“I’m looking for a conversation.... Students here are phenomenal: hardworking, on point, willing, smart and engaged in active dialogue. That’s a community I want to be a part of.” Keetra Dixon Critic, Graphic Design
Create a community
Students at RISD quickly discover that the studio isn’t only where art is made, it’s also where community is created. By talking openly about process, collaborating on projects and exchanging techniques and ideas, you and your peers will grow together as thinkers and makers. You’ll stretch the limits of your creative abilities and encourage each other to make better work. In group critiques you’ll share valuable discoveries about the many ways art and design impact the world. The studio community is energized by different levels of experience—first- and second-year students regularly learn alongside upperclass and graduate students. The mix of styles and approaches you find will suggest new directions in your own process, and the community you create will lead to supportive, productive relationships with the potential to last a lifetime.
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Vaughan RISD’s
crazy—in a good way. It's a healthy crazy—everyone always seems to be doing something cool. There’s so much going on. You can just be like, “I’m going to see this,” then someone’s like, “Wait, did you see this?” And you’re like, “Wait, no, I was at that.” But that’s how you decide your future... map out this, this and this. Okay, I got it.... RISD’s like Chutes and Ladders. You know Chutes and Ladders? Kendra Hmmm, Vaughan Well,
no.
it’s this board game where you start at the bottom left—
Kendra [laughter]
Wait, is this Snakes and Ladders?
Vaughan [laughter] Kendra Yeah,
Yeah, maybe. Probably?
we have that game, we just call it something different in Asia.
Vaughan Then
you know how it is—you go along and if you get a ladder you go up, and if you get a snake or a slide you go down. RISD’s like that, but not in a negative sense, more like you could one day get invited to a show by a friend and then your other friend says, “Hey, let’s go get some pizza” and then at the pizza shop you end up meeting some people you didn’t know from school and you go to visit their studio. Maybe they’re in Painting and you’re in Apparel but you’ve never been to Painting before. You just meet so many people here, it’s gnarly [laughter]. Kendra [laughter]
In Graphic Design most of our work is done in front of computers, so sometimes we’ll visit our friends in Textiles and do our homework in the Textiles studios. The studio environment isn’t exactly a place, it’s more like the people you're inspired by and who you want to work with. You find them, you bring your work over. Vaughan I
think it’s good to get techniques from your friends and apply them to your own major. I’ve done pattern work for Industrial Design and Textiles. It’s so fun, oh my god! I still paint and sculpt to get clothing ideas.
Vaughan Lewis Carman junior Apparel Design
Kendra I
actually thought about doing a double major because I kind of view myself as both an artist and a designer...at least I like to do both. I started with a very fine arts background—not that I went to a fine arts high school—but I was more drawn to conceptual art and painting, that sort of thing. I basically chose to major in Graphic Design on a whim. I never really thought of myself as a graphic designer. Before I declared, I probably wouldn’t even have laughed about Comic Sans. I’d be like, “Hey guys, what’s so bad about Comic Sans?” Vaughan [laughter]
Oh man...I also feel like I struggled with confidence at first. Usually in the studio everyone’s working, making stuff, but if you have questions you should not be afraid to ask your classmates or teachers or whatever. Relationships with other students or with faculty, they are literally what you
make of them. They take effort, like any relationship. Bonding with a teacher can be one of the coolest things. If you end up being able to vibe over something you’re making with the person who’s trying to help you do better work, that’s like—it’s amazing, like you’re working on something together. Kendra I
feel the same. At RISD the professors are so open to students—you know, to what they think and their ideas. Maybe I notice it more because where I come from, in Singapore, teachers tell you what to do and you just, you know, listen to them. I was actually really surprised by how open it was when I first got here, and naturally that came with a lot of difficulties when it came to speaking up in class. I don’t know if you remember from our first year, but I was really quiet in the beginning. I think it was a mixture of being shy and also being more interested in certain types of critique than others. If you ask me to critique in a way that's purely formal I’d be like: “I like this line...great composition?” That’s it…
“The studio environment isn’t exactly a place, it’s more like the people you’re inspired by and who you want to work with...”
Vaughan Yeah,
but you were good in crit. I always find myself going like “Oh, I like this,” and that’s like the worst crit you can ever give. Kendra [laughter]
That’s always the kind of crit I don’t want to give!
Vaughan [laughter]
Yeah, here’s some advice for new students: don’t just say, “This is cool” or “This is dope” or “That's awesome.” Kendra I
Kendra Xu junior Graphic Design
am always interested in the thinking behind a piece—in what people have to say about why they started the process and their rationale for choosing different materials. To me that has so much more potential for interesting conversation. Now that I’m in Graphic Design I crit a lot more. I've discovered that I’m so interested in talking about future technologies—just, like, new interfaces and possibilities. The professor ends up calling on me directly for work that has technology-oriented processes. I mean, in crit I don’t think you should force yourself to say things just for the sake of saying things—it’s not about being heard—but more like: Can you contribute something meaningful to the conversation? Can you be sensitive to rationales? Give people your thoughts, because what you think has value, instead of being like, “Oh, this is not important” for whatever reason...no! You have to share what’s on your mind because your classmates really do want to hear it.
2,051 473 undergraduate students
first-year students
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9:1
average class size
student-to-faculty ratio
RISD’s community by the numbers
493
602
89%
94%
graduate students
undergraduate graduation rate
faculty members
first-year retention rate
2018 figures from RISD Factbook
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RISD Algeria Argentina Australia Bahrain Bangladesh Belarus Belgium Brazil Canada Chile China Colombia Dominican Republic Ecuador Egypt Finland France Gabon Germany Ghana Greece Guatemala Honduras Hungary India Indonesia Iran Israel Italy Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya
Kuwait Lebanon Liberia Macau Malaysia Mexico Netherlands New Zealand Nigeria North Korea Norway Pakistan Panama Peru Philippines Poland Romania Russia Saudi Arabia Singapore South Africa South Korea Slovakia Spain Sweden Switzerland Taiwan Thailand Trinidad and Tobago Turkey United Arab Emirates United Kingdom Venezuela Vietnam
36% 69 32% international students
countries represented
students of color
RISD students come from around the US and the world to live and learn in Providence, a city known for its excellent colleges and cultural institutions. You’ll join a broad-minded, globally influenced student body and benefit from our diverse learning community.
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RISD’s community comes from all over the world
name + major Adam (Brown|RISD Dual Degree:
Modern Culture and Media + Furniture Design) from Minneapolis, Barcelona and Sāo Paulo favorite tool/material/process Funnels—they’re awesome and I have a tattoo of one! words of wisdom Accept that you and your work will change drastically—don’t hang on to anything too tightly yet.
name + major Christine (Painting) from Houston, TX RISD clubs, etc. RISD Asian Intersections and Diaspora
(RAID)
artist(s) of interest Patty Chang weird studio ritual in-studio yoga
name + major Anthony (Jewelry + Metalsmithing) from Richmond, RI favorite tool/material/process 3D printer/coral from
name + major David (Sculpture) from New Jersey favorite tool/material/process found materials trait I admire in a classmate honesty words of wisdom Make the work that speaks to you.
name + major Maddie (Painting) from Northampton, MA recent read Broadly (Vice’s online feminist magazine) favorite tool/material/process glitter, anything glitter
name + major Somnath (Graphic Design) from Ahmedabad, India recent read Digital Folklore by Olia Lialina and Dragan
the Philippines/final assembly words of wisdom There will always be someone with a bigger budget or better technical skills, but you dictate your own work ethic.
Espenschied
weird studio ritual Taking inventory of all the different
types of paper in my studio.
favorite tool/material/process narrative/the internet/
multidisciplinary making, curating and writing
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name + major Abdullah (Apparel Design) from Egypt and France favorite corner of RISD The Met, RISD Museum recent read The Portrayal of Love by Charles Dempsey secret talent 42nd best show jumper in Egypt artist(s) of interest Raf Simons
name + major Olivia (Graphic Design) from Johns Creek, GA RISD clubs, etc. RISD X SAGC and The Cook Book (with
name + major Ilsa (Painting) from Oregon, Mauritania, France and Morocco my workspace is messy—food and paint everywhere trait I admire in a classmate The ability to come up with
name + major Momo (Film/Animation/Video + Glass) from Beijing with $20 + free time in PVD I’d go to the beach and look
name + major Caroline (Sculpture) from Suffield, CT favorite corner of RISD bottom left recent read Edgar Allan Poe’s short stories favorite tool/material/process hammer
name + major Shenzi (Film/Animation/Video +
with something that no one else could.
my classmate Somnath) artist(s) of interest Kathleen Kye, M.I.A., Brian Woo (aka Dr. Woo) words of wisdom Following all the rules is not fun.
at the ocean. recent read The Razor’s Edge by W. Somerset Maugham artist(s) of interest Rebecca Horn
Illustration) from Dominican Republic, Switzerland, Michigan and California RISD clubs, etc. I’ve been an Orientation Leader. artist(s) of interest Luke Pearson trait I admire in a classmate unapologetic honesty
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RISD faculty are a vital force in the studio, inspiring and challenging the creative community with their knowledge, experience and perspective. You’ll be able to form close, constructive bonds with your professors thanks to small class sizes (14 is average) and a low student-tofaculty ratio (9:1). Full-time faculty members also act as academic advisors, helping you discover your process and guiding you towards a future that will make the most of your talents and interests. Given the caliber of students at RISD, professors are as excited about teaching as they are about creating their own work. Faculty members are studio artists who exhibit all over the world, designers with successful practices and scholars whose research is connected and complementary to the study of art and design.
Patti Smith
Recent visitors include: Virgil Abloh Chimamanda Adichie Hilton Als Paola Antonelli Arjun Appadurai Chloë Bass Tarana Burke Cai Guo-Qiang Jeff Chang Kelli Connell Jason Fulford Theaster Gates Roxane Gay Allison Adelle Hedge Coke Juliana Huxtable Nina Katchadourian Annie Leibovitz Virgil Marti Murray Moss Lynn Nottage Sarah Oppenheimer Sam Pollard Kameelah Janan Rasheed Matthew Ronay Paul Sahre Tamara Shopsin Patti Smith Bryan Stevenson Nadya Tolokonnikova Various Projects Asim Waqif Cornel West Kehinde Wiley Fred Wilson
Virgil Abloh
The visiting artists, designers, critics, curators, activists, innovators and scholars who come to RISD are some of the world’s most interesting creative leaders. Invited to campus for talks, lecture series, studio visits and more, they represent a diverse range of talent and accomplishments. The close, collaborative atmosphere nurtured on campus means you’ll have the opportunity to interact with many of these visiting professionals on an individual basis, discuss their research and find connections between their insights and your own work.
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Michael Maltzan alumnus + visiting architect
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“We would all be in studio together, late at night—painters, glassblowers, architects—and the specifics of your discipline didn’t matter. The cohesion of your ideas and your beliefs brought you together.”
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Discover your process
Since its founding in 1877, RISD has been built on a progressive, creative vision. It was established by members of the Rhode Island Women’s Centennial Commission, who decided to invest the group’s extra savings in the creation of an art school. This decision, made when women didn’t yet have the right to vote, set an innovative tone that continues to guide the RISD community in the 21st century. Today this legacy of risk-taking plays out in studios, classrooms and galleries across campus. You’ll learn to question everything—previously held assumptions, ways of working and underlying structures. By considering social and historical contexts as you acquire new skills and techniques, you’ll develop unexpected and original approaches to art and design. In the spirit of RISD’s founders, you and your peers will embrace experimentation and come to see uncertainty as an important part of the learning process. You’ll graduate with the confidence to develop innovative, new ideas and shape a unique, productive future.
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Innovation
Experimentation
Experimental & Foundation Studies
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In Experimental and Foundation Studies, RISD’s first-year program, you’ll pursue questions and develop ideas through studio exploration, critical analysis and academic research. In taking three studios—Drawing, Design and Spatial Dynamics — that each meet one full day per week, you’ll work on an ongoing series of challenging assignments outside of scheduled class time. EFS faculty are active professionals who model a diverse range of creative practices— from traditional modes of art making such as drawing and painting, to interactive approaches that embrace new media and the use of digital fabrication technologies. By presenting a variety of teaching styles and philosophies, EFS challenges you to find your own voice. You’ll move through EFS studios with the same group of 20 students each semester and benefit from valuable dialogues that emerge when you work side by side and participate in group discussions and critiques. In time it will become clear that acquiring knowledge is a collaborative, experimental and evolutionary process.
