Graduate Thesis Exhibition

What a show.  You would think you were walking into the Whitney Biennial, given the vast number of people and the variety of works being shown.  What an impressive group of graduate students.  Congratulations to the Graduate Class of 2013!

If you want to see the work the show will be up until June 1st.

RI Convention Center
Exhibit Hall A
One Sabin Street, Providence RI
Open Daily 12-5pm

I am excited to announce that RISD will be holding its first ever information session for Graduate applicants.  This event will include a brief presentation about Graduate Studies at RISD followed by a tour of the campus.  You will be dropped off at the Convention Center here in Providence to join us in celebrating our Graduate Thesis Exhibition.

We hope you can make it!

Thursday, May 16th 4:30pm
Woods-Gerry Building
62 Prospect Street
Providence RI 02903

RSVP Molly Pettengill
Graduate Admissions Officer
mpetteng@risd.edu

RISD is moving quickly into the Spring season. Here are just a few things that students and our community have been up to!

Freshman have declared intended majors.
At an informal gathering held at The Met on Wednesday night, students got the chance to ask upperclassmen about the finer details of their academic life.
“Deciding on a major is a big decision. Some students are a little stressed right now,” explained Student Alliance President Alexander Dale BArch 13. “We wanted to give them a chance to air out questions or concerns they might have before making the leap.”

Twitter Founder, Jack Dorsey was on campus
Dorsey came to campus as part of RISD’s Entrepreneurship Mindshare, a Career Center series that connects students with accomplished alumni, business mentors and thought leaders. The opportunity allows artists and designers to make professional connections, learn about financial literacy and develop marketing strategies.

The  Annual RISD “Creature Show” has debuted. Since 1987, the Creature-Creation Wintersession Class has united RISD Creature-Creation Students with collegiate and local arts communities.  Guest musicians and participants from the BIG NAZO LAB participate in a comical, cosmic, multi-media performance-art spectacle featuring the debut of over a dozen extraordinary foam-rubber creations. We are anxious to see this year’s creatures! Take a peek at the creatures from last year:

RISD Creature Creation Show 2011 – Excerpts from BIG NAZO on Vimeo.

TEDActive sparks Students
This year, RISD was among seven colleges and universities invited to participate in a new endeavor known as TEDActive Takeover, a way for college students to join in the TEDActive conversation. RISD’s artists and designers considered timely topics – like the future of mobile technology or the impact of social philanthropy – and then shared their ideas at the TEDActive gathering, with a live stream going to the TED Conference in Long Beach.

Drawing Marathon is in its ninth year and still going strong!  Since its inception in 2004, Foundations Studies professor, Gwen Strahle, has provided this unique outlet for intensive exploration of the drawing process.  It consists of nonstop experimentation in materials, mark-making, composition, and value within 12 hour days.  Students learn how to push their artwork to the brink, testing their stamina and adjusting their approach constantly.  They might spend a whole day developing a drawing, and then erase it to start anew that night.  Or they may swap artwork and build on a classmate’s creation.

Works this year included investigations in texture, atmospheric perspective, overlays of figure studies, and even an animation!  Bo-Yoon Kim ’16 took the final series assignment as on opportunity to experiment with a medium she’s never before attempted, and discovered a true passion in the process.  Drawing Marathon enabled her to strengthen her drawing skills, overcome her hesitation in illustrating large spaces, and introduced her to a completely new artistic direction.  She’s now enthusiastic about declaring Film/Animation/Video as her major.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us in Admissions if you have any questions.

Antonio Peters  apeters@risd.edu

Marin Brennan  mbrennan01@risd.edu

Sunshine and student enthusiasm were in no short supply on RISD Admission’s last trip of the year to Miami, FL. On a four day trek starting in West Palm Beach my colleague Becky Fong and I were treated to the creativity, talent, and passion brought to our visit by each school’s student body.

The overal enthusiasm displayed by the students is certainly reflective of Maimi’s strong commitment to the arts and culture. Our favorite spot to catch some of the city’s fantastic work on display? The Wynwood Walls! Featuring work from artists across the globe, we were delighted to see one of RISD’s own, Shepard Fairy, claiming space at the outdoor gallery. His work is featured in the photo below!

We wish all our applicants good luck as we begin our application review season.

If you have any questions, please email admissions@risd.edu

Becky Fong & Peter Williamson

Hello! My name is Peter Williamson and I am the newest member of the RISD Admissions.  As applications are filtering into the Admissions Office, I can’t think of a more exciting time to join the RISD Admissions Staff. For those of you who are considering becoming a part of the creative and inspiring community here at RISD, and would like to know more, please feel free to contact me at pwilliam01@risd.edu.

Hello!  My name is Marin Brennan, and I recently joined the RISD Admissions team.  I thoroughly enjoyed my time here as an Illustration student, and couldn’t be more excited about my new position among RISD’s amazing staff and faculty members!

Should you have any questions about RISD, please feel free to contact me at mbrennan01@risd.edu

RISD’s Winter Gathering is a time to celebrate our collaborative efforts throughout the year to create a harmonic environment.  This event is a reminder that the community at RISD goes beyond the studio/academic experience.   Connections are happening outside the classroom, as every staff member who works at RISD contributes to the development of young artists and designers.   We strive to create meaningful connections, provide exciting opportunities, and develop their presence as leaders on campus.

Events like these remind us of how important it is to consider the overall academic experience, as a prospective student.  In addition to the faculty, our staff members are active participants in shaping the creative environment.  And in turn, the students inspire staff to branch out in their own artistic expressions.  The RISD Winter Gathering showcased artwork from various departments such as Residence Life, Facilities, Dining and Catering, and many more.

If you are interested in seeing the artwork, the Staff Show will be up in the Woods-Gerry building until January 13, 2013.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact

Marin Brennan / mbrennan01@risd.edu

Peter Williamson / pwilliam01@risd.edu

Antonio Peters / apeters@risd.edu

While recruiting in the Philadelphia area, I had the great pleasure of visiting Urban Outfitters main home office. They are the parent company of Anthropologie, Free People, Terrain, and BHLDN. They have amazing products, wares, clothes and career opportunities not only for new graduates, but current students and seasoned alumni.

I met with Jane Day, Talent Director, who toured me around. It is truly an inspiring place to work, with lots of creative outlets. Check out some selected pics below.

If you are a current student looking for internship opportunities for Wintersession, the summer or any other time of year (for school credit and paid positions), be sure to get in touch with RISD Careers.

Always in style and festive attire, our students dressed up in outrageous costumes and dance the night away at this year’s Artist Ball.
Artist Ball took place Friday, November 2nd at the Bank of America City Center at 2 Kennedy Plaza.

The Artist Ball is one of RISD’s oldest and most exciting traditions! Costumes are always highly encouraged, the more elaborate, the better!
This year we featured DJ’s 5am, Crooks Club, Nick Arcidy, and The Get Lively Experience! This event is hosted and supported by RISD’s Center for Student Involvement. Check out these costumes!

The Center for Student Involvement (CSI) provides a structure and support system for students to further their interests outside of the studio and classroom through active involvement in student clubs and organizations, community engagement, athletics, innovative initiatives and much more.