Rhode Island School of Design

10/06/2026

Using hot glass working techniques, students in a Glass department studio are exploring ideas that define, present, magnify, and duplicate elements of the natural world.

Students are creating their our own glass recipes to make clear, orange, light blue, and dark blue, glass. Using stacked premade sheets natural materials are embedded between the layers.

read more on risd. edu/news

09/30/2026

Before Textiles majors at RISD can begin designing and creating original work, they must learn to differentiate between the fibers and dyes at their disposal and build a working knowledge of how to use them.

Sophomores in the Textiles course “Fibers and Dyeing” are investigating a wide variety of fibers and processes, including spinning, yarn construction, and natural and synthetic dyes.

Shown: Faculty member and alum Meagan Phipps gives a demonstration to the class.

09/29/2026

Visual artist and Illustration alum Vincent Valdez has been named a 2026 MacArthur Fellow. Known for creating monumental-scale works reflecting on American identity and the struggle for justice, he draws from Chicano artistic traditions that center political and social histories often obscured in mainstream media.

With the announcement of this year’s MacArthur Award winners, Valdez is the 12th RISD alum to have won the esteemed “genius grant” given to individuals with extraordinary talent as an investment in their creative potential.

09/24/2026

Street artist, graphic designer, and activist Shepard Fairey stepped into the limelight as a first-year student at RISD in 1989 with his Andre the Giant Has a Posse sticker campaign. Since then, he has worked to transform urban landscapes around the world with more than 140 large-scale public murals and use his voice to promote social justice, environmentalism, and political engagement.

“[RISD] was incredibly demanding, but it was also life changing.�It demanded that we pull things from ourselves we didn’t realize we were capable of.”—Shepard Fairey

Read the accompanying interview on risd .edu/news, where Shepard shares his thoughts about life after college and lessons learned at RISD that continue to resonate.

09/21/2026

How can collective creativity, collaboration, and conversation surface new ideas, reveal connections, and open pathways through complex questions?

A recent event cohosted by RISD’s Academic & Creative Partnerships and Center for Community Partnerships as part of DESIGN WEEK RI, invited creative thinkers from across the state to collectively explore that question in relation to a series of ongoing, community-focused research projects.

Read more on risd. edu/news

09/18/2026

Through the RISD Trek program, more than a dozen students got a glimpse into what life could look like after RISD via site visits, alumni panels, and portfolio reviews.

“Programs like Trek are very beneficial because they break down a lot of the fear students have about transitioning into being working artists,” alum Graciela Batista explains. “Forming real connections with people who are willing to help can feel like a big, tangible thing that can really aid the transition. I felt delighted to be part of a conversation that I remember helped me a lot when I was in that position.”

RISD Trek is a privately funded program that provides RISD students opportunities to engage with art and design professionals and network with industry leaders, alumni, and mentors. This year’s funding was provided by Santander Bank US who gifted $50,000 to the Trek Fund in support of professional development and networking. In addition to supporting Trek, Santander has generously provided $465,000 of need-based scholarship funding for RISD students.

More than a dozen students got a glimpse into what life could look like after RISD via site visits, alumni panels, and portfolio reviews.

09/16/2026

RISD’s global community broke a record in the fiscal year that ended on June 30, 2026, contributing $32 million in support of student financial aid, teaching, and learning at the college and RISD Museum. The collective generosity of foundations, corporations, and 2,142 individual donors shattered the previous fundraising record of $30.6 million set in 2019. The achievement comes just as the 2026–27 academic year gets underway and RISD celebrates the 150th anniversary of its founding in 1877.

“This is a historic year and a moment to recognize the strength of the RISD community with great gratitude and respect,” says Amanda Clark MacMullan, vice president of Institutional Advancement. “Truly, our community came through supporting RISD’s enduring vision. So many people endorsed the college and museum’s commitment to human creativity, honoring diverse views, and taking an inclusive approach.”

The collective generosity of foundations, corporations, and 2,142 individual donors shattered the previous fundraising record.

09/15/2026

Convocation followed a weekend of student move-ins and informal gatherings as RISD welcomes the class of 2030 at the start of 150th academic year.

“The start of the academic year is a hopeful time filled with opportunities to embody our potential,” President Williams said in an email welcome message to campus. “I wish you a year of good health, wellness, and stamina, that you are surrounded by love and community, and that your creativity and potential are nurtured and amplified.”

After settling into their dorm rooms during move-in weekend, students joined faculty and staff for Convocation 2026.

09/12/2026

Join us for RISD Day on Wednesday, September 16, as part of DESIGN WEEK RI. Taking place throughout the day at 20 Washington Place, RISD Day brings together exhibitions, conversations, and participatory experiences that highlight the partnerships, research, and creative practices shaping the future of art and design at RISD.

At the center of the day is featured DESIGN WEEK RI event "The Long Table at RISD: A Public Studio for Community Exchange" that invites the community into a participatory space for dialogue, drawing, mapping, and shared inquiry.

Free and open to the public. Learn more: https://www.designxri.com/design-week-ri/events-calendar/the-long-table/

09/08/2026

As the fall semester gets underway and the community prepares to celebrate 150 years of art and design education, RISD welcomes four new full-time faculty members and one librarian.

Adding their unique passions for creative thinking and making to the collective pool are librarian and archivist Eli Peters, Assistant Professor of Illustration and alum Allison Cole, Assistant Professor of Graphic Design and alum Anther Kiley, and—in the Experimental and Foundation Studies (EFS) division—Associate Professor Baris Gokturk (Barış Göktürk) and Assistant Professor Edgar Serrano.

The Fleet Library, Experimental and Foundation Studies division, and Graphic Design and Illustration departments welcome world-class new hires.