In the Design studio you’ll explore how to organize visual and other sensory elements in order to better understand qualities of perception and convey meaningful messages through objects, spaces and experiences. Assignments allow for a range of inquiries—from scientific to philosophical to cultural—as they provide a framework for you to develop deep concentration, personal expression, dedicated research practices and critical understanding of visual and non-visual phenomena.
Drawing
In this studio you’ll pursue drawing as both a way to investigate the world and an activity essential to art and design practice. The studio becomes a laboratory where you’ll explore materiality, imagined situations, idea generation and the translation of the observable world. You’ll come to see Drawing as a distinct discipline and one that permeates the boundaries of Design and Spatial Dynamics.
First-year studios
Spatial Dynamics
In the Spatial Dynamics studio you’ll consider force—the consequence of energy—and its effects on structure. You’ll explore physical, spatial and time-based phenomena through a range of analogue and digital processes while becoming familiar with mediums and materials that have a broad range of organic and synthetic characteristics. Assignments reference historical and theoretical perspectives and include areas of inquiry that connect to other disciplines such as the sciences, music, dance, film and theater.
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Design
Spatial Dynamics
Drawing
First-year student work
Design
Spatial Dynamics
Drawing
43 Design
Design
Spatial Dynamics
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Pedro One
reason I love this place is that you come here as a freshman and there’s a guy who’s like “Yeah, I’m going to be an architect,” and then he takes these classes and he’s like, “Wow, no. I’ve thought so much about this. I’m not an architect. I’m a painter.” Or people who want to do industrial design end up doing sculpture because...or people who thought they were fine artists maybe find that their thinking is more structured and that they want to do furniture. Paula That’s
what I think is interesting—everyone has to go through the same experience no matter what your intentions in life are. If you’re going to be a designer or you’re going to be a glassblower, it doesn’t matter. To me, the power of the first year is that moment to question, to pause. I know it’s not really a pause because you’re super busy—but it could be. How do you even know you’re an artist without questioning the fact that you’re going to be an artist? People take it for granted sometimes. Pedro Yeah,
I think Foundation year is the time to maybe admit that you were wrong about some things and do things that you’ve never done before. It’s fun to try stuff. Maybe something explodes or something breaks...I’m pretty bad at making. So admitting that I have a failure in craftsmanship, but maybe someone else has a failure in being more conceptual in their projects or just letting go, I don’t know... this is a good place for both of us to be. It’s definitely a place to challenge the notion I’ve always had that I’m not good at making. Like, why can’t I draw a perfect portrait? I really want to do a perfect portrait because it’s something formal and I feel like if I’m going to be at RISD I want to get it right. It takes a lot to draw a face 40 times, to see that it sucks—but pursuing it makes you a stronger artist, for sure.
“How do you identify now, not being the only artist—because here everyone is artistic? I mean, how do you start to think of yourself differently?”
Paula How
do you identify now, not being the only artist—because here everyone is artistic? I mean, how do you start to think of yourself differently?
Pedro Bello Abrante first-year student Experimental & Foundation Studies
Pedro Well,
in the time of “millennials” everybody can be creative. A lot of people are against that idea, but I love it. I love that now everyone has a voice, which maybe diminishes other voices...but if you think that it’s important for you and for the people surrounding you, going to art school is a good risk to take. Paula I
artist.
mean, this is the interesting thing—you don’t need a degree to be an
Pedro Right.
I don’t think you do.
Paula Exactly,
so why do you go to art school? I think there are a lot of very interesting answers. I’d go to art school because I’d be exposed to certain things, I would have access...no one has a shop in their house, you know? But in terms of the human resources and— Pedro Yeah,
it’s the people and the resources and I think history is pretty important... Paula What
do you mean? Art history, for example?
Pedro By
learning history you’re empowered to make stuff that is actually... you put your work into a larger conversation, you’re not just involved by yourself. And then you’re also here, you’re involved, you’re finding these people and you’re talking to them. Sometimes it feels business-like, but it’s also very, like, “Hey, I want to know what you’re doing. I want to know what’s up. I want to work here.” And this is the place for it. There are very cool people here. Paula Yeah. Pedro It’s
only my first year and I’ve met people who I think have changed my work a lot. Teachers and students. That’s so good, already in your first year. It should be like that, you know? You meet people who are not just in Foundation, right? Paula
Pedro Yeah,
but you have to work for it. You live with other Foundation students at the Quad, and you go to classes and take Liberal Arts with people in Foundation year. So you kind of have to go to a senior show and be like, “Hey, what’s up?” which is scary to anyone, but it’s part of the experience. And then that prepares you to have more conversations— Paula Exactly! Pedro I
felt ready and I wanted to have them. Or maybe I wasn’t ready, but I just decided. Paula That’s
Pedro And
you know what? People at RISD, including me, can sometimes be full of themselves—but they’re ready to talk about it, which is great. I think that it’s great.
Paula Gaetano Adi Associate Professor Experimental & Foundation Studies
a good attitude. You’re never going to be 100%—it’s all about taking risks here.
A closer look The drawing machine
As the final project in her Design studio, Associate Professor Paula Gaetano Adi asks each student to create a mechanical device that produces a 2D record or mark of a multidimensional event. Students then hone their documentation skills by making short videos of their machines in motion.
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The assignment:
“I’m most proud of the housing I built to keep the motor hidden…. Hiding a motor proved to be much more difficult than I anticipated.” —Benjamin Lamacchia
“This project touches on some of the most essential aspects of all three first-year studios: mark-making, color, gravity, time, space and motion. It also asks students to question who the artist is—the creator of the machine or the machine itself.” Paula Gaetano Adi Associate Professor
“The machine makes a sawing motion and a self-rotating motion. The most challenging part was to include these two motions in my machine with only one motor.” —Sichen Tang
53 “I named the machine Infinity Gear because once I make the smallest of changes to the set, it never creates the same pattern.” —Rika Nakayama
“Because of the rotational movement of the circles, all the colors merged together. I didn’t expect my drawings to turn into these randomly generated, uniquely colorful designs.” —Kaanchi Chopra
A bit of advice offered at the outset: 1. Look closely at how things move in the physical world. Break them apart to see how they work internally. 2. Test your ideas (don’t just rely on sketches). Gravity is real when you’re working with mechanical systems.
Liberal Arts
As you’re developing your process and improving your skills in the studio, liberal arts classes will challenge you to think broadly about exciting new areas of study and larger social and ethical questions. RISD’s emphasis on liberal arts studies enriches the studio experience and equips graduates to make meaningful contributions to their communities. Courses blend contemporary and historical thought and cover a range of subjects including anthropology, archaeology, art history, biology, climate change, creative writing, literature, performance studies, philosophy, psychology, religion and more. As active scholars engaged in research connected to the study of art and design, liberal arts professors will spark your imagination and expand your awareness. The critical frameworks you develop through these studies will allow you to approach projects in any discipline with greater context and confidence. You’ll learn to articulate ideas with independence and intelligence, think creatively and analytically, and nurture a lifelong curiosity about the world.
“RISD’s broad liberal arts curriculum cultivates the often unexpected ways that scholarly and professional inquiry can animate one another. How can gender theory influence architecture? What is the connection between postcolonial literature and textiles? The possibilities are limited only by motivation and imagination.” Daniel Cavicchi Vice Provost
Literary Arts and Studies (LAS)
Literary arts at RISD emphasize the fundamental interrelationships not only between writing and reading, but also between creative and critical processes. In particular, the curriculum aims to promote understanding of the relationship between literary and other forms of cultural production and to promote diversity and global awareness by exposing you to a range of cultures—past and present, local and global, mainstream and marginalized— through literature.
Studio Work
Liberal Arts
Theory and History of Art and Design (THAD)
Understanding the history of art, architecture, design and visual culture has been integral to a RISD education since the college was founded in 1877. Research and teaching among THAD faculty members emphasize critical theories of art and archaeology, art criticism, museum studies and art historiography. In addition, a global orientation is built into the program, with professors specializing in areas of visual culture ranging from ancient China to contemporary Africa.
History, Philosophy and the Social Sciences (HPSS)
The multidisciplinary curriculum in HPSS offers the opportunity to explore diverse scholarly approaches to human experience—past and present—and to foster the knowledge of self and of others that is the hallmark of liberal arts learning. HPSS offers introductory and advanced courses in anthropology, archaeology, history, philosophy, political science, psychology and religion. Other classes explore interdisciplinary issues and topics such as aesthetics and sustainability that are aligned with contemporary art and design practices.
risd.edu/liberal-arts
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You’ll take a third of your classes in Liberal Arts, a division that includes three departments.
Selected liberal arts courses ȸȸ Aliens in Sci-Fi ȸȸ Blue Jeans and Barbie Dolls ȸȸ Borderlands: Latinx ȸȸ Chinese Archaeology ȸȸ Commons and Commoning ȸȸ Eat the Way Back Home ȸȸ Freud’s Vienna ȸȸ Gendered Political Economy ȸȸ Global Art and Margins ȸȸ Haiti: “New World, Free World” ȸȸ Indigenous Knowledge ȸȸ Inventive Political Ecologies ȸȸ Iranian Cinema ȸȸ Leadership of Social Change ȸȸ Photo and Militarism ȸȸ Print the Legend ȸȸ Petrocultures ȸȸ Time, Light and Sound ȸȸ Transracial Selves ȸȸ With a Pen of Light ȸȸ Women Resist ȸȸ Yoruba Art and Aesthetics
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“At RISD I get to educate people who create the culture we live in—the products we use, the buildings we inhabit, the films we watch, the books we read our children and the advertisements that engulf us. What students learn and how they apply it really can make a difference in the world.” Jennifer Prewitt-Freilino Associate Professor + HPSS Department Head
risd.edu/liberal-arts
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First year at a glance
Monday
Fall
Design I
Wednesday
Tuesday
Theory and History of Art and Design I
Spatial Dynamics I
Thursday
First-year Literature Seminar
Friday
Drawing I
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Spring
Monday
Topics in History, Philosophy and the Social Sciences
Tuesday
Theory and History of Art and Design II
Thursday
Spatial Dynamics II
Wednesday
Drawing II
Friday
2–3 days a week
Design II
Open Elective
Wintersession Each semester of your first year includes three studio courses (Drawing, Design and Spatial Dynamics) and two courses in the Liberal Arts division covering introductory topics in literature, art history, history or the social sciences. During Wintersession (a condensed, five-week semester in January and February), you’ll choose an open elective course offered by a degree-granting discipline or Liberal Arts department. The critical thinking, making and research skills you develop during your first year will continue to inform your process as you move on to a major department.
name + major Qualeasha (Printmaking) from Long Branch, NJ RISD clubs, etc. Black Artists and Designers (BAAD) weird studio ritual I watch a lot of vines (RIP Vine). artist(s) of interest RISD grad Deana Lawson words of wisdom Don’t take crit personally (the song Be
name + major Peter (Furniture Design) from San Diego, CA recent read The Evolution of Beauty by Richard Prum artist(s) of interest J.W. Anderson what does the future hold? Anything you want it to!
name + major Sophia (Painting) from Dallas, TX RISD clubs, etc. RISD Earthlings favorite corner of RISD The forested area around
name + major Maria (Photography) from Long Island, NY favorite corner of RISD the Design Center recent read The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
Yourself by Frank Ocean will guide you through).
