The rich and varied programs and collections at RISD’s art museum, library and nature lab continue to grow and change to support students’ hunger for research, inspiration, intellectual stimulation and general knowledge. 

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  Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design

  A major cultural institution in Rhode Island, the RISD Museum houses more than 86,000 works of fine and decorative art ranging from ancient times to the present. It is the only comprehensive art museum in southeastern New England and, as such, is a vital cultural resource both for RISD and the broader community. With seven curatorial departments, the museum offers a rich and varied program of exhibitions, lectures, tours, workshops and publications. It is dedicated to the interpretation of art and design from diverse cultures, and to educating and inspiring artists and designers, families, scholarly researchers and students of all ages.

  www.risdmuseum.org
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  Fleet Library at RISD

  Founded in 1878, the RISD library is one of the oldest independent art college libraries in the country. Its circulating collection of more than 150,000 volumes offers unusual depth and richness in the areas of art, architecture, design and photography. The collection provides strong historical and contemporary perspectives, and specialized materials in landscape architecture, ceramics, textiles and jewelry support upper-level research. RISD’s specialized library is also noted for its artists’ books collection, its rare books, some 400 periodical subscriptions and collections of outstanding visual resources.

  library.risd.edu
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  Edna W. Lawrence Nature Lab

  RISD’s Nature Lab is a unique resource for examining, exploring and understanding the patterns, structures and interactions of design in nature. A 1920 graduate of RISD and a long-time faculty member, Edna Lawrence founded the Nature Lab in 1937. Since then its collections – along with specialized microscopes and other equipment for studying them – have continued to grow to include more than 80,000 specimens and other items of natural history. The nature lab also houses live animals and plants, a natural history reference library and clipping file, and archives of slides, tapes, videos and x-ray photographs. Students may borrow selected objects as reference for studio projects.
  
  Watch There's No Place Like Here, a video about RISD's Nature Lab > 

  naturelab.risd.edu