ALUMNI NEWSLETTER |
Apr 2024

May 2024 Newsletter

Dear Alumni,

Although it is hard to believe we are more than halfway through the spring semester, Commencement + Reunion Weekend is just around the corner. Many of this year's reunion class alumni have already registered for their events and are making plans to return to Providence. My 20-year reunion was last year, and I must say that a special feeling comes from experiencing campus during your reunion. It was a joy to reunite with friends and participate in many activities throughout the weekend. If you have not had the chance to register, I encourage you to do so and experience this unique connection yourself. If you do not have your reunion this year but have the opportunity to be in the area, I hope you will stop by campus for our many family-friendly community events.

Commencement + Reunion Weekend is a time to celebrate our vibrant community and the pride we feel in being RISD graduates. So, it gives me great pleasure to announce the 2024 Alumni Association Awards winners on behalf of the Alumni Association. This acknowledgment of the many contributions of these individuals is well deserved, and we look forward to recognizing them at the RISD Awards Dinner.

This year's honorees are:

Emerging Leader Award: Hanson Cheng BArch 16
RISD Serves Award: Gail Ahlers 85 JM
Art & Design Educator Award: Moon Jung Jang MFA 08 GD
Helen Adelia Rowe Metcalf Visionary Award: Elizabeth Whelan 91 TX

I extend a heartfelt thank you to our awards committee co-chairs, Jarret Key MFA 20 PT and Jon Key13 GD, as well as committee members Georgie Stout 89 GD P 24, Grace Jun 09 GD, Melinda Beck 89 GD and Rey Londres 22 PH, for their dedication to uplifting deserving members of our community. And, to all of you who took the time to nominate and write such inspiring words about this year's honorees, I hope you realize the impact your support of these individuals has had on all of us.

Although I won't be on campus at the end of May to celebrate with all of you, I'll certainly be thinking of the extraordinary place we represent. We are all proud of the bonds we share as RISD graduates, and I welcome the Class of 2024 into this phenomenal community.

Sincerely,

Rex Wong BArch 03
President
RISD Alumni Association

Class of 2024 Graduation Celebration Card

Sign-up deadline: April 23

To honor our graduates' achievements, welcome them to the Alumni Association and let them know that RISD remains part of their journey, we are launching a new program for Commencement 2024. Sign up today and help make this milestone extra special for the Class of 2024.

Community Feedback

The RISD Holistic Student Wellness Committee wants to hear from alumni regarding their experiences and observations of student wellness at RISD. They welcome your feedback and invite you to complete this form to share your views.

Apply for RISD Craft: Fall 2024

Application deadline: April 29

RISD Craft: Fall 2024 is on Saturday, October 19, as part of Families Weekend festivities. In addition to the hundreds of families visiting campus, thousands of community members from across the Northeast regularly attend the sale. It is free to apply. We'd love to see you—and your work—there.

RISD Black Alumni Reunion

Thursday, May 30–Sunday, June 2

We hope you will join us as together we define a "New Space." Without the resilience of the Black alumni who came before us, we would not be here today. We recognize the labor and discipline it takes to overcome the systematic structures that seek to limit our creative access and advancement. In honoring and acknowledging our Black history at RISD, we seek to redefine and uplift our Black alumni community. Owning our legacy preserves our future.

RISD 2nd Life Donations

RISD 2nd Life Exchange is an opportunity for students to upcycle, repurpose or reuse materials that can inspire creativity or reduce students' financial burden while redirecting the material from landfills. 2nd Life accepts community donations of lightly used art supplies, paper, tools, fabrics, yarns and more.

Celebrate Someone Special

What is better to celebrate the special people in your life than a one-of-a-kind piece created by a RISD alum? Show your loved ones how much they mean to you by shopping RISDmade for gifts that are as unique as they are.

Alumni in Venice & Milan

Congratulations to the alumni, faculty, staff and students showing in and around Salone del Mobile in Milan and Biennale Arte 2024 in Venice. If you are in the area, we hope you can stop by and support our amazing community.

In the Sandbox

This year's Founders Day celebrations included the "Founders Sandbox," a day-long event at 20 Washington Place on March 23. The "Founders Sandbox" engaged students and alumni with lively panel discussions, a student initiative showcase and a "makeathon" competition.

At the Museum: Life of Wallpapers

On view through June 29

This exhibition offers new insights into the design, printing and use of French wallpapers, borders, fragments and design drawings. These rare samples are drawn from a remarkable collection of French wallpaper that was assembled by French artist Charles Huard (1874–1965) and his wife, American writer Frances Wilson Huard (1885–1969), now in the care of the RISD Museum.

NYCxDesign

Will you be in New York this May participating in exhibitions or shows in or around NYCxDesign and Wanted/ICFF? We’d love to hear about it. Please let us know if you are showing or just planning to be in the city taking in the excitement.