Woods-Gerry.
by Junot Díaz
artist(s) of interest Swoon
favorite tool/material/process camera and tripod
name + major Amit (Graphic Design) from Rechövot, Israel and Highland Park, NJ with $20 + free time in PVD I’d take my friends out to
name + major Shelby (Industrial Design) from New Hampshire RISD clubs, etc. I’m a resident advisor and a teaching
Harry’s for burgers. my workspace is super-duper messy trait I admire in a classmate dedication
assistant.
favorite corner of RISD riverwalk by the ID building favorite tool/material/process play foam
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name + major Osub (Industrial Design) from: Seoul, South Korea and Calgary, Canada RISD clubs, etc. I’m a junior designer with the
Industrial Design Student Association (IDSA). favorite corner of RISD the Quad recent read A New York Times article about how posting special moments on social networks affects the way we remember them.
name + major Zoe (Apparel Design) from Colchester, CT favorite corner of RISD the Picture Collection favorite tool/material/process I’m very interested in
transforming objects into textiles (and recently made a fur coat out of doll heads).
name + major Valeria (Furniture Design) from Venezuela RISD clubs, etc. RISD Éspañol People Association artist(s) of interest Atelier Van Lieshout favorite tool/material/process wood
name + major Julie (Industrial Design) from Los Angeles, CA favorite corner of RISD The room with big windows on
name + major Zoo (Painting + Graphic Design) from Milan, Italy RISD clubs, etc Midnight Soccer, the climbing club favorite corner of RISD ledges artist(s) of interest Jack Stauber words of wisdom Always find time to have fun. Life is
name + major Philip (Brown|RISD Dual Degree:
for living!
the 5th floor of Chace Center. trait I admire in a classmate hardworking, non-competitive words of wisdom Don’t worry too much because everything will change.
Computer Science + Industrial Design) from Glastonbury, CT favorite corner of RISD Material Resource Center favorite tool/material/process Data. I’m currently making an art piece/data set of 69,903 images. trait I admire most in a classmate being interested
Sharpen your focus
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Apparel Design BFA
Architecture BArch / MArch
Ceramics BFA / MFA
Film /Animation / Video BFA
Furniture Design BFA / MFA
Glass
BFA / Post-B / MFA
Graphic Design BFA / MFA
Illustration BFA
BFA / MID
Interior Architecture BFA / MA / MDes
Jewelry + Metalsmithing BFA / Post-B / MFA
Painting BFA / MFA
Photography BFA / MFA
Printmaking BFA / MFA
Sculpture BFA / MFA
Textiles BFA / MFA
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Industrial Design
Apparel Design BFA
An intense immersion in design and making fosters the development of a unique voice and creative trajectory. In Apparel Design students develop their conceptual vision through studio projects that build technical skills and promote experimentation. The program guides majors through each stage of the design process—from developing sketches to constructing wearables—while encouraging unexpected approaches to material and form. Students learn drafting, draping and construction and become proficient in the use of high-end software for drawing and rendering. Practical skill-building is given context through the study of history and culture and elevated by access to dedicated equipment, including industrial sewing and knitting machines, 3D printers and specialized scanners. Students benefit from regular exposure to the fashion industry. During Wintersession, seniors in Apparel Design intern at fashion houses and studios in New York City and in the spring they present thesis collections in a runway show that provides valuable professional experience. After RISD some alumni go on to launch their own brands and find a market niche, while others work for established retailers such as Anthropologie, Calvin Klein, the Gap and others. Many pursue interests in costume design, shoe design, materials research and more. risd.edu/apparel
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Architecture BArch / MArch
As part of an art college, Architecture at RISD differs from comparable programs at universities or technical colleges.
By studying architecture, students develop their abilities to think visually and design through a process of inquiry, reflection and invention. They learn to communicate through drawing, making, writing and discussing ideas with others as they define a personal approach to the discipline. Architecture students have access to a range of software and equipment in dedicated fabrication facilities and a model shop. Students tackle the technical demands of building through hands-on construction and learn to be socially, sustainably and ethically responsible in their work. While history, theory and technical components are valued in this program, Architecture emphasizes the creative process as a way for students to gain a foundation as thinkers and doers, poised to make a difference in the world. Alumni make their mark as creative professionals in many different ways. Some launch their own practices designing and building residential and/or commercial projects, while others join larger established firms or smaller studios. In addition to practicing as architects, alumni stand out as sustainability specialists, author/illustrators, educators, health care designers and more. risd.edu/architecture
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BFA / MFA
A discipline with a wide array of applications, Ceramics combines depth of skill with the spirit of collaboration. Ceramics offers a rigorous, hands-on investigation of clay and its histories, along with an exploration of contemporary practices and concepts. The small size of the department allows for one-on-one work with faculty and constructive interaction between undergraduate and graduate students, complemented by critiques, lectures, demonstrations and field trips. The Ceramics studios are well equipped with gas and electric kilns of various sizes, a large and fully stocked raw materials room with a glaze spray booth, and a plaster work room. Students experiment with throwing, building, molding, glazing and firing and develop new techniques using specialized tools and equipment, including workstations for handling images, glaze formulation and remote kiln firing. The sculptural qualities of ceramic work are explored, as are digital fabrication methods. Alumni are skilled artists capable of using their creative talents and spatial design skills in a variety of meaningful, inventive ways—from teaching to making studio art to designing and creating physical products and prototypes.
risd.edu/ceramics
79
Ceramics
BFA A wide range of techniques and technologies are used to investigate aesthetic and conceptual questions associated with the time-based art of the moving image.
In Film/Animation/Video (FAV) students explore the art of the moving image and master the tools needed to convey a creative vision via film, animation, documentary, interactive media and more. The major explores both history and contemporary practices within the broad scope of the discipline, while providing instruction in writing, directing, editing and production. FAV students pursue tracks in Live Action, Animation or Open Media and are exposed to a wide range of techniques including CGI, hand-drawn animation, stop-motion animation and digital effects. The department provides access to specialized equipment, software and studio space. FAV encourages the investigation of technical and conceptual questions central to creating strong content with a unique voice. Graduates write, direct and produce original content and often collaborate with others as animators, cinematographers, and much more. Some work as filmmakers while others land at gaming companies, networks and film studios such as PBS, Pixar and Dreamworks, among others.
risd.edu/fav
83
Film /Animation / Video
Furniture Design BFA / MFA
As one of the few undergraduate programs of its kind, Furniture Design offers an intensive immersion in furniture, objects, research and materials. Furniture Design offers full immersion in the process of making furniture and objects, alongside the in-depth study of materials. Students investigate some of the most important questions facing designers today—from how to take advantage of changing technologies to how to respond to evolving economic conditions and lifestyles. Furniture Design students have access to state-of-the-art design and production facilities including an expansive wood studio, a metal shop, digital fabrication resources including a Rapid Prototype Machine and a CNC router, and specialized design software such as SolidWorks and Rhino. Furniture Design majors often work with sponsored research partners— from both the commercial and nonprofit worlds—and have opportunities to showcase their work at professional venues and exhibitions around the world. Graduates go on to become thinkers/makers who work as industry designers, studio artists, teachers, entrepreneurs and more.
risd.edu/furniture-design
87
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BFA / Post-B / MFA
Glass is a dynamic discipline with limitless potential and an immense amount of impact on the worlds of art and design. Students approach glass both as a material with remarkable range and a studio discipline with limitless potential, incorporating sculpture, architecture, design, craft and decorative art. They discover a flexible discipline built on a unique history that incorporates expanding dialogues around innovation and creative practice. In addition to full access to a Hot Shop, Cold Shop and kiln and casting rooms, all students are also given individual studio spaces and access to installation spaces both within the department and elsewhere on campus. A small department, Glass fosters close interactions among students and faculty. Studio work, critiques and both group and individual projects fuel ongoing dialogue about contemporary art, craft and design. Graduates go on to work in a surprisingly wide arena, often establishing individual studio practices and continuing to push the possibilities of the material through exhibitions, curatorial work and writing. They design products, teach, lead residency programs and work in applied fields like architectural glass as they continue to explore this extraordinary medium. risd.edu/glass
91
Glass
Graphic Design BFA / MFA
Investigate, interpret and shape today’s information-rich world.
Multifaceted and encompassing a broad range of media, Graphic Design moves from the discipline’s formal, aesthetic and analytical foundations to explorations of the changing contexts and uses of visual communication. In the studio, students learn the value of typography, imagery, grids and systems while creating a wide range of print design and digital media. Encouraged to experiment, students make use of a wide range of traditional and digital resources for project development, including an extensive wood and metal type collection, silkscreening studio and 3D printers. Graphic Design graduates leave RISD prepared to work in almost any field. Some run their own design studios, and others work for large corporations specializing in web and interactive media. They create everything from package design to title sequences for film and television to visual identities.
risd.edu/graphic-design
95
BFA
At RISD the approach to illustration is defined by intention, not media.
Using the same tools found in painting, photography, film and graphic design, illustrators create imagery that aims to convey powerful meaning and messages. Students in Illustration maintain a state of constant conversation with the wider culture as they gain experience in traditional methods and cutting-edge technologies advancing their discipline. By mastering the ability to draw and paint thoughtful, engaging images, students graduate ready to write and illustrate books, contribute editorial illustrations to print and digital publications, create surface designs for products, work in web or game design, become character designers or communicate concepts through one of the many other creative paths open to illustrators.
risd.edu/illustration
99
Illustration
Industrial Design BFA / MID
Explore modes of systematized production to make everything from sustainable products to alternative technologies. Drawing on its historic contributions to responsible, human-centered design, Industrial Design teaches students to use critical thinking and the design process to bring new value to companies, communities and citizens. Professors with diverse expertise guide students as they research user experiences to create well-conceived and executed objects, products and systems that make everyday tasks more streamlined, thoughtful or fulfilling. ID majors work with a wide range of materials and technologies in their design process—they develop ideas through sketching and drawing and move on to making models and working prototypes in dedicated fabrication facilities. Alumni go on to innovate in various ways—by starting their own businesses, joining forward-thinking studios and working for organizations and corporations. Graduates contribute to almost every field imaginable by designing medical devices, household products, alternative transportation vehicles, nanotech devices, new materials and much more.
risd.edu/industrial-design
103
BFA / MA / MDes
Engage in a rich and expansive discipline focused on the reuse and transformation of existing structures. At the intersection of architecture, conservation and design, Interior Architecture takes an innovative approach to the reuse of existing buildings. And unlike the fields of interior design and decoration, it looks less at the application of surface materials than at understanding the design of buildings from inside out. In Interior Studies—as the undergraduate program is known— students take advanced design studios that allow for specializations in adaptive reuse. Students use digital and manual means to research and recommend alterations and renovations that give buildings new life. They have access to a fully equipped wood shop and 3D model-making facility outfitted with fabrication technologies, including a CNC machine, laser cutter and rapid prototyping machine. As they discover current practices, students develop into socially and environmentally responsible professionals. Alumni launch their own practices designing residential and/or commercial interiors and join established firms or studios. Many go on to make their mark as sustainability specialists, set designers, educators, home furnishings designers and more. risd.edu/interior-architecture
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Interior Architecture
Jewelry + Metalsmithing BFA / Post-B / MFA
Explore the intriguing relationship between jewelry and the body. Spanning from traditional goldsmithing to experimental processes and materials, Jewelry + Metalsmithing offers a tightknit community of students and faculty fully engaged with the discipline. Critical analysis and an open exchange of ideas support each individual’s exploration of jewelry and its relationship with the body. Working in close proximity, undergraduate and graduate students bounce ideas off each other as they hone technical skills and become adept at using a wide range of metals and other materials. They are provided with workbenches and have access to a range of software and equipment for casting, enameling, electroforming, milling, machining and more. J+M majors graduate with a strong grasp of their expressive capabilities and a solid foundation on which to build a career as a jewelry artist, production designer, metalsmith, teacher or gallery owner—or any number of entrepreneurial pursuits that involve designing and making.
risd.edu/jewelry
111
BFA / MFA
Painting at RISD encourages respect for tradition as well as the freedom to break disciplinary boundaries. Painting majors engage in a search for meaning and cultural representation through the development of strong visual skills, critical reasoning abilities and understanding of historical and social contexts. Professors encourage both freedom and rigor by embracing a wide range of aesthetic attitudes and offering flexible programs. The studio environment is a place where ideas about the discipline’s traditions and boundaries are openly examined and exchanged, challenged and refined.Throughout the program, the conceptual and expressive aspects of painting are central as students build their skills through technical training and hands-on effort. After RISD, Painting alumni go on to pursue a wide range of interests in the art world. Many establish gallery connections and work as studio artists, while others pursue creative work as curators, critics, performance artists, arts administrators, gallery owners, event planners, set designers and illustrators. risd.edu/painting
115
Painting
BFA / MFA
Discover why anyone can take a picture but not everyone is a photographer.
