. She is also responsible for overseeing the design, construction and programming of the Nature Lab’s new BioDesign Makerspace.

Benedict is the staff biologist at the Edna Lawrence Nature Lab and approaches the inter section of art and science from the point of view of a naturalist–seeking understanding through patient observation and guided by persistent curiosity.

Since childhood, nearness to the natural world and ample time to explore it have been essential to Benedict. With a masters degree in Entomology from the University of Connecti cut, insects are his foremost passion and destigmatizing their “creepy-crawly” reputation is a gradual and lifelong aim. Benedict relishes the opportunity not just to teach others about nature but to share in awe, fascination, and bewilderment with the process and products of evolution. He enjoys and encourages the insights, ideas, and inspiration that can be drawn from nature when viewed from unique perspectives, in differing contexts, and with dissim ilar biases.

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Jen Bissonnette – Interim Director, RISD Nature Lab

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Kim Gaffett–The Nature Conservancy’s Naturalist on Block Island Kim grew up on Block Island, and served on its town council for 18 years. She has a degree in biology and environmental science, and worked for the Ocean View Foundation on the island for 20 years before taking her position with the Nature Conservancy. Kim also runs the bird banding station on Block Island, which documents the local bird populations as well as migrating species that stopover on the island as they travel the Atlantic Flyway.

Amy received a BA in Scientific Illustration from University of Maryland in 1980. While at UM, she worked as an illustration intern at the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian in the Departments of Botany and Entomology. She furthered her studies in painting and drawing at Rhode Island School of Design where she earned a Certificate in Scientific and Technical Illustration in 1990 and is now part of the RISD Continuing Education Faculty.

Amy Bartlett Wright–Independent Fine Art Professional Amy has worked for thirty five years as a professional artist, as a muralist and natural science illustrator. She specializes in portraying animals in their environments on a large and small scale that create a sense of space and dimension. She enjoys exploring the woods and shores of Rhode Island where she lives and works.

Permanent Field Guests pg. 11 BIX

Site of Indigenous massacre [Fort Island trail] First visit to [Sandy pg. 12 2022 Ferry ride to Block Island [Point Judith] Views at [Mohegan Bluffs] No Breaks. [Mohegan Bluffs] Amy hard at work on ferry ride [Ferry ride to BI]

FIELD DAY 01 to Sandy Point [Sandy Point] Trifecta (Maryann Matthews, Kevin Mc Bride, Kim Gaffett) [Sandy Point] pg. 13 BIX Words of wisdom from Maryann and Kevin [Mohegan Bluffs] site marker for Indigenous lands [Fresh Pond] First group lunch [The National] Storytelling with Maryann [Mohegan Buffs]

pg. 14 2022 Lorén sharing indigenous wisdom [Mosquito Beach] Dragonflys for Kim [Mosquito Beach] Watched the sunset, [Hodge Wildlife Barrington and Breakfast [Barrington Inn] Bonnie Epstein on Geology [Block Island Library]

FIELD DAY 02 pg. 15 BIX sunset, then the stars. Wildlife Preserve] Movie and soup [Block Island Library] Guided walk with Kim [Hodge Wildlife Preserve] Bonnie Epstein on Geology [Mohegan Bluffs] Indiginous wisdom with Lorén [Mosquito Beach]

pg. 16 2022 Square dance Square dance Square dance Square dance Square dance Square dance Square dance Square Wader team deployed! [Andys way] Marine Biology/Ecology with Jen [Andys way] Horseshoe tagging [Andys way] BIX’s first horseshoe crab! [Andys way] [Old Island Pub]

FIELD DAY 03 pg. 17 BIX dance Square dance Square dance Square dance Square dance Square dance Square dance Square dance Lunch at [Calaveras] Will and Armand join the horseshoe crab search team [Andys way] BIG horseshoe crab, Kim for scale. Let the tagging begin! [Andys way] Hard at work finding more horseshoe crabs [Andys way]

pg. 18 2022 Seining with Marty [Fresh Pond] Happy driftwood [Sandy Point] Time to sketch [Sandy Point] Beach Walk [Sandy Point] Bob, Kim, Marty, and Fish [Fresh Pond] Looking for seals [Sandy Point]

FIELD DAY 04 pg. 19 BIX Crit with Amy [Barrington Inn] Student sketches [Barrington Inn] Bug hunting, net at the ready [Fresh Pond] Beach walk and marine mammals lesson with Bob [Sandy Point] Bug hunting, net at the ready [Fresh Pond] Seals, spotted [Sandy Point]

pg. 20 2022 Hope on how to magnify [Dicken’s Farm] Onward [Dicken’s Farm] Botany With Hope [Dicken’s Farm] Never forget sunscreen [Dicken’s Farm] To the beach we go! [Crescent Beach] Big group photo! [Crescent Beach]

FIELD DAY 05 pg. 21 BIXMomma snapping turtle [Dicken’s Farm] Hot find from Ben [Dicken’s Farm] Plant and seaweed roll dying [Crescent Beach] Dying around the fire [Crescent Beach] Pit stop for some sketching and observation [Dicken’s Farm] Indigenous wisdom from endawnis and Cassius Spears [Mosquito Beach]

pg. 22 2022 Plant and seaweed dye results. SUCCESS!!! [Barrington Inn] Lesson on site’s history [Ocean View Pavilion] Acts of reciprocity - braiding grass [Ocean View Pavilion] Acts of reciprocity - Revitalization [Ocean View Pavilion] Group chat on pavilion [Ocean View Pavilion] Dye roll results [Barrington Inn]

