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Sweet Finds Made by Hand

Just in time to prevent holiday frazzle, the RISD Holiday Art Sale fills a hall at the Rhode Island Convention Center with good cheer and great gift ideas this Saturday, December 10 from 10 am to 5 pm. 

Alicia Burnett 13 IL offers fine art screenprints (top) through Wolf Jaw Press, while Brendan Fuller MFA 16 CR showcases enticing ceramics, Priya Himatsingka 00 JM presents lovely jewelry and Asya Palatova MFA 04 CR offers her pristine Gleena pottery. 

One of the most colorful and enjoyable shopping stops in town, the RISD sale features incredible handmade objects, artwork and gift items designed and produced by more than 200 students and alumni, including glass artist William Riker MFA 75 GL with his ever-popular blown glass ornaments.

During the day, Providence CityArts will host a Holiday Craft Lab with drop-in workshops for kids and families who also want the experience of making something special for the holidays themselves – which is, of course, something Cynthia Treen 94 ID of Threadfollower knows is important to every avid maker.

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Current students and alums get an annual opportunity to showcase their unique creations and sell them to the community. For RISD students, It’s a great way to get exposure and learn about sales and marketing for their careers. 

If you’re in the area, stop by the RISD Holiday Art Sale and see some amazing work!

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RISD Admissions application tip: Experiment and explore the use of unconventional materials in your artwork. #risd #risdadmissions #risdcampus #risdstudents #risdapplication

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Portfolio tip! Give us an insight to how you create your art work. 😀

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Portfolio tip! Work from observation when possible! #art school #risd #risdfoundation

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Are you an incoming Senior?

Now is the time to start organizing your unique portfolios so they show how you think, how you see the world, and what’s important to you; overall who you are as an individual artist/designer. 

As you engage in your creative process, be open-minded: be willing to explore the unknown and discover a genius in your own imagination and creativity. Always be on the look-out for what’s happening around you and what inspires you. Express that not only in your work, but also in your writing! Words are also a wonderful way to show us your mind and your personality. 

We, at RISD Admissions, love to see how you think and approach your works of art. If you have any questions as you develop your portfolio, reach out to us!

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New RISD application requirements 2016-2017 coming soon!

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Maharam Promotes Creative Thinking

Last Friday (May 13) RISD and Maharam – North America’s leading creator of textiles for commercial and residential interiors – celebrated five years of offering students third-party internship opportunities through the Maharam STEAM Fellowship in Applied Art and Design. 

At an event at the Maharam Design Studio in Manhattan – during the height of NYCxDesign events – the company announced that it is renewing its support of the fellowship, which offers RISD students priceless opportunities to pursue summer internships working in a wide range of fields in need of design thinking.

The Maharam STEAM Fellowship in Applied Art and Design provides stipends for select internships with a government agency or nonprofit organization in the US or abroad. Proposals are uniquely designed by students to focus on highlighting and strengthening the role of visually acute critical thinkers and problem solvers in helping to improve public policy and tackle large social issues. 

At the event, several of the 32 RISD alumni and students who have completed Maharam STEAM Fellowships spoke with guests about their work. Past fellows have contributed to a remarkable array of organizations ranging from the Mayo Clinic to NPR Science to the World Economic Forum, Plan International, the Marine Biological Laboratory and the US Geological Survey, among many others. 

“Maharam believes that critical, creative thinking is essential to shaping a desirable cultural and economic future,” noted Mary Murphy MAE 86, senior vice president, design at Maharam. “We recognize the global impact that today’s students will have on tomorrow’s world and hope the Maharam STEAM Fellowship will accelerate that change. 

“With nine RISD alumni on staff,” she added, “we can’t overstate the importance of a RISD education to Maharam’s success. We are pleased to be able to continue our longstanding practice of supporting art and design in such a meaningful way.” 

“Maharam STEAM fellows demonstrate that artists and designers have unique abilities to make positive global impact,” RISD President Rosanne Somerson 76 ID points out. “By welcoming our students into industries and environments where artists and designers are not typically solicited, we not only develop the next generation of creative leaders, but also encourage new categories of employers to recognize the immense value of RISD-educated students and alumni.” 

The RISD/Maharam partnership complements RISD’s broader STEM to STEAM initiative, which emphasizes the importance of integrating art and design thinking into the STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math). 

photos by Jo Sittenfeld MFA 08 PH

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Follow up post to “ Thinking About Your Future”. In Admissions we see many students take the transfer route to come to RISD. 

Had the chance to sit down and talk with Daniela, who transferred into RISD two years ago about her experience as a transfer student. 

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RISD student outside drawing using a homemade camera obscura. Love being on a campus where you can see students working on various projects!