Students immerse themselves in the making, presentation and interpretation of photographic images, exploring photography as both a language and a craft. Ultimately, they learn how to use cultural signifiers, symbols and metaphors in the content and structure of image making. After learning the fundamentals of film processing and darkroom printing, students move on to experiment with digital capture, high-end printing at medium and large scales, video, installation work and other approaches. Photography alumni pursue a wide range of options after graduation, with some going on to specialize in commercial or editorial photography and/or video, and others teaching, running their own businesses or making and exhibiting fine art photography. Most become lifelong image-makers adept at expressing unique ways of seeing the world.
risd.edu/photography
119
Photography
Printmaking BFA / MFA
Explore traditional and experimental techniques and develop a unique framework for creating, reproducing and presenting images. Printmaking at RISD supports the development of artists dedicated to visual exploration and expression using intaglio, lithography, screenprint, relief and related photo-processes. Through the mastery of traditional and contemporary techniques, including digital and alternative print methods, students develop focused direction. They work in a well-equipped facility with state-of-the-art equipment and separate floors allocated to lithography, intaglio and screenprint studios. After RISD, Printmaking alumni go in many different directions, often pursuing interests they’ve defined through multidisciplinary exploration as students. Many become practicing fine artists who exhibit work all over the world. Others run galleries, curate shows, write art criticism, teach and launch small startups, making an impact on the contemporary art world in a wide variety of ways.
risd.edu/printmaking
123
BFA / MFA
Explore individual sensibilities while learning the technical and conceptual skills needed to realize ideas in three dimensions.
Sculpture at RISD focuses on the growth of the individual as a creative practitioner able to express conceptually strong ideas in three dimensions. Students are encouraged to push beyond obvious solutions and disciplinary boundaries as a means of producing ambitious, experimental work through a command of process and the considered use of materials. Through a curriculum that builds on acquired skills, students work together with every material imaginable—from wood and metal to digital mediums—to develop a deep understanding of historical and contemporary contexts. They have access to a fully equipped woodshop, foundry and digital fabrication facilities. Alumni go on to establish themselves as successful studio artists and designers or pursue their interests as art critics and writers, curators, teachers, arts administrators, exhibition designers, performance artists, special effects designers and more.
risd.edu/sculpture
127
Sculpture
Textiles BFA / MFA
Influenced as much by technology as it is by tradition, Textiles involves a lot more than weaving on a loom. In Textiles students experiment with new materials, technologies and techniques to create innovative fabric and fine art. Professors work with them to encourage the development of a personal vision and an understanding of larger artistic, historical, social and cultural contexts. Students work with high-end equipment used in the field—multi-harness handlooms, computer-interfaced looms and an electronic Jacquard loom—to master advanced weaving techniques, while hand-operated and electronic knitting machines allow for further exploration of knitted fabrics. Many graduates go on to work as surface, pattern and fabric designers for large corporations or small studios, while others create experimental knitwear, establish small production companies, produce performance pieces, make fine art, teach, curate, run galleries and more.
risd.edu/textiles
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I think I knew pretty early on that I wanted to do Industrial Design. What did you think you’d major in? Oswaldo
Coming from a lower-income high school, I wasn’t exposed to a lot of materials. I was a big painter—technical, observational, only oil paint…. So that’s the major I thought I would go into—until the required meetings they have for first-year students. Nancy
Oswaldo
Department presentations.
The Textiles presentation blew my mind. It seemed to offer what I love: a combination of science and studio practice. Growing up, I had these two very different interests that didn’t always seem to match. Nancy
I didn’t know what to expect from ID either because I never really did anything related to it in high school. Like, I didn’t make a lamp. That’s such a common thing that everyone seems to have done. Oswaldo
Nancy
Except for me. I’ve never made a lamp!
You should. It’s pretty fun.... To be honest, that’s a big reason why I came to RISD. I wanted to have fun—to be able to use a shop or studio and make something that I was happy with and proud of. What were you looking for? Oswaldo Chinchilla sophomore Ceramics + Industrial Design
Oswaldo
A new way of thinking, different processes. In Textiles you have to be very trusting of the machinery and the yarns that you’re working with. They have minds of their own and you’re like the enforcer. I didn’t know that I enjoyed a meticulous process, and like, the idea that yarn can be built up into a blanket that can be utilized. The versatility of the major is really important to me. Who did you talk to when you made your decision? I vividly remember who I talked to. Nancy
Oswaldo
Who?
My mom. I was a painter through-and-through and all of my emotions went into it and then I was like, “Mom, I think I’m gonna do something different.” [laughter] At first she was like, “What?” But then she said, “I trust you and you seem to have really thought about this.” Who did you talk to? Nancy
My professors. At first it was David Scanavino, my Design studio teacher in Experimental and Foundation Studies. Oswaldo
I think that’s important—being familiar with professors who can also encourage you. They see a broad overview of your work in their class. Can I ask you an Oswaldo-specific question? You’re a double major in Ceramics and ID. Most people have a hard enough time keeping up with one major, so what has the workload been like for you? Nancy
Oswaldo
Nancy
I think the fact that I’m really interested in what I’m doing helps a lot.
Do you find it difficult shifting between Ceramics and ID?
It’s been a strength to mix the two—and has produced some really unexpected outcomes. For an ID assignment this year, people came into class with concepts for potato peelers, computer keyboards…. I had three functional tea kettles. Oswaldo
Nancy
[laughter] Oh my goodness. Can you explain the assignment a bit more?
Yeah, so we were supposed to choose three objects: one from the Nature Lab, one from the RISD Museum and one from the Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology at Brown. We sketched them and came up with ideas for new objects inspired by the sketches. The professor was surprised…. He really loves tea, so the next class he brought in all these accessories for drinking tea. I was like, wow. Oswaldo
You bring out the best in people! So, I guess then my question is: Why was he surprised? Nancy
I think because he expected people to hand in concepts but because of Ceramics I was able to say: “Here’s a finished kettle!” So how did you decide on your concentration? Oswaldo
I ended up choosing Scientific Inquiry within History, Philosophy and the Social Sciences. I’d applied to other colleges in California (my home state) and I thought I’d double major in visual arts and biology. RISD was the only art school and only out-of-state school I applied to and I ended up choosing it because we do have serious liberal arts here. When I started looking into concentrations, I realized a lot of those classes are also design-thinking based. So far I’ve taken a comparative anatomy class and a class called Environmental Disasters and Design Solutions, and right now I’m taking Art and Science in the Modern Period and an optics class. Nancy
Oswaldo
So how do they connect with your work in Textiles?
In Environmental Disasters I developed this glacier blanket. There’s something called the albedo effect, where ice sheets reflect sunlight and actually make the ground cooler. But now because there’s less snow, the ground absorbs a lot more heat. My solution was a reflective blanket made of banana silk. In general I’m finding my studio work informs what I’m doing in liberal arts and liberal arts informs the work that I make in studio. And that’s essentially how the world works, right? Everything is intertwined and interdisciplinary. Nancy
Nancy Guerrero sophomore Textiles
“My studio work informs what I’m doing in liberal arts and liberal arts informs the work that I make in studio….. Everything is intertwined and interdisciplinary.”
Tools for making
From wood and metal shops to glass furnaces, glaze rooms and editing studios, RISD offers a range of specialized spaces to make art. Each of the 16 studio departments contains “home spaces” for majors, along with the specialized facilities and high-end equipment, software and peripherals used in various professions. Working with fellow students in the studio and with professors and technicians, you’ll master the use of both digital and manual tools and refine your making skills. In every department, faculty members emphasize the conceptual and visual principles behind the work being made—principles that will remain relatively constant regardless of how technologies change over time. By incorporating these principles into your own process of critical thinking and making, you’ll graduate ready to make meaningful work for the rest of your life.
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Brian Oakes • Sculpture
Kiro Xie • Graphic Design
Student work
Madeline Gibson • Painting
Mairi Millar • Jewelry + Metalsmithing
141
Zehua Wu • Apparel Design
Matthew Barbarino • Photography
Lucas Montenegro Poole • Textiles
143
Kaitlyn Cirielli • Ceramics
Wei-Ming Leong • Illustration
Aaron Teves • Architecture
Rebecca Flores-Vitti • Glass
Daphne Do • Furniture Design
145
Jessica Renzelman • Photography
Brianna DeLuca • Film/Animation/Video
Yiyi Wei • Glass
Kelly He • Interior Architecture
<Multiple intersecting links> • <Multiple intersecting links>
147
Maxwell McInnis • Furniture Design
Shaylie Woodhouse • Ceramics
Talia Connelly • Textiles Julia Vohl • Illustration
Zai Gray Rutter • Photography
149
Can Yang • Graphic Design
Xiaosu Yu • Industrial Design
Aerin Gradin • Printmaking
Xiaoyan (Josh) Ren • Architecture
Hannah S. Kim • Film/Animation/Video
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Kalil Grinberg and Caspar Nagel • Industrial Design
Lise Freitas • Furniture Design
Sam Koh • Painting Julianna Johnston • Sculpture
Anthony Anderson • Jewelry + Metalsmithing
Zharia Shinn • Illustration
Bryant Lui and Ashley Chen • Interior Architecture
153
Renee Yu Jin • Sculpture Jessica Kandar • Graphic Design
Pornmanie (Na) Snidvongs • Graphic Design
Claire E Harvey • Textiles
YongJin Jo • Architecture
155
Wesley McClain • Printmaking
Sasha Gordon • Painting
Chart your course
Beyond the studio Hilary Wang / BFA 14 Glass 1st year
2nd year
3rd year
fall First true New England fall.
fall Artist’s Ball!
winter Traveled to Japan to work
spring Started work-study at 2nd
winter Biked to RISD’s
Life (back when it was operating out of a shipping container).
Tillinghast Farm (9 miles out of the city). spring Decided to transfer into
the Glass department.
at the Toyama City Institute of Glass Art and learned about vending machines that automatically sort eggs. spring Ate first clam cake.
Nicole Buchanan / BFA 15 Photography 1st year
2nd year
3rd year
fall Bought first down coat and
spring Took neuroscience at
fall Became a resident advisor
snow boots in preparation for winter.
spring Challenged by making a
camera obscura out of cardboard. Failed the first time.
Brown.
summer Interned at Carl
Van Vechten Gallery at Fisk University. Assisted with West African artifact exhibit and archived the Stieglitz collection.
for Nickerson Hall. Traveled to Capetown with a class studying the history of slavery in Rhode Island, Haiti and South Africa. winter Interned for a wedding
photographer.
Barron Webster / BFA 16 Graphic Design 1st year
2nd year
3rd year
fall Made first performance art
winter Interned at DirecTV in
fall Took a course on propa-
winter Took a hot glass class.
spring Became a teaching
piece.
Loved the Hot Shop on the snowy nights; didn’t love the blisters. spring Discovered coffee
(working at Carr Haus)!
NYC as a product designer.
assistant (discovered teaching is harder than it looks). summer Interned on the Google
Maps team in California.
ganda and realized my degree could be used for nefarious purposes. spring Invited artist Rafaël
Rozendaal to speak at RISD.
4th year
After RISD
fall Applied for Arctic Circle
> Worked at Chrysler Museum
Residency.
winter Sledgehammered old
radiators in the snow for iron cast class. spring Traveled to Czech
Republic with classmates to visit glass factories.
of Art Glass Studio in Norfolk, VA. > Sailed along the coast of
Svalbard, Norway as part of the Arctic Circle Residency program.
fall Continued work on thesis,
> Had first solo show at Gallery
Kayafas (reviewed by The Boston Globe).
