Momentum

Fueling great growth Thanks to several forms of support, Oregon native Hannah Bartlett is taking advantage of incredible opportunities at RISD. While in high school, Hannah Bartlett 19 FD had considered a career in product design or engineering, but once she read an article about Industrial Design and RISD, plans changed. “I wanted to make things and be in a place where people are invested in creativity and exploration.” So once RISD not only accepted her, but also offered her scholarship support, she was thrilled.

“Aside from allowing me to come to RISD in the first place,” says the senior in Furniture Design, “the scholarships I receive have made it possible for me to live on campus and stay fully immersed in campus culture.”

Now that she lives two blocks away from the Furniture Design studios, Bartlett couldn’t be happier. “I’m close to the facilities I need and the people with whom I love to work,” she says. She’s also grateful to have received an Alfreda Ward Maloof Memorial Scholarship from the Furniture Design department. Established by renowned furniture designer Sam Maloof in memory of his wife (and a fellow artist), the award has provided vital support during her junior and senior years.

When Bartlett started working with wood during her sophomore year, she fell in love. “I did a lot of physics and bridge-building in high school, and I think that the appeal of lightweight structures affected the way I designed for most of sophomore year,” she says. “I tried to make each project from one plank of wood—both to save money and to challenge my hand at designing structures and joinery.”