RISD

Graduate students in a wide range of programs are expanding their creative practices and making ceramic sculptures that produce sound:

In the latest episode of “It Starts with a Question,” renowned artist and alum Julie Mehretu reflects on advice she would give to her younger self and how “be in it” is at the core of advice she gives to young artists today:

Film/Animation/Video alum Gus Van Sant has always found inspiration for his characters and narratives in unusual places. He got his start at RISD as a painter but quickly turned to filmmaking and animation.

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:

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

Visual artist and Illustration alum Vincent Valdez has been named a 2026 MacArthur Fellow.

RT @macfound: Meet the 2026 MacArthur Fellows! These 20 individuals explore the depths of our humanity, reveal untold origins to modern challenges, and expand the edges of scientific inquiry and life-saving research. #MacFellow

The internationally recognized street artist and provocateur Shepard Fairey discusses his compulsive need to create, the versatility that keeps his practice afloat, and his life-changing RISD experience

RISD’s Academic & Creative Partnerships and Center for Community Partnerships hosted a community forum as part of DESIGN WEEK RI, inviting creative thinkers from across the state:

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. A privately funded program, this year’s funding was provided by @SantanderBankUS

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:

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:

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:

Industrial Design alum Skye Ray designs for outer space. He studied at RISD under the mentorship of faculty member Michael Lye and then went on to work at NASA. He recently launched his own aerospace design firm, HomeWorld Systems:

Two group exhibitions on view this summer offer an inside look at the singular yet overlapping creative visions of 17 recent Painting and Photography MFA grads:

Students are taking their creative practices beyond the studio this summer through the RISD Maharam Fellowship:

This summer students are taking part in internships working to gain experience in the art and design world that they’ll take with them after Commencement. RISD Careers has helped to place more than 300 students in a wide variety of programs:

Four research projects in the works led by faculty members and recent alums have earned backing from RISD’s Somerson Sustainability Innovation Fund:

This summer, kids, teens, and adults explored new creative pathways via RISD Continuing Education programs on campus, online, at RISD’s satellite locations, and across the globe in Shanghai, China

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: