September 2024 Newsletter
Dear Alumni,
Curiosity is one of the many threads that unite our global RISD community. Its importance in building a place for creatives, visionaries, change makers, scholars and doers, was a recurring theme throughout the fall semester's kick-off celebrations. The words shared by RISD leadership as they welcomed new and returning students to campus had me considering the role of curiosity in my life.
As a new parent, I delight in the curiosity shown by our daughter as she experiences her world for the first time. However, as a RISD graduate, I know that the desire to seek out new experiences does not have an age limit. It is not solely the domain of children and students. Regardless of where we are in our lives, curiosity encourages us to explore our imaginations and question to create. It inspires us to innovate and forge new paths.
As a fellow alum, I hope curiosity will encourage you to seek new ways to engage with RISD, whether volunteering for a leadership committee, attending an alumni event or expanding your knowledge and meeting your career goals through RISD’s lifelong learning opportunities.
Above all, curiosity leads us to celebrate our infinite diversity, and in the words of President Williams at this year's Convocation, "the diversity of this community is a gift."
Sincerely,
Rex Wong BArch 03
President
RISD Alumni Association
RISD Craft: Fall 2024
October 19, 2024
RISD Craft returns for the Fall 2024 sale, bringing the work of over 140 alumni and student artists and makers to Benefit Street. For those marking their calendars to join us this year, the sale will be held on October 19, the weekend after Indigenous People’s Day Weekend.
RISD Reads: Art on My Mind
Patricia Childers 86 GD, Alexandra Christiana MArch 15 and Ruth-Anne Siegel 86 GD, co-leaders of our alumni-led book club, are excited to announce RISD Read’s next book, Art on My Mind: Visual Politics by bell hooks. We hope you enjoy this selection based on recommendations from our alumni community. Keep an eye on your inboxes for an invite to our virtual discussion happening later this fall.
At the Museum: Defying Boundaries: Women in Japanese Art
Through November 4, 2024
Marginalized in modern and historical accounts, the often-overlooked histories and stories of women in Japanese art were nevertheless very much present in Japanese visual culture. From warriors and poets memorialized in prints to pioneering Japanese artists, this exhibition offers glimpses of those who broke boundaries and inspired generations of artists and illustrators.
Regional Club Spotlight: Club of New York City
New York City is home to one of the largest concentrations of RISD alumni in the US. The Club of New York City connects this community through social events—like their upcoming mixer at The DL—artist talks, gallery and museum tours and events that put a RISD spin on the city’s vibrant arts scene.
RISD Students Introduced to Fine Arts Scene via Trek NYC
Co-sponsored by Institutional Advancement and the Career Center, this summer’s Trek NYC gave RISD students the opportunity to connect with alumni and explore fine arts studios, galleries, arts nonprofits and residency programs.
Affinity Group Spotlight: RISD Asian Alumni
RISD Asian Alumni is inclusive of individuals representing all nationalities and heritage from across the Asian continent and islands, living both in the US and internationally. The group’s recent focus has been in presenting career related content, including a recent webinar, The Journey from Art School to UX Design, featuring Lingzi Zheng MFA 19 DM, Kun (Melody) Yin MID 19, Da Wei MFA 17 DM and Yilan Gao 20 IL.
Community Engagement Boosts Giving and Volunteerism
Increasingly robust engagement among alumni, families, and friends and support from corporate and foundation partners helped raise more than $9.1 million in the last fiscal year. These gifts enable RISD to sustain its singular approach to art and design education, provide new resources, enhance student support and more.
Portfolio Review Days
Graduate Admissions and Undergraduate Admissions are seeking alumni reviewers to represent RISD at upcoming Portfolio Review Days. Alumni participation adds so much value to these sessions for prospective undergraduates and graduate students seeking to further their art and design education. RISD Admissions couldn't do it without you!
New Faculty Join RISD This Fall
RISD’s fall 2024 semester is in full swing, and nine new full-time faculty members are contributing their unique points of view to the Architecture & Design, Experimental and Foundation Studies, Fine Arts and Liberal Arts divisions.