FIELD DAY 06 pg. 23 ActsBIXof reciprocity - Recycle [Ocean View Pavilion] Acts of reciprocity - horseshoe crab from sea litter[Ocean View Pavilion] Acts of reciprocity - painting markers [Ocean View Pavilion] Acts of reciprocity - removing invasive species [Ocean View Pavilion] Kim on bird banding [Bluestone Bird Banding Station] Yellow warbler! [Bluestone Bird Banding Station]

Student Reflectionspg.24 2022

pg. 25 BIX

Immersion into the nature was a huge part of the experience and these few sketches are a representation of what I observed. DIY MacroPhotography using the nature lab loupe with a regular phone camera. Seen here is a close up of a dendelion. 2022 pg. 26

was used for the natural dye workshop. We obtained a a mix of red and purple pigment from it. Inspired from our activity horse shoe crab tagging, we designed this add on to the aquarium from the plastic trash collected from the Christopher Whitten Maher) on the island resonated with the trip: “you never knew exactly how much space you occupied in people’s lives.” to both social and ecological realms.

BIX pg. 27 Thierry Andrianambinina

2022 pg. 28

Dear Donors, The Block Island Experience has been one of the best experiences I’ve ever had and I thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it. I truly felt like I was able to immerse myself in a new and different type of learning and processes whilst building a connection with the land alongside people who shared similar interests. I recently just discovered my love for the environment and nature and i’m so glad to have found a community of likeminded people. I didn’t grow up in nature and I’m naturally very curious so I learned a lot of different things through the trip and it definitely will influence my work at RISD and future career within the field of Architecture and Design. While learning about the land and cultures I also learned a lot about myself and how much I enjoy trying new things and am truly my best self when in nature! Thank you for making this trip happen and I’m eternally grateful I was able to experience it!

Aanya Arora

BIX pg. 29 Aanya Arora

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BIX pg. 31 Ire Asojo

Volum e 01 2022 pg. 2022 pg. 32

This experience was an unforgettable gift. To be able to experience wonder and curiosity and be able to play is to be able to relearn how to be in balance with the world again. I was able to feel the sun on my skin, the water surrounding my body, and immerse my mind in joyful learning. We do not get to learn this way during the school year, and I am so thankful that we had the opportunity to learn from amazing people and from each other as peers in such a localized and meaningful setting.

BIX pg. 33 Clara Boberg

BIX Clara Boberg pg. 31

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BIX pg. 35 Naomi Canino

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BIX pg. 37 Yesenia Gomez

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BIX pg. 39 Sydney Hsieh

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BIX pg. 41 Jury Kang

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BIX pg. 43 Janice Lardey

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BIX pg. 45 Jessica Lin

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BIX pg. 47 Brady Mathisen

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Hannah NigroBIX pg. 49

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BIX pg. 51 Benton Perry

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BIX pg. 53 Zeyuan Ren

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BIX pg. 55 Jules Sharpe

I learned so much from the local ecologists and indigenous people who spoke to us on the Island. What was most impactful to me was hearing about the relationship that indigenous people had to the land, and how separated we’ve become from our environment. Throughout the week we heard about the impacts of wetland destruction and its impact on our changing climate. I was continually reminded that our current way of living needs to change and slow down. This experience showed me that I need to make that a priority-I need to find ways to change and to be more sustainable in my life.

The Block Island Experience was an incredible opportunity for me-I was able to paint and draw freely and explore the environment around me.

During the semester I had been so focused on deadlines and assignments, so having the time to paint was very important for me. It was surprising to see what the more untouched New England landscape looked like, especially the many salt marshes on the (Left-stargazingisland.with

Kim Gaffett, viewing Arcturus and the Summer Triangle. Top-fallen tree trunk near Sandy Point. Middle-trunk outside of the Barrington Inn. Bottom-Andy’s Way salt marsh.)

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BIX pg. 57 Yasi Stein

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BIX pg. 59 Corey Watanabe

And although this moment, painted to the left, was just one of many rich experiences during the trip, I would soon learn itʼs taking the time to have these moments which allows us to kindle a greater curiosity, appreciation and gratitude for our BIXenvironment.gaveme so much, new life-long friends and passionate collaborators, new skills to see and exploring and learning about environmental issues, and most importantly, inspiration to help unlock this same sense of wonder, passion and care for our living environment in others.

In our hectic lives, it becomes easy to lose site of the beauty which surrounds us each and everyday. BIX taught me to take a step back and reconnect with that beauty again. As I sketched and painted throughout this experience, I became much more mindful of the small details we often overlook. I saw the cool blue green dips in the waves, the and yellows off the glacial erratics. I could see the dance of seaweed sway serenely through the current, as small crabs scuttled around my feet embraced by the warmth of the sand.

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Six days, no more, no less, was enough to change how I see the world around. Every day was a great adventure. Everyone made me feel comfortable and able to laugh freely. I'm grateful to be led by such a team, have such companions, and hear so many voices. I have never had such feelings since coming to this place, finding myself melting and merging into that mood of being in contact with nature and creatures. Senses and emotions were infinitely extended and engaged, trying to explore, observe, listen and communicate as thoroughly.

I have always known that human beings are part of nature. As a landscape architect, I feel that part of the understanding in my mind was confirmed, but there is more consideration than was activated. Going forward, I will continuously incorporate interdisciplinary knowledge into my projects, knowing that the more I perceive, the more I love nature.

BIX pg. 61 Siqiao Zhao

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