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On one of my tours, visitors got to see F/A/V students work on their projects. F/A/V is having their yearly Senior show May 11-14th 2016. 

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I managed to capture a senior in sculpture working on his sculpture pieces and see them finished at the Sculpture and Photography senior show!  

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RISD: Spring Student Art Sale 2016 drew a large crowd on Saturday, May 7th. 

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What advice would you give to admitted freshmen?

“Freshman year is a scary year, but it doesn’t have to be. You’ve been accepted to the top art and design school and you’re preparing yourself to live and learn in a new environment. Though expectations are high, don’t freak out. Your freshman year is a time to explore art and design theoretically and to capture what you want to study for the rest of your time at RISD….work hard, but know when projects are worth it….RISD can be intense, but trust in the ability to put down the charcoal and take a break. You’ll be 100 times more efficient if you allow your brain to breathe.”

Activities Elsa’s involved in:

RISD Student Alliance, Resident Advisor (RA), RISD Rhode Kill (running club), Brown Christian Fellowship

Fun Facts about Elsa:

“I made my sister’s wedding cake, I played Boys Football when I was 9 years old, and I hate the smell and taste of marinara sauce.”

Curious about Elsa’s work?

Get a glimpse of her Portfolio here!

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What advice would you give to admitted freshmen?

“You just have to fully immerse yourself in this new art experience! Realize that this is a place that a person can only dream of. While yes, your teachers are so beneficial, it is really the community that you learn the most from. Living in the freshman quad is such a great and beneficial time because you are surrounded by people who inspire you every single day. Plus, RISD has such amazing classes that you would never get the chance to experience otherwise. For that reason, I majored in Apparel: it was a once in a lifetime opportunity to learn something I loved from a school I love even more.”

Some activities Adam’s involved in:

RISD Apparel Model Call, Resident Advisor (RA), Balls Basketball Announcer, Office of International Student Services (OISS) Program Assistant

Fun Facts about Adam:

“I have the same birthday as my mother. I have pizza every single day and I’m truly obsessed with state capitals….Also, if you want to ace a walk off, I can teach you how to strut the catwalk like Naomi Campbell.”

Curious about Adam’s work?

Check out his Portfolio website here! 

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What’s been your most challenging studio assignment?

“My most challenging work was my color studies with Bill Newkirk. I had no experience with color prior to RISD. Being a Sophomore painter now, I have bit more experience, but I can’t say I have fully grasped being immersed within painting and understanding the different tones and variations. That’s something I struggled with in the first year of foundations. You learn a lot doing that, even if it’s something you’re struggling with, even if you’re constantly the student whose work doesn’t look finished…I think it’s part of your role as an artist. You’re not going to be good at everything….but it’s about working towards that goal. Sooner or later you’ll get there….it’s a learning experience and something definitely to keep in mind.”

Want to see more of Brandon’s work?

Take a look at his Portfolio website here!

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What’s been your most challenging experience at RISD?

“I believed that I could make it through college fine without my family and high school friends….but halfway through, I began to feel extremely lost and lonely, like I was in a weird limbo where I didn’t really know myself anymore. The stress of just floating around aimlessly in that limbo was so much that I almost shut down and was nearly depressed….I began talking to my best friend from high school a lot more and calling a couple of other friends from time to time. Amidst the long hours spent at studio and busy work schedule, talking to old friends really helped. I think the main issue here was that I wanted to be super independent and forgot that humans are dependent on each other by nature. Don’t let your ego eat you up! Talk to people when you’re feeling down. Everyone is vulnerable at some point in their life. It’s ok to feel out of place. We all do sometimes.”

Activities Glory’s involved in:

Phonathon, Intercultural Student Engagement (ISE) Mentoring Program, will be an Orientation Leader (OL) next academic year

Some fun facts about Glory:

“I have a weird obsession with bananas. I’m allergic, but I’ve already done three projects based on bananas. There’s actually a banana wine-stopper in the RISD:works museum store that I want to buy….the shape and the color of bananas are just hilarious.”

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What was your first semester at RISD like?

“It was very different from the experience I had in High School. I came from this average public school in North Carolina. The people I’ve been surrounded by here are amazing because this is an environment where everyone is very driven. They all want to be here, they all want to be in the classes making these amazing things and the professors I got exposed to are also charismatic people….the three professors I had are very good at what they do and I got to learn a lot. It was a bit of a curve going from High School, where you’re doing your stuff and you have time to do everything, to these three studio classes, where you have to get this project done, that project done, 50 drawings done by this day…but after a while I learned to adjust. I figured out how to schedule things and having my section mates there was the support system; they become your little family and they’re there to help you out.”