Rhode Island School of Design

From the ecologies of Okinawa to the history of China, the heart of Tokyo, and the wildlife of South Africa, students in this summer’s RISD Global Summer Studies programs discovered new ways of connecting art and design to place.

“RISD students have so much talent, and they are really eager to engage with each other and the world around them. Traveling with them makes me feel hopeful about how we can work together and make the world better.” —Lucy Spelman, History, Philosophy, and the Social Sciences faculty member.

RISD Global Summer Studies Courses Inspire Creative Discovery From observing South African termites to creating manga comics in Japan, students in this summer’s RISD Global courses learned new skills and explored new environments.

Since graduating from RISD, Jevon Brown 23 TX has been carving out a space as both an artist and an arts leader.

Set to take on several projects around the globe in 2026, he's exploring how creative practice and cultural heritage can shape community while also learning to navigate—and influence—the wider art world.

Read more about Brown's work in the latest issue of RISD Alumni & Friends Magazine: https://connect.risd.edu/page/magazine-5-questions-jevon-brown

“Featuring work by RISD graduates from the past four years, this exhibition highlights an incredible diversity of perspectives as well as the transformative artistry of our alumni,” says President Crystal Williams. “Opportunities like this help young creatives develop their singular visions and gifts, which illuminate the human project. At RISD, we have been tending to this principle of encouraging and amplifying unique creative vision for nearly 150 years.”

On view through August 16 at Featherstone Center for the Arts, the show features work by RISD alumni from the classes of 2023–26 and was curated by President Williams and Director of Exhibitions Mark Moscone. Learn more about the artists featured in the exhibition below.

Recent RISD Alums Show Work at Featherstone Center for the Arts on Martha’s Vineyard Curated by President Crystal Williams and Director of Campus Exhibitions Mark Moscone, RISD Emerging includes work from the Classes of 2023–26.

Launched together 150 years ago, RISD’s college and museum enjoy a unique, symbiotic relationship in which creativity and learning intertwine.

Students have access to a wide range of paid opportunities to work in the RISD Museum, from summer internships to graduate assistantships to work-study jobs and post-graduation apprenticeships, contributing to every department within the museum.

“There’s some measure of student engagement behind almost everything the museum produces. The level of work RISD students create is astounding, and their contributions have really pushed us and make the museum so much more interesting.” —Director of Creative Production Jeremy Radtke.

Student Workers at the RISD Museum Help to Create Welcoming Experiences Launched together 150 years ago, RISD’s college and museum enjoy a unique, symbiotic relationship in which creativity and learning intertwine.

Pearl Ng 98 ID, founder of Pearly Bespoke, didn't set out to become a jeweler. Trained in industrial design at RISD, she imagined a career spent crafting beautiful, functional objects. But over time, the principles that fueled her love for design, like precision, craftsmanship, and innovation, led her into the world of jewelry.

It's easy to see the RISD spirit in Pearly Bespoke, where Ng is redefining what modern luxury looks like.

Read more about Ng and her journey in the latest issue of RISD Alumni & Friends Magazine: https://connect.risd.edu/page/magazine-crafted-from-origin-pearl-ng

Opening night of the “RISD Emerging” exhibition Featherstone Center for the Arts was a joyous celebration of the creative vision that RISD artists and designers share. On view through August 16, the show features work by RISD alumni from the classes of 2023–26 and was curated by President Crystal Williams and Director of Exhibitions Mark Moscone.

Learn more about the exhibition and upcoming events: https://www.featherstoneart.org/risdemerging.html

Featherstone Center for the Arts, Martha’s Vineyard

RISD Alumni Panel: Thursday, July 30 at 4 pm featuring Featherstone CEO Ann Smith and President Williams

Curator Talk: Tuesday, August 4 at 4 pm with President Williams and Mark Moscone

Participating artists:
Amadi Williams
Annemarie Cabrera
Asmaa Amadou
Boluwatife Oyediran
Cassidy Sage Argo
Dominick Cocozza
Dora (Yiden) Chen
Elliott Golden
Florian Okwu
Ireoluwatoni Asojo
JaLeel Marques Porcha
Jennifer Choi
Katherine Hofmann
Lisa Sacco
Paree Rohera
Priyanka Kumar
Ricky Vasan
Samuel Aguirre
Samuel Sherman
Tony Torres

Photo: Ray Ewing

Painting alum David Stark likens his work to immersive, three-dimensional paintings that people can step inside. As chief creative officer of David Stark Design and Production, he heads a team of roughly 150 people, producing events for clients including the Whitney Museum, Carnegie Hall, the Metropolitan Opera, and the Robin Hood Foundation.

See Stark’s installations and read the accompanying edu interview below, in which he discusses creative problem solving and how concepts he learned at RISD still shape his practice today.

Life After RISD: Checking in with Alum David Stark The New York City event designer and producer partners with clients to create memorable, one-of-a-kind affairs he likens to immersive, three-dimensional paintings.

Longtime RISD alum and faculty member Chris Specce was recently named Schiller Family Endowed Chair in Furniture Design. The endowment supports Specce’s research and creative practice and also benefits the department as a whole, as well as the Architecture + Design division at RISD.

“I’m humbled and really grateful for the support and the recognition,” says Specce, whose design practice ranges from commercial, client-focused products to more experimental, expressive work. “There’s so much interest at RISD in the idea of objects as culture, and that has really influenced my work and expanded my practice.”

RISD Faculty Member Chris Specce Named Schiller Family Endowed Chair in Furniture Design The alum and longtime member of the RISD community takes the reins from friend and mentor John Dunnigan.

“Marooned”, an exhibition featuring work by recent MFA Painting graduates, is on on view at Uffner & Liu gallery through August 28.

Curated by Ajay Kurian the exhibition features work by:

Lloyd-Princeton Cangé
Callie Coccia
Isabel Horgan
Siran Liu
Kati Lowe
Lucy Luckovich
Banshee Maria
Shiyeon Monk
Pavol Roskovensk
Talha Shams
Ricky Vasan

Learn more via Artsy https://www.artsy.net/show/uffner-and-liu-risd-mfa-painting-2026

Recent Jewelry + Metalsmithing grad Jameson Enriquez is one of 10 emerging artists across the country to earn a 2026 Windgate-Lamar Fellowship. Offered through the Center for Craft in Asheville, NC, the $15,000 awards amplify the voices of fourth- and fifth-year undergraduate art students whose work “is informed by the processes, materials, traditions, or sensibilities of craft.”

“I’m interested in layers of authenticity,” Enriquez says. “I’ve always found myself in this in-between space, culturally, this borderless space. I’m trying to use my work to forge a path for myself within that space.”

RISD Jewelry + Metalsmithing Alum Jameson Enriquez Awarded Windgate-Lamar Fellowship Grounded in craft, the artist’s practice was set in motion by a Southwestern-style bolo tie and other costume jewelry handed down by their grandparents.