Enhancing Access
By endowing a fund for financial aid, Garrow Throop ensures future generations have the opportunity for the life-changing RISD experience he enjoyed.
Coming from a conservative educational background in the mid-1960s, Garrow Throop 69 GD of Newtonville and Truro, Massachusetts, experienced a 180-degree shift in his thinking as a RISD student.
“The concepts I learned extended beyond visual communication. We were challenged to think about how we behaved, what we thought and how we reacted to the world around us,” he recalls. “The gift RISD gave to me was learning ‘how to see’ and translating that way of seeing into the work I do."
“One of my most difficult assignments was to do ‘something really good’ and bring it on Monday.” Having to think about a concept and executing it for such an open-ended assignment provided a lesson he carries with him to this day. “I learned that the problem is knowing when to stop. I want to keep improving, but frankly, at my age, simplifying a process can lead to better focus and stronger appeal. It can sometimes be a lot harder to do nothing than to do something. I was exposed to this idea at RISD, but it was really when I began working with commercial clients, and I had to address their needs and stay within a budget, that I developed a true understanding of how important this is.”
He is happy to give back to RISD by establishing the Garrow Throop 69 GD Scholarship. “Not to put too fine a point on it, but RISD changed my life. I was fortunate that I did not need a scholarship when I was at RISD and have come to realize how influential the school was for me. This is RISD’s value for everyone who attends, and it stays with them throughout their careers. I am happy to be in a position to help incredibly talented students attend RISD.
“Every time I go into my studio, I get a high thinking of what I am going to do. I hope I can share this experience indirectly through financial assistance. I have always been impressed with RISD graduates and their work and see this scholarship as a good investment in the future of our environment. Design is everywhere we look but also is part of what we touch, hear and taste. It impacts the experience of putting on pants, driving a car, walking into a building, and so much more. I love how the school has grown since I graduated and now incorporates all forms of design. It really speaks to the reality that design is embedded in everything we do,” he adds.
Cover Image: Garrow Throop 69 GD and spouse Amelia LeClair
