RISD is widely known and respected for the quality of the studio education offered here, but there is another element (maybe a bit less well-known but equally important) in our educational mix. We believe you’ll become a more inventive and successful artist or designer if you are knowledgeable about the past, understand the issues of the present, have empathy for others around the world and are able to effectively express your idea and opinions by writing and speaking ….that’s right, the liberal arts. Art and Totalitarianism, Contemporary Ecological Fictions, Novels That Long To Be You, Understanding Southeast Asia and nearly 200 other electives are offered each year in our Liberal Arts Division, which we feel is the equal of many well-respected liberal arts colleges. If it is not among our many offerings, you can scan the course catalog and cross-register at our neighbor, Brown University. Learn a little more about the special “secret” in our midst.

Edward Newhall
Director of Admissions

The fifth episode of John’s tour takes him to risd:store (see You You’s earlier post) and Metcalf Supply Store — “the forest of creativity” — where he explores the wonderful possibilities inherent in tape, cardboard and other tools of the trade(s).

Next stop: Woods-Gerry Gallery (student exhibition space)…

Hello, Just a note to incoming freshmen and their parents to always feel free to come and visit Our RISD. It is where I am constantly posting news about RISD whenever I get the chance. Regards, John

If you are like so many around you right now, and many more who came before, you’re in the middle of a pretty big decision. Next step in life, which college is for me? For some, it’s pretty simple, they’ve known, somehow, for years where the next step would be. Not for all, though… many are working hard right now to sort through the facts, figures and gut feelings.

So anyway, why The Nineties? No, not that decade before the Millenium clock made its momentous tick, but three numbers that might shine a little more light on your thoughts about RISD. Over the last 10 years, on average: 93% of freshmen returned as sophomores the following year, 90% of students who began as freshmen had their RISD BFA within six years and 91% of RISD grads report they are working in their discipline, or a related one, six months after graduation. These outcomes are quite a bit higher than most colleges and I feel they provide a really valuable insight to what happens at RISD.

We certainly hope that you determine that RISD is the best choice for you and that you are here in September, and we’re pretty certain that if you choose to join us, you’ll be a proud part of the RISD community for a long time to come. Good luck with your college musing. If you have questions, give us a call in Admissions and we’ll try to have answers.

Edward Newhall
Director of Admissions

John stops in to visit the Edna W. Lawrence Nature Lab, where he discovers the wonders of the Lab’s bears, butterflies, bones and more — another example of RISD giving you “all different angles to touch the mind.”

Lesson 1: Open your mouth and repeat infinity times after me, “mom, i need money for.. [insert obscure art supply you will only use once and never again]”

Come first semester of freshman year, your studio professors are probably assigning lists of supplies for class, the costs of which are slightly less (or more?) expensive than a drug habit. That being said, some campus essentials to procure:

Olfa knives: number 1 reason art school is great, knives. in. class. Aight, so exacto knives? high school. Meet the Olfa, the exacto’s older brother–smart, sexy durable steel, with a BA in precision cutting. Each knife comes with a snapoff blade so its like 10 blades in one (enough for slicing and, dicing).

Microns: remember GellyRolls? that glittery sensation of that the mid 90’s that rocked the world of 10 year old girls nationwide? This sophisticated little japanese import is from the same company but with less glitter and targeted towards an older consumer base. Ink comes in your basic black but there are an assortment of other colors as well. What’s great about these pens is the variety of tip sizes (the name “Micron” alluding to the widths of the lines you can make with different pens) and quality of the ink, crisp with a low smearability factor. Also, they last forever- I’ve had mine for 5 years, longer than I’ve kept some friends.. (sadly).

Moleskine: “the legendary notebook used for the past two centuries by great artists and thinkers, including Van Gogh, Picasso, Hemingway and Chatwin…” great journals that come in a variety of formats, pages are creamy offwhite and acid-free. join the cult.

Rich Parents: Do you have these? great. moving on–

School ID: Most of you have probably gotten (or will get) a form from RISD asking you to submit a self photo so they can premake your school ID (which will need to be carried on your persons at all time on campus because all doors can only be unlocked through scanners– to keep RISD students in or outsiders out, you decide). Keeping that in mind, some rules of thumb when selecting an picture, and I speak from experience, try to avoid: 1) glamour shots, if your parents have these in wallet size, it’s probably not a good candidate for something you’ll need to show your friends. Unless you’re doing so ironically then by all means go ahead. 2) yeah it’s a school ID for an art school but it’s still a school ID, encased in a 2×3″ square of plastic; that air of nonchalance (brooding or general attitude) you send in with your photo translates to only one thing on our RISD printers - mugshot (mugbook: n. collection of mugshots).

*note: generally, it’s a good idea to send in a photo, leaving the fate of your picture up to the lighting situation at RISD’s card services is usually tragic-but hilarious.

All this is available at risd:store (with the exception of the ID which will be given to you on orientation day), the prices being the cheapest relative to the other art suppliers in Providence. Some say nearby Utrecht on Wickendon Street is a good deal but from what I’ve looked at only literally by a few cents.

from a poor person to about-to-be-poor people, hope that helps, more to come.

I was visiting RISD Nature Lab this week where Director Karen Idoine showed me some freshly laid eggs by a mother turtle that happily resides there. Nature Lab is tightly coupled into what will be your first year of Foundation Studies — the same rite of passage that many past RISD graduates like Seth MacFarlane and Shepard Fairey have gone through. Wherever you may be, I hope that spring is engulfing you in its beauty. -jm

At our first open house program on Monday, a visitor asked Steve Whitten, RISD’s Director of Career Services, to share his ideas of some successful alums. Steve highlighted several grads whom he thought had achieved success but also mentioned that the definition of success varies quite a bit in the minds of our graduates. Some are most happy with a job working for a large design firm and others only feel right if they get to work independently; for some annual earnings are the best measure and others don’t care too much about money; gallery shows, publications, bringing a new product to market or??

We’ve put a brochure in the mail…

…to you today which highlights the path to success for a sampling of RISD grads. If you want a preview, you can take a look at these remarkable outcomes.

What will be your version of success as a student and as a professional?

Ed Newhall
Director of Admissions

The Met is RISD’s largest dining facility and is handily situated in the center of the freshman dorm complex known as The Quad (we’re big on capitalizing The word The around here). Last night diners might have been surprised to see President-elect John Maeda — continuing his tour of campus facilities — putting his talents to good work in the chow line. In addition to deftly preparing meals to order, John took time to ask each student what his/her major is and offered career advice. Multitasking at The Met!

Before assuming his duties, John received sound instruction from Steve Brustein, The Met’s manager:

John takes an order and talks art and design with a RISD student:

…and he ably serves up one of the night’s delicacies:

Success!

The objects in this unique store/gallery are tangible evidence of what a RISD education can produce. risd|works encourages us to look at familiar things in a new way: behind every item featured - from mass-produced objects to fine art - is the mind and hands of a RISD graduate or faculty member. Why not take a few minutes and go shopping with John?!

Note from JM: My mother always told me, “Window shopping is one of life’s guilty pleasures.” risd | works is quite special because it demonstrates the commercial viability of developing skills in the arts and design with successful products and publications by RISD alums and faculty.