Kayafas (a gallery owner in Boston) at a RISD portfolio review, which led to representation at Gallery Kayafas.
> Selected works included in
4th year
After RISD
fall Interned with Metahaven in
> Started work at Google
spring Thesis! Made many books
> Have only been hit three times
Amsterdam.
while having existensial crises (it all turned out OK though).
> Became an associate at The
Clay Studio in Philadelphia.
the Vermont Studio Center.
After RISD
spring Showed work to Arlette
Workshop Museum in Philadelphia, PA (learned how to create large-scale silkscreen patterns).
> Was an artist in residence at
4th year The Skin Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m In.
> Apprenticed at the Fabric
gallery shows in Albany, NY and Atlanta, GA and at the Vermont Center for Photography.
Creative Lab in NYC.
since starting to commute by bike in NYC.
> Created an artist book with my
mother and grandmother (about our backyard) that was shown as part of 20 Collaborations in Book Art II at the Nashville [TN] Public Library. > Continuing to collaborate with
friends on an Instagram account that features our weekly hikes: @no.service.here.
> Made an open-source resource
for finding paid internships in NYC. > Started teaching interaction
design at the School of Visual Arts.
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When you explore the array of learning opportunities at RISD, your education becomes a journey thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unique, dynamic and engaged with the world.
“We value personal discovery through work—wherever your work might lead. For me, this makes the RISD experience enormously important and valuable.” Charlie Cannon Associate Professor of Industrial Design
Wintersession
163
For five weeks between the fall and spring semesters, RISD offers a change of pace. Wintersession encourages crossdisciplinary exploration and the pursuit of off-campus interests.
During Wintersession, you’ll learn alongside peers in other majors and explore new processes and perspectives. A Sculpture student may immerse herself in furniture design while an Architecture major experiments with the electronic Jacquard loom. Wintersession is also a time when faculty present innovative new offerings—from performance art workshops to targeted project research to travel-study options. While some students spend this time developing new skills and knowledge in highly focused studios or liberal arts classes, others intern in New York, Paris, Los Angeles or closer to campus. Small groups travel abroad for field studies in Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America. But whatever you choose to do during Wintersession, you’ll appreciate the opportunity between semesters to refresh your outlook and expand your creative reach.
risd.edu/wintersession
Concentrations Often interdisciplinary in nature, concentrations allow you to enrich your creative process beyond a chosen discipline, become a more nimble thinker and delve deep into a particular area of interest.
risd.edu/concentrations
Theory and History of Art and Design
Emphasizing history and theory as tools for critical thinking and critical making, the concentration in Theory and History of Art and Design (THAD) offers individual courses and customizable tracks that enrich and challenge studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; understanding of global practices in art and design. Concentrators also have the opportunity to engage in collaborative learning experiences through semester-long fellowships at the RISD Museum. Whether in classrooms, studios or at the museum, the THAD concentration prepares students to bridge history, theory and practice.
In the interdisciplinary Computation, Technology and Culture (CTC) concentration, students gain an understanding of the ideas and techniques of writing in programming languages while engaging with related critical analysis, history and theory. They hone the ability to write source code, create software and program machines for making works of art and design. As they gain knowledge in this area, students are able to move beyond being computer users constrained by proprietary software and become cultural producers and artist-programmers.
LIterary Arts and Studies
Students in the Literary Art and Studies (LAS) concentration may opt to focus on courses in literary history and traditions, critical theory and creative writing, postcolonial literatures and cultures, environmental humanities, race and gender or film and performance. Concentrators may take courses in as many of the areas covered by the department as possible or develop a personal course of study that allows for deeper exploration of a range of literary genres, periods and theoretical approaches.
165
Computation, Technology and Culture
History, Philosophy and the Social Sciences
Students who wish to complement their studio major with an in-depth study in the humanities and social sciences elect to pursue a concentration in History, Philosophy and the Social Sciences (HPSS). This enables them to explore the department’s course offerings while fulfilling Liberal Arts requirements in a way that is most meaningful to them. Working across the HPSS disciplines requires curiosity, excellent communication skills and the ability to bring together disparate methods and approaches.
“We want illustrators to work alongside designers, alongside glass majors.... The diverse experiences make the dialogue richer.” Masha Ryskin Associate Professor + Drawing Concentration Coordinator
Drawing
RISD’s newest concentration offers an opportunity for deep engagement with a key aspect of research here: the notion of drawing as speculation. Through studios highlighting its fundamental connection to innovation and discovery, students come to understand drawing as both a practice integral to all art and design disciplines and as an end in itself for the creation of resolved works of art. Students are encouraged to think critically about the history and evolving presence of drawing in the world and consider the evolution of their own work in this context.
167
Nature–Culture–Sustainability Studies
The interdisciplinary concentration in Nature–Culture–Sustainability Studies (NCSS) invites students to shape individualized courses of study focused on the environmental humanities and the interconnected phenomena of contemporary life. Through the 21-credit concentration, they pursue issues related to biomimicry, emerging technologies, global warming, hybridity and sustainability, among other options, while developing an informed planetary perspective and broad-based critical thinking and problemsolving skills.
name + major Yan Diego (Painting) from New York and the Dominican Republic favorite corner of RISD the Painting studio words of wisdom Don’t be afraid to be your own
name + major Minsoo (Brown|RISD Dual Degree:
name + major Renee (Sculpture) from Jinan, China weird studio ritual I hang everything on the wall. You
name + major Sebastien (Industrial Design) from France favorite tool/material/process Metal! Milling and
name + major William (Apparel Design) from Philadelphia, PA favorite corner of RISD the Admissions Office with $20 + some free time in PVD I’d save the $20 and
name + major Nina (Painting) from Cleveland, OH RISD clubs, etc The Equestrian Club! We ride horses
creative self—you’re at RISD. what does the future hold? Big things…big things.
never know when images will interact with each other. trait I admire in a classmate active, good energy words of wisdom Develop a practice, don’t just make work.
go to the RISD Museum. my workspace is clean, organized, ready
Applied Math + Painting ) from Seoul, South Korea and Birmingham, AL RISD clubs, etc. RISD STEAM, Better World by Design recent read The Paper Menagerie by Ken Liu artist(s) of interest Im Heung-Soon what does the future hold? Creating unlikely coalitions, questioning first principles.
turning...lathes are too cool. trait I admire in a classmate investment in projects/ deep interest in others what does the future hold? (Chaos or war) or progress. Spaceships. Cyborgs.... I’ve said too much.
once a week.
trait I admire in a classmate They breathe and live for
making what they love. That’s like…the entire RISD community. what does the future hold? A semester abroad? Rome? Dublin?
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name + major Emily (Textiles) from Clifton Park, NY favorite tool/material/process my knitting machine and
name + major Fabiola (Graphic Design) from Miami, FL with $20 + free time in PVD I’d go roller skating or go
artist(s) of interest Hope Gangloff and Ernesto Neto words of wisdom Nothing fun happens after 2 am.
favorite tool/material/process Green screen! what does the future hold? We can never know, but
mohair
name + major Jaeyong (Industrial Design) from Seoul, South Korea and Tenafly, NJ RISD clubs, etc. Public Relations officer with RISD’s
Industrial Design Student Association (IDSA) artist(s) of interest RISD grad Barron Webster at Google Creative Lab trait I admire in a classmate Being extremely passionate about what they do.
name + major Linnea (Painting) from London, England artist(s) of interest Louis Fratino, RISD alum Cheyenne
Julien
material of the moment Galkyd (a painting medium) trait I admire in a classmate honesty and humor what does the future hold? I’m going to NYC to keep
painting.
to Savers.
that’s amazing.
name + major Desiree (Apparel Design) from Brooklyn, NY recent read Difficult Women by Roxane Gay artist(s) of interest Virgil Abloh! He’s an amazing
designer and it’s incredibly inspiring to see him, as a black man, leading Louis Vuitton. trait I admire in a classmate integrity
name + major Ozomatli (Brown|RISD Dual Degree:
Library Arts + Furniture Design) from Minneapolis, MN favorite corner of RISD 187 Benefit Street garage words of wisdom Save up $$$ for supplies/materials. what does the future hold? sunshine naps
As neighbors on College Hill, RISD and Brown University share a historic and highly collaborative relationship.
Since artists and designers draw inspiration from a wide range of sources, the opportunity to cross-register for courses at Brown at no extra cost is especially welcomed (Brown students are able to do the same at RISD). RISD’s dynamic Liberal Arts program is designed to elevate and complement your art and design education, and the scope of Brown’s course offerings—from foreign language to computer science, math and urban studies—allows you to further engage in subjects of particular interest to you. Beyond the classroom you’ll have ready access to Brown’s libraries and athletic facilities. Lectures, concerts, performances and special events open to students from both campuses present exciting opportunities to collaborate and build community.
Brown|RISD Dual Degree Program
RISD and Brown offer a dual degree program for exceptionally motivated students who want to integrate a broad range of academic and artistic interests. This undergraduate program, which requires a separate application and acceptance by both institutions, combines the rigorous programs and unique resources of each institution and enables students to earn both a Bachelor of Arts (AB) degree from Brown and a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree from RISD in five years.
ȸȸ Heritage in the Metropolis
ȸȸ Biology of Hearing
ȸȸ History of Central America
ȸȸ Collaborative Robotics
ȸȸ Intermediate Modern Greek
ȸȸ Computers, Freedom and Privacy
ȸȸ Introduction to Engineering
ȸȸ Dance Composition
ȸȸ Japan’s Floating World
ȸȸ Design of Space Systems
ȸȸ Late Plato
ȸȸ Entrepreneurial Process
ȸȸ Old-Time String Band
ȸȸ Henry James Goes to the Movies
ȸȸ Postcolonial Horror
RISD
Brown
Selected RISD courses taken by Brown students ȸȸ Architectural Projection
ȸȸ Fabricating Urbanity
ȸȸ Art of Communicating Science
ȸȸ Green Urbanism
ȸȸ Botany in the Kitchen
ȸȸ Paleography
ȸȸ Ceramic Form and Surface
ȸȸ Performance on the internet
ȸȸ Critical Curating
ȸȸ Reframing the Poster
ȸȸ Computer Utopias
ȸȸ Speak, Memory: Paint as Memoir
ȸȸ Desiging the Cosmos
ȸȸ Urgency Lab
ȸȸ Experiments in Optics
ȸȸ VR for Palliative Care
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Selected Brown courses taken by RISD students ȸȸ Anthropology of Food
Through immersion in an unfamiliar culture, you’ll discover fresh ways of seeing, connect your learning to broader contexts and grow as a global citizen.
RISD and the world Given our increasingly connected world, it’s more important than ever that creative thinkers pay close attention to global developments and understand how to communicate across cultures. If you choose to pursue an experience abroad, you’ll find support from RISD Global. This hub for discourse and cross-cultural literacy is dedicated to reciprocal exchanges of ideas and practices through immersive learning experiences. Whether you travel to study a specialized craft during Wintersession, enroll as an exchange student at a highly regarded art school abroad or intern overseas during the summer, you’ll discover how exciting and inspiring the world can be when you open your imagination to everything it has to offer.
RISD in Rome
RISD’s longstanding European Honors Program (EHP) in Rome offers an intensive experience abroad for highly motivated students interested in working on independent and experimental studio projects. Led by RISD faculty members and visiting critics, this full-semester experience allows for in-depth study of the art, design, history and culture of this vibrant city. RISD Global Exchange
RISD also offers exchange programs with over 40 partner schools in Asia, Europe and Latin America. The experience allows students to remain in their discipline but pursue their studies from a completely different cultural perspective.
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Recent global learning opportunities include (Wintersession and summer courses) ȸȸ Australia: Witness Tree Project
ȸȸ Italy: Illustratring Dante’s Inferno
ȸȸ Azores: Walk + Work with Wood
ȸȸ Japan: Papermaking and Puppet Theater
ȸȸ Berlin: Theater of Public Memory
ȸȸ Mexico: Color, Mestizaje and Design Futures
ȸȸ Denmark: Danish Design Workshop
ȸȸ Morocco: Crafting the CIty
ȸȸ France: Photography in Paris
ȸȸ Portugal: Material Practices
ȸȸ Guyana: Exploring the Art and Science of Biodiversity
ȸȸ South Africa: Art and Science of Conservation
Dennis Could
I just ask you: what has your favorite project been this year? That’s such a general question, but I’m curious. Yasemin I’m
doing an independent study this semester...I’m making a documentary about Sri Lanka. Dennis Oh
right, yeah.
