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Rhode Island School of Design’s
Annual Graduate Thesis Exhibition
Coming to Rhode Island Convention Center on May 21
opening reception May 20, 6-8pm
More than 120 RISD artists and designers across 14 disciplines
featured in graduate student showcase of art and design at its very best
contact: Jaime Marland, 401 427-6954 jmarland@risd.edu
Providence, RI — For the second consecutive year, the extraordinary work of more than 120 students receiving master’s degrees from Rhode Island School of Design [RISD] will be on view at the Rhode Island Convention Center in RISD’s Annual Graduate Thesis Exhibition. The work of graduate students in painting, industrial design, sculpture, textiles, photography and nine other art and design disciplines will be on exhibit from May 21-June 1, 2008.
The exhibition, located in Hall A of the Convention Center in the heart of downtown Providence, is free and open to the public daily from 12-5 pm (12-8 pm on May 31