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RISD Dean Named to Lead MassArt

03/03/2011

RISD dean of Architecture+Design Dawn Barrett has been named president of MassArt

Dawn Barrett, dean of the Architecture+Design Division at RISD, has been elected as president of the Massachusetts College of Art and Design (MassArt).

In her tenure at RISD, Barrett has been instrumental in advancing curriculum and program design in the Division of Architecture+Design, which comprises the undergraduate and graduate programs in Apparel Design, Architecture, Furniture Design, Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Interior Architecture and Landscape Architecture. She has also been a strong contributor to RISDʼs curriculum review process school-wide through her work as an evaluator for the Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board (LAAB) and as a member of the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) Commission on Accreditation. Prior to her appointment as dean in 2001, she was head of the Department of Design at the Jan van Eyck Akademie in Maastricht, The Netherlands.

In addition to her administrative and faculty experience in the Graphic Design program, she co-edited and produced the publication ‘infinite radius’ Founding Rhode Island School of Design, with Andrew Martinez, which has become the go-to source for primary documents and essays related to the founding of the college.

In a statement released by the Massachusetts College of Art, Richard Shea, chairman of the MassArt Board of Trustees, was quoted as saying; “Barrett comes to MassArt with an unwavering commitment to advancing the disciplines of art and design. As a designer, faculty member and administrator, Barrett is able to see through multiple lenses and facilitate collaboration among diverse constituencies. She is the ideal candidate to support MassArtʼs growth as a leader in the field.”

RISD Provost Jessie Shefrin says,“We are grateful for Dawnʼs many contributions to the college during her tenure at RISD and know she will be a great asset to MassArt when she assumes the presidency.”