Yasemin I
wanted to get out of Providence for Wintersession. So I found a course going to Sri Lanka, called Northern Visions. I wanted to go, but I wanted to do something that would make sense, because I’m not in Textiles, and I’m not in Architecture. I was the only filmmaker going on the trip. So, what could I do? I thought, OK, I’m gonna take a camera. Dennis Good,
good.
Yasemin So
I took the camera and I went. I didn’t really know anything about doing interviews but I learned a lot from practice, by trying to just ...behave like a kid, you know? Like, OK, what am I shooting now? Why am I shooting this? When I started doing interviews, there was a funny moment when I ran out of questions. I was honest and said, “I am out of questions, so I’m going to change the position of the camera.” [laughter] I literally said this to the person I was interviewing! And the person, who is the head of a mission there, completely embraced that. He was like, “OK.” I took a breath, he took a breath, and we continued.
“You’re saying you’d never done something of that caliber before, but you learned so much in the process. I also think we’re never done learning.”
Dennis Amazing. Yasemin I
was so anxious about these moments, but now I can see how much I learned and that’s why it has become my favorite project. When I got home I was like, “OK, I’m going to do a documentary with all this footage, because I have a lot.” And I do—I have, like, 180 gigabytes.
Dennis Krawec sophomore Industrial Design
Dennis Oh
my goodness! I want to see it.
Yasemin I’ll
hopefully have a screening. For me, as an artist coming out of RISD, I want to be able to spot problems and say, “Look at that. Did you know about that?” Dennis You
want to bring things to light.
Yasemin Yeah.
I am certainly on the hunt for stuff that is not known, stuff that is overlooked, stuff that is unjust. I have that justice/peace side of me.
Dennis I
get that.
Yasemin That
would be my parameter for success—if I am able to tell the stories that fascinate me, and tell them well, you know? I should be able to respectfully, authentically tell stories to other people in a way that will interest and fascinate them. Dennis That’s
awesome...there’s that idea that you just throw yourself into it—you’re saying you’d never done something of that caliber before, but you learned so much in the process...I also think we’re never done learning. Your peers often know things that you don’t and you know things that they don’t. It’s this dialogue where you help them, they help you. It influences you, you gain much more knowledge. For example—yesterday, actually—someone was like, “I know you do a lot of soft goods and I’ve never used a sewing machine. Do you think you could show me how to use one?” It’s like, “Of course, totally.” Then a couple weeks ago I didn’t know how to cut blue foam. And someone was like, “Oh, you use the hot wire in the shop.” It’s so vital to have all these different people around you in the making space. They have things to bring to the table, to the meal that we’re all having. Like, they bring this dish, and you bring this dessert, you know? Everyone just kind of feasts together and ends up full and happy and not hungry [laughter]. That’s my analogy, we’re all—RISD’s just one big feast. Yasemin I
think that’s because it’s lunchtime and you’re hungry [laughter].
Dennis [laughter] Yasemin We’re
RISD’s just one big meal, and we’re all just...
all, like, cooking together and eating together.
Dennis We’re
all cooking, and some meals will catch on fire and will have to be thrown out. Yasemin It’s
so true.
Dennis Some
meals will be delicious. Some meals will be spicy. Some meals—you know, maybe they’re getting there, but they still need—they’re missing something. They’re missing that ingredient.
Dennis That
are missing that herb.
herb, [laughter] yeah.
Yasemin That
herb, those oregano leaves.
Dennis They’re
know.
Yasemin I
missing something. Will they find it by graduation? I don’t
don’t know, either.
Dennis It’s
up to us. It’s up to the chefs.
Yasemin Orhan sophomore Film / Animation / Video
Yasemin They
Research at RISD Through partnered research projects both on and off campus, you’ll engage in rigorous inquiry and experimentation across disciplines.
RISD studios are naturally full of experimentation—whether in the form of materials research, process investigations or collaborative problem solving. As growing numbers of businesses, nonprofits and governmental agencies recognize the strategic importance of design thinking and the humanistic value of art, RISD is committed to forging new connections that enable organizations to collaborate across all levels of our creative community, engaging undergraduates, graduate students and faculty alike. By addressing design challenges and considering practical applications through such partnerships, you’ll get a new appreciation for where—and just how much—your work can make a difference in the world at large.
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RISD has partnered with ȸȸ Chronicle Books
ȸȸ National Science Foundation
ȸȸ IBM
ȸȸ Nike
ȸȸ Infosys
ȸȸ Saint-Gobain
ȸȸ The LEGO Foundation
ȸȸ Samsung
ȸȸ NASA
ȸȸ Southside Community Land Trust
ȸȸ National Park Service
ȸȸ Supima
Expand your inquiry
Co-Works
Gain experience with advanced tools and technologies that support interdisciplinary experimentation. In Co-Works, an interdisciplinary research lab for the entire RISD community, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll get the chance to explore new and emerging technologies. This unique learning space invites students in all departments to experiment, research and collaborate through and beyond the standard curriculum. The selection of advanced digital and traditional making technologies housed in Co-Works includes 3D printers, 3D scanners, a range of CNC equipment, laser cutters, vacuum formers, embroidery and knitting machines, industrial sewing machines, foam cutters, UV and largeformat printers and more. Co-Works also hosts seminars, studio courses and special research projects undertaken by faculty and graduate students. Created to support and enhance cross-disciplinary learning, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an ideal space for deep exploration of concepts and topics unencumbered by departmental boundaries.
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Fleet Library at RISD Make new discoveries through resources and collections designed to engage visual artists. A fascinating collection of books, periodicals, objects, images and digital materials, the college’s physical and virtual libraries are anchored at the Fleet Library at RISD. This former banking hall on the National Register of Historic Places has been transformed by a RISD alumnus into a contemporary center for research in art and design. Staffed by experts and well loved by students, the facility is an awardwinning example of adaptive reuse. What’s in the library? ȸȸ Ready access to a team of expert librarians and classes on research and discovery ȸȸ Circulating collection of more than 155,000 books in open stacks made for browsing ȸȸ Subscriptions to more than 320 international art, design and cultural magazines and 800 e-journals ȸȸ Archives and Special Collections (including rare books, files, artifacts, along with 2,000 artists’ books, objects and zines) ȸȸ Picture Collection (a half million printed images, including “clippings” filed by subject) ȸȸ The Visual + Material Resource Center (including a circulating materials collection of over 34,000 samples including metals, glass, wood, tiles, textiles, plastics and composites) ȸȸ Specialized databases ȸȸ “Living room” space for reading, chatting, gathering—especially for the 500 students living in the residence hall above
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Center for Arts & Language
Understanding that artists and designers have a lot to say about many subjects, RISDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Center for Arts & Language helps you gain skills in writing, speaking and visual communication. Tutors support the development of strategies for academic, professional and public communication projects (from artist talks to blog posts). Overall, the Center advances multilingual learning, research and programming at the busy intersection of words and images.
What’s in the Nature Lab? ȸȸ NSF-funded Biodesign Makerspace designed by RISD students
ȸȸ Dozens of dissecting and compound microscopes for exploring microorganisms and cell structure
ȸȸ Collection of 80,000 live and preserved animals, including insects, birds, fish, reptiles and mammals
ȸȸ Tanks full of aquatic life
ȸȸ Phenom G2 Pro Scanning Electron Microscope ȸȸ Shells, minerals, plants and seed pods
ȸȸ Models of hundreds of polyhedra and twodimensional patterns ȸȸ Field equipment including salinity meters, soil augers, butterfly nets and a beach seine
Explore the connections between biology, art and design in a unique studio-lab setting. From Foundation year on, you’ll have ready access to the Edna W. Lawrence Nature Lab, where you can analyze the structure of a mineral, sketch a rare specimen, observe floating jellyfish and use a compound microscope to see what’s contained in a single raindrop. The Nature Lab offers unmediated access to authentic natural history specimens, while also fostering creative inquiry into biomimetics, biophilic design, ecology and climate change. By looking closely at the dynamics of the natural world, you’ll experience the power of observation and make fascinating connections to your own work.
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Nature Lab
“If I wanted to take advantage of all the resources here— the museum, the Material Resource Center, the Nature Lab, the research opportunities—I would never be able to sleep.” David Katz Critic, Ceramics
RISD Museum Study the evolution of art and design and work closely with world masterpieces.
With a collection of 100,000 objects—from ancient to contemporary art—the RISD Museum is an amazing interdisciplinary resource for the entire community. You’ll have the chance to work directly with curators of various collections and get inside access to incredible works of art and design—researching and studying pieces that aren’t on view in the public galleries. Few other art and design schools can match the size, scope, quality and educational programming of the RISD Museum, which is also a popular destination for the regional public.
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What’s at the museum? ȸȸ Frequently changing special and traveling exhibitions (recent exhibitions include Repair and Design Futures and The Phantom of Liberty) ȸȸ Opening parties, workshops, music and other special events ȸȸ Special collections of 20th-century design, Impressionist paintings and Latin American art
ȸȸ Internship, fellowship and work-study opportunities ȸȸ Alumni-designed Café Pearl ȸȸ Six curatorial departments: Ancient Art, Contemporary Art, Costume and Textiles, Decorative Arts and Design, Painting and Sculpture, Prints, Drawings and Photographs
ȸȸ Classes to introduce first-year students to the collections
risdmuseum.org
events.risd.edu
Show your work and discover the creative currents running through RISD’s community of artists and designers.
Exhibitions and openings are a key part of RISD’s educational and social fabric. Galleries on campus dedicated to student work offer exciting curatorial opportunities as well as occasions to present work to the general public. The Gelman Student Exhibitions Gallery + Dryfoos Gallery for New Media in the RISD Museum invite students in any major to propose group shows. You’ll also participate in department-specific exhibitions in the WoodsGerry House.
Open Studios
To help everyone see the breadth of work being produced at RISD, both undergraduate and graduate students host coordinated Open Studios once a semester. During these fun, casual evening events students invite peers and faculty into their workspaces to share and discuss works in progress, turning the entire campus into a high-energy, cross-disciplinary critique.
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Student exhibitions
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Feel at home
The community you and your peers create in the studio will grow and thrive in the spaces on campus designed to help you feel a little more at home. Developed with the needs of student artists in mind, RISD housing offers large rooms and good work areas for developing projects. As a first-year student you’ll enjoy the spirit of shared community that’s fostered in the Quad, a cluster of four connected, gender-inclusive residence halls. And you’ll get to know your classmates better through a range of fun activities and events organized by resident advisors (RAs) and Advocates for Inclusion in Residence (AIRs). Students also enjoy relaxing and spending time together at various dining spots on campus. Offering a range of good, locally sourced food (with vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options), they include the student-run Carr Haus Café and The Met, RISD’s central dining facility.
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Campus support services include ȸȸ Academic Advising
ȸȸ Intercultural Student Engagement
ȸȸ Center for Arts & Language
ȸȸ Office of International Student Services
ȸȸ Center for Student Involvement
ȸȸ Public Safety
ȸȸ Counseling and Psychological Services
ȸȸ Social Equity and Inclusion
ȸȸ Disability Support Services
ȸȸ Student Employment
ȸȸ Health Services
ȸȸ Student Financial Services
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You won’t be alone as you learn to balance work with life outside the studio. From tutors to counselors, members of RISD’s passionate support staff are dedicated to helping you make the most of your experience. Whether your needs are academic or related to health and wellness, you can count on reliable, confidential guidance and support. The individuals in RISD’s community represent diverse identities and backgrounds. Students of color account for 32% of the student body and those from abroad represent 36%. Both RISD and Brown have active LGBTQQ communities. The offices of Intercultural Student Engagement (ISE) and Social Equity and Inclusion (SEI) foster a welcoming, inclusive environment that enables all members of RISD’s unique arts community to thrive.
name + major Lily (Film/Animation/Video) from Birmingham, AL recent read Modern Romance by Aziz Ansari words of wisdom Don’t pack too much stuff, take some
name + major Gabriel (Illustration) from Chicago, IL RISD clubs, etc. The College Hill Independent (a RISD/
name + major Bea (Furniture Design) from Brooklyn, NY favorite corner of RISD First Baptist Church lawn favorite tool/material/process Pulling up the paper
name + major Krissy (Brown|RISD Dual Degree:
name + major Ali (Film/Animation/Video) from Texas, Pakistan and New Jersey RISD clubs, etc. I raised some beautiful little birds with
name + major Ana (Furniture Design) from Westchester, NY artist(s) of interest Tijmen Smeulders my workspace is Trying desperately to be organized. favorite tool/material/process table saw
deep breaths and just jump in! Also, invest in some good headphones… what does the future hold? Hopefully a job.
after you run a copperplate through the press. words of wisdom Wood moves.
the Pigeon Club. my workspace is tall, colorful, dope words of wisdom Take some time to freak out once in a while—it’s good to let it out.
Brown publication) words of wisdom You are people first, students second, artists third. Therefore, your health comes first, growth second, making “good work” third.
Gender Studies + Film/Animation/Video) from Northshore Boston area favorite spot on campus Carr Haus weird studio ritual Playing Sims on the projector. words of wisdom It’s OK to fail...failing is part of learning.
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name + major Kiera (Textiles) from Kansas City, MO RISD clubs, etc. I’m a resident advisor. with $20 + free time in PVD I’d see some great local
name + major Ivan (Painting) from Los Angeles, CA RISD clubs, etc. RISD Exposé weird studio ritual hourly instant coffee words of wisdom Make friends you can work with.
name + major Malaika (Textiles) from Tanzania and Washington, DC artist(s) of interest Kerry James Marshall and Vic
name + major Lizzie (Photography) from Providence, RI trait I admire in a classmate The ability to be wrong favorite tool/material/process Silly Putty recent read To a God Unknown by John Steinbeck
punk bands—shout out to the Downtown Boys! recent read The Hearing Trumpet by Leonora Carrington
Mensa
what does the future hold? Phenomenal cosmic
powers…itty bitty living space.
name + major Tyler (Architecture) from Fairhaven, MD RISD clubs, etc. RISD Exhibitionists, RISD Jalwa,
Brown-RISD Catholic Community recent read We the Animals by Justin Torres my workspace is very “Tyler”
name + major Yulia (Illustration) from Russia secret talent I make great cat sounds. artist(s) of interest Giacometti, Vuillard, Bonnard words of wisdom Convince professors to let you do
what you want and make it GREAT.
Clubs at RISD are as unique as the students who launch and get involved in them. Organized with support from the Center for Student Involvement, extracurricular options are a great way to connect with friends, explore your interests and contribute to the creative atmosphere at RISD. Club activities— from gallery openings to design competitions, craft sales to global food celebrations—will keep you busy throughout the year. And whether you’re showing off your costume at the Artist Ball or celebrating the arrival of spring on a sod-covered Benefit Street at the RISD/Brown Lawn Party, you’ll enjoy getting into the spirit of RISD’s annual traditions.
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Arts, athletic and special interest clubs include ȸȸ Brown-RISD Game Developers
ȸȸ RISD Balls (basketball team)
ȸȸ Concept Art Club
ȸȸ RISD Beekeeping
ȸȸ Food Lab
ȸȸ RISD Cycling
ȸȸ Garden Club
ȸȸ RISD Exhibitionists (theater club)
ȸȸ Pleinhares
ȸȸ Sunset Club
ȸȸ Puppet Club/Alternative Media
ȸȸ Wilderness Club
Professional interest clubs include ȸȸ A Better World by Design ȸȸ American Institute of Architecture Students ȸȸ Design for America ȸȸ Design Guild ȸȸ Design to Compete ȸȸ RISD E’ship (entrepreneurship club) ȸȸ RISD Quickies (student-led workshops) ȸȸ RISD STEAM
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Outreach and service programs include
Community and cultural organizations include
ȸȸ Alternative Spring Break
ȸȸ Black Artists and Designers (BAAD)
ȸȸ Leadership and Community Engagement program (LACE)
ȸȸ Made in Taiwan
ȸȸ MLK Day of Service ȸȸ Pre-Orientation Service Experience (POSE) ȸȸ Project Open Door
ȸȸ Queer Student Association ȸȸ RISD Feminists ȸȸ RISD Russian Student Association ȸȸ United Muslim Artists and Designers
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Many students are dedicated builders of communities beyond campusâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;both in Providence and the larger world. From bringing RISDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s approach to art education to local schools to getting involved in sustainability projects, students are invested in elevating and improving their surroundings. Initiatives include the Pre-Orientation Service Experience (POSE), an intensive five-day program for incoming students, and the Leadership and Community Engagement (LACE) program, a full-year volunteer commitment connecting students to the greater Providence community. These service-oriented programs empower you to use art and design to make a difference in the world and encourage your sustained engagement after graduation. At RISD youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find that opportunities for off-campus involvement are varied, inspiring and impactful.
RISD’s campus is located in historic downtown Providence, the “Creative Capital” of Rhode Island. From the exceptional craftsmanship of the Industrial Revolution to the underground noise rock scene of the 1990s, the city is built on a rich and diverse legacy of artistic experimentation. Affordable and conveniently located, Providence is a great place for young artists to call home. You’ll be as inspired by the vibrant mix of galleries, theaters and architecture as you are by the natural beauty of Narragansett Bay. And there’s a lot to like about the pace and scale of the city—it’s small and urban, easy to work in and to get around. Its proximity to both New York and Boston means you’ll have even greater access to worldclass art and design experiences and opportunities.
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Providence has its perks ȸȸ Three colleges within a one-mile radius (RISD, Brown and Johnson & Wales) and five in total ȸȸ A small, urban scale that’s extremely walkable (with a riverfront park running through the heart of RISD’s campus) ȸȸ Nearby beaches (including Tillinghast Farm, RISD’s private property on Narragansett Bay) and not-too-distant mountains
ȸȸ A network of protected bike paths, plus beautiful parks and public spaces (many hosting weekly farmers’ markets) ȸȸ A wealth of independently owned shops, eclectic arts organizations and restaurants ȸȸ Trains and busses that can get you to Boston in an hour or New York in just over three hours
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Make the future
RISD graduates go on to work at Adobe Alexander Wang Apple Calvin Klein Cartoon Network Cheim & Read Chronicle Books Coach Continuum Converse Cooper Hewitt CreativeMornings Curious Department of State Design for America Discovery Education Dreamworks Facebook Foster+Partners Gensler Google Creative Lab Harmonix Hasbro IBM Design IDEO Kohler LAIKA Landor Associates Library of Congress littleBits Lotuff Leather Maharam Maya Lin Studio Microsoft NASA National Park Service New York Times Nike Owings & Merrill Panasonic Avionic Payette Pentagram Philips Healthcare Pixar Reebok Scientific American Skidmore College Smithsonian Sony Music Stanford University SYPartners Target Todd Oldham Studio Vice Media Whitney Museum Wieden+Kennedy Williams-Sonoma Ximedica Yale University YouTube ZGF Architects Zynga... They create studios, projects and startups like 2Ă&#x2014;4 Airbnb Anderson3 Artolution AVO Ben & Aja Blanc Big Nazo Lab Calico Wallpaper CDR Studio Clever Coral & Tusk Court Street
Studio Dear Human DEGEN Devore Fidelity DownCity Design Egg Collective Estes/Twombly Architects Felt+Fat Good Thing HAWRAF Heath Ceramics High Gloss Hungry Increment K-Hole Kore Swim Light + Ladder Lightning Bolt Lindsey Adelman Studio Lit Motors Meow Wolf Mighty Oak Nemo Equipment O&G Studio Oyster Pneuhaus Rich Brilliant Willing Running Man Salad for President Small Stuff Soapbox Studio DUNN Studio Endo Technology Will Save Us Tellart Toqa The Steel Yard The Weaving Mill Tranqui Prints Uhuru Visibility Morcos Key Wassaic Project WWAKE Workstead Work-Shop Zest Books... They are being recognized with Academy awards Eisner awards Emmy awards AIGA Medals American Academy of Arts & Letters awards American Institute of Architects awards Art Directors Club Young Guns MacArthur ‘genius’ grants Forbes 30 Under 30 Guggenheim fellowships National Book Critics Circle awards National Design awards National Endowment for the Arts grants Pulitzer prizes...
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Grocers Creative Action Network David Weeks
Career Center
Whether you’re looking for a great internship, an inspiring post-grad fellowship or the first job of your dreams, the RISD Career Center is ready to help.
By working one-on-one with career counselors over the course of your education, you’ll be able to envision the life you want to lead and use the connections you’ve made at RISD to get there. As counselors get to know you, they’ll connect you with everything from online tools and workshops to seminars and portfolio reviews. RISD actively supports entrepreneurship through workshops and events such as Mindshare, where you can hear from alumni and other professionals about what it takes to run a successful creative business. Partnerships with companies that fuel creative startups—including Etsy, Kickstarter and the online portfolio platform Behance—help you better understand the tools and resources available to promote your work and ideas.
Postgraduate fellowships
Students interested in applying for postgraduate fellowships receive guidance from the Career Center. Among art schools, RISD is ranked the highest Fulbright producer with more that 87 alumni awardees to date. Additional opportunities for graduates are supported by prestigious companies such as the NYC-based design studio Maharam, which supports STEAM fellowships in Applied Art and Design. Portfolio review
Many students find internships and receive job offers by attending the Career Center’s annual portfolio reviews. Attracting compelling agencies, galleries, studios, and companies from around the US and beyond, reviews are a great opportunity for you to network with potential employers and gain experience speaking about your work in a professional context.
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2,771 2,153 career opportunities posted
advising appointments
644
153
students attending portfolio reviews
companies attending portfolio reviews
9,730 alumni group members on LinkedIn
2018 figures from RISD Career Center
“At RISD ‘creativity’ and ‘innovation’ are more than just buzzwords. They’re like a mantra, demanding that
we combine our ideas and passions to make meaningful work. The world desperately needs what our alumni do.â&#x20AC;? Rosanne Somerson RISDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s president + an alumna
artist / MacArthur Fellow
In 2015 when Nicole Eisenman [87 elemental. It’s oil and rock… so it has a kind Painting] got a phone call out of the of life force to it that’s infinite. It’s so much blue saying she had earned a coveted like us.” MacArthur “genius grant,” she became Given the strides made in the past the 10th RISD graduate to be validated decade around same-sex marriage and with this life-changing award. While LGBTQQ rights in the US, Eisenman the MacArthur Foundation’s $625,000 feels her earlier political work shifting in investment in her future—paid out over response to current conversations focused five years—has allowed for upgrades like on race, class, guns and violence. But the addition of a studio assistant, mostly it as in the past, she continues to grapple has given her “an extra boost of confidence with questions of difference and diversity, to go forth and do what I’ve been trying to especially as they relate to privilege. do my whole life.” “That’s where I want the focus of my work For the accomplished artist, that to be,” she says. “There, and on trans means continuing to create compelling politics as well.” visual narratives about contemporary life. In 2019 Eisenman’s work was Making abundant use of satire and allegory featured in both the Venice Biennale and (her 2016 solo show at the New Museum the Whitney Biennial. In the latter, her was titled Al-ugh-ories), Eisenman tour-de-force sculptural figures were explores issues of gender, race and power singled out by The New York Times’ in paintings that combine surprising colors, Holland Cotter as “embody[ing] the inventive textures and telling details. exhibition’s history conjuring, identityThough she also makes prints, expanding, form-scrambling tendencies.” drawings and sculpture, the BrooklynShe was among eight artists who later based artist continues to be drawn to the withdrew from the show in protest of “visceral quality of painting,” noting that military-supply mogul Warren Kander when her eye and hand connect with paint serving as a member of the Whitney’s and canvas, it’s magical. “Paint has so much board of trustees, an act that spurred his life in it,” Eisenman says. “Oil paint is resignation.
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Nicole Eisenman
Tavares Strachan, artist
Tavares Strachan [03 Glass] continually seeks to unsettle the idea of place as a set of boundaries in his work. When representing his home country of the Bahamas at the 2013 Venice Biennale, he presented a multisensory installation documenting his voyage to retrace a 1909 expedition to the North Pole. Strachan, winner of the 2018 Frontier Art Prize and a 2019/20 artist-in-residence at the Getty Research Institute, pursues scientific ideas in art and has collaborated with everyone from MIT scientists to specialists at a Russian space mission training facility. His work is featured in May You Live in Interesting Times, the 2019 Venice Biennale.
A community that Michael Maltzan, architect
Since founding his practice in 1995, Los Angeles-based architect Michael Maltzan [BArch 85] has designed a number of housing complexes for the homeless, believing that the poor should benefit from good design as much as the rich. The recipient of a 2012 American Academy of Arts and Letters Award and 2016 AIA Gold Medal, he designs homes, art centers, public housing complexes and landscapes to stimulate and engage users. Maltzan and his team have embraced commissions for LAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Inner-City Arts campus as readily as for Michael Ovitzâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Beverly Hills villa. He is also the design architect for the Sixth Street Viaduct in LA, a new bridge and urban park that foresees a multimodal future for the city.
Katie Stout [12 Furniture Design] upends conventional notions about form and function using a style she dubs “naïve pop.” Represented by R & Company, the Brooklyn-based artist and designer makes flamboyant homegoods and colorful sculptural objects out of unexpected materials. In 2015 Stout won the first season of Ellen’s Design Challenge on HGTV and in 2017 she was named to Forbes’ 30 under 30 list of talented young artists and designers. Speaking about RISD, she says, “My professors’ support and insights gave me the courage to pursue my voice, allowing me to recast domestic objects in a way that is both absurd and functional.”
creates new paths Marly Gallardo, illustrator
NYC-based illustrator Marly Gallardo [15 Illustration] creates conceptually driven artwork that has gained international recognition for its distinctive perspective and palette. Counting Apple, Netflix, The New York Times, the United Nations, Wired and Warby Parker among her clients, she documents her daily progress on both commissioned work and personal projects via Instagram (@marlygallardo) and cites the social media platform as a pivotal launchpad for her career. Gallardo, who was born in Ecuador and has won honors from American Illustration and Latin American Ilustración, considers her bicultural upbringing to be a strong influence on her work.
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Katie Stout, artist/designer
Ryan Cunningham, film/TV producer
As co-owner of the NYC-based studio Running Man, Ryan Cunningham [02 Film/Animation/Video] collaborates with filmmakers, showrunners and comedians— including Amy Schumer, Tracy Morgan and John Mulaney—on high-profile projects. She consults on scripts, works on set during shooting and oversees everything from editing and visual effects to music and sound design. “At RISD I was exposed to every element of film production and post-production,” says Cunningham, “and that knowledge helps me tremendously now.” With Netflix, HBO and Adult Swim among her many clients, she also frequently partners with emerging directors on independent films, including recent winners at the Los Angeles and Tribeca film festivals.
Shepard Fairey, artist/activist
For more than 25 years, Shepard Fairey [92 Illustration] has critiqued and shaped popular culture through guerrilla art campaigns of global proportions. In addition to the OBEY Giant street art project he began while at RISD, he is known for his powerful Women’s March posters from 2017 and his ubiquitous 2008 Hope poster of Barack Obama, which is included in the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery collection. Fairey, whose fine art work is shown at museums throughout the US and abroad, also runs a clothing company called OBEY and works in the commercial realm through his LA-based creative agency Studio Number One.
Max Frieder [12 Painting] continues to find his own sense of purpose in the world’s most troubled hotspots, working to restore hope—and even joy—to children and families in crisis. Through Artolution, the nonprofit he started while still at RISD, he partners with grassroots organizations around the world to provide underserved communities and refugees—including the Rohingya fleeing persecution in Myanmar—with the “psychosocial support” available through drawing, painting and making murals together. “Even people who have suffered serious trauma and displacement have an inherent need and thirst for fun,” says Frieder, who’s also pursuing an EdD in Art & Education at Columbia.
Angela Guzman, designer
In 2008, the year before completing her second degree at RISD, Angela Guzman [06 Industrial Design/MFA 09 Graphic Design] co-created Apple’s first 500 emoji while working there as a summer intern. In developing so many of the tiny icons that dominate our digital landscape, the Industrial Design and Graphic Design alumna credits “RISD’s emphasis on process and attention to detail” with helping her push the project beyond expectations. Now based in California, Guzman admits she had “no idea” how much emoji would “revolutionize our culture’s way of communicating.” She has since worked at Apple and Airbnb, and is now a UI/UX designer at Google.
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Max Frieder, arts activist
Finding my way
For most alumni the road to a fulfilling creative career includes a few unexpected detours along the way. Jerrelle Guy [12 Illustration] narrates and illustrates the twists and turns that led her to launch a food blog and write a cookbook that are attracting a lot of attention. Senior year at RISD 2011–12
»»I enroll in the European Honors Program (EHP) in Rome (and become the first person in my family to get a passport!). I feel homesick, but distract myself with Italian pastries,
architecture and dinner parties I organize at the Cenci (the 16th-century palazzetto that’s home to EHP). »»Another EHP student tells a story about her “horrible” experience as a food styling intern. My ears perk up. What’s a food stylist?
»»I graduate and move to Dallas.
2013 »»I’m finally hired as Rusty’s production assistant/studio manager and shadow all the food stylists that come into his studio. »»I meet Eric, a vegetarian who inspires me, and we start dating. I show him how good vegetarian food can taste. »»Beyoncé’s EP drops and becomes my official theme music. 2014 »»I find out about the graduate program in Gastronomy at Boston University. It doesn’t seem real... a class called Artisan Cheeses of the World? I apply and am accepted. 2015 »»I move to Boston. Record-setting blizzards hit back-to- back. My afro freezes on my way to a class called Food and Business. »»I start Instagramming daily (@chocolateforbasil) and blogging more often. »»Eric moves to Boston. »»I contribute my first recipe to The Boston Globe. I’m featured in Vogue, on Instagram’s main feed and as Yahoo’s
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After graduation 2012 »»On my 22nd birthday, I write the first post for my new blog Chocolate for Basil. »»I get a job at Restoration Hardware to help pay off student loans, but I’m not cut out for sales. »»I email my résumé to every commercial food photographer in the DallasFort Worth area and hear about Rusty Hill, a photographer who is looking for a new assistant. I contact him immediately.
Food Blogger of the Week. »»I audition for Food Fighters and MasterChef but don’t make the cut. 2016 »»I get a job at a meal kit company as a food stylist and recipe developer. »»I start working freelance for the Kitchn and Tastemade in LA and contribute recipes to Starbucks’ summer cookbook. »»I write my first sponsored blog post. 2017 »»I sign my first book contract in the spring with a small publisher in Salem, MA. »»That summer I overnight my manuscript back to Massachusetts from an Airbnb in Rome, vowing never to pull an all-nighter again. »»I submit my final term paper about Malinda Russell, a baker and author of the first-known cookbook published by an African-American woman in the US. »»I graduate from Boston University with my master’s, exhausted but inspired. 2018 »» My cookbook Black Girl Baking comes out. Black Panther comes out. Black History Month is lit! »»The book wins a regional Readable Feast Award. »» Forbes publishes an article about me and my book. It’s also featured in cool publications such as Food & Wine and Bon Appétit. »»To be continued...
Mike Eckhaus Zoe Latta artists and designers / Eckhaus Latta
When Mike Eckhaus [10 Sculpture] and Zoe Latta [10 Textiles] first rented a space in Brooklyn together, they didn’t quite realize that what started as an experimental studio practice would quickly mushroom into a fashion industry phenomenon. Among their growing accolades, Eckhaus Latta made Forbes’ 2016 list of 30 Under 30 outstanding talents. By 2017 a Vogue writer was applauding “the buzzy brand’s most coherent and accomplished show yet,” referring to the New York Fashion Week debut of their spring/ summer 2018 collection. With an approach to fashion well outside the mainstream, both Eckhaus and Latta are pleasantly surprised to be making a cultural impact—one that extends to their first solo museum exhibition. “They are known for using unexpected materials, emphasizing texture and tactility in their designs, and for incorporating writing, performance and video into their practice,” write the curators of Eckhaus Latta: Possessed, on view at the Whitney in NYC from August to October 2018. Since Eckhaus majored in Sculpture at RISD and Latta in Textiles, neither one
had any experience in the world of fashion when they started out. “But both of us were really interested in making work for the body,” Latta explains—and both wanted to continue experimenting after graduation. “For us there has always been this community of people who we graduated with at RISD and who have been integral to the practice,” Eckhaus says. “It’s interesting how the relationships you form at school really do carry forward when you leave and figure out the kind of creative landscape you want to make.” Whether using their friends as models, staging their runway shows in gritty venues, getting an industry sponsor to screenprint artsy towels for a catwalk or posting an ad campaign showing couples having actual sex, their unorthodox approach comes naturally. “We’re always playing around with how to activate people in clothing in a manner that’s not necessarily trying to push against the grain,” Eckhaus notes, “but is about marching to the beat of our own drum. That’s something we’ve always been in tune with.”
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RISD graduates make the future. They include Tanya AguiĂąiga Natalia Almada Janine Antoni Joana Avillez Ashleigh Axios Deborah Berke Huma Bhabha Mary Boone James Carpenter Ilene Chaiken Roz Chast Dale Chihuly Martha Coolidge Rafael de CĂĄrdenas Liz Deschenes Alex Dodge Jim Drain Nicholas Felton Spencer Finch Lizzie Fitch Walton Ford Chris Frantz Tobias Frere-Jones Dinah Fried Michael Gabellini Doreen Garner Kenneth Goldsmith Jill Greenberg Jenny Holzer Henry Horenstein Roni Horn Shara Hughes Misha Kahn Jemima Kirke Deana Lawson
Joe Marianek Josiah McElheny Julie Mehretu Nicole Miller Martin Mull Mary Murphy Josh Owen Laura Owens Marcia Patmos Sarah Greenberger Rafferty Robert Richardson Andy Ristaino Michael Rock Julia Rothman Anna Schuleit Haber Brian Selznick Arlene Shechet Shahzia Sikander Adam Silverman Michael Sloan David Stark Therman Statom Scott Stowell Do Ho Suh Ryan Trecartin Vincent Valdez Chris Van Allsburg Gus Van Sant Kara Walker Jessica Walsh Tina Weymouth David Wiesner Jordan Wolfson JooHee Yoon Andrea Zittelâ&#x20AC;Ś
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David Macaulay Seth MacFarlane
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and you?
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Photography David O’Connor Jo Sittenfeld MFA 08 PH with additional photography provided by Matthew Clowney MFA 08 PH John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Lucas Vasilko 16 PH
Printing Meridian Printing East Greenwich, RI Typefaces Gotham and Mercury designed by Tobis Frere-Jones 92 GD
Policies + Disclosures RISD adheres to all applicable federal and state laws, including the Student Right to Know and Campus Security Act of 1990 and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. RISD’s Annual Safety Report can be found at risd.edu/safety-report and general student policies can be found at risd.edu/policies. Nondiscrimination Policy RISD does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, national origin, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law in admission to, participation in or administration of its educational programs and activities; in employment; or in its other programs and activities. For people with disabilities RISD attempts to make its classes, programs, events and services physically accessible to everyone. Reasonable accommodations are made for people with disabilities or special needs who request assistance. About this book This publication presents a general overview and summary of academic, cultural and social life at RISD. It is not intended to be definitive or all-inclusive, and all portions are subject to change without notice. More specific information regarding the curriculum, credit requirements and other matters appears in the college’s annual course announcement, available on risd.edu. The names of student artists are included wherever possible. © 2019 Rhode Island School of Design risd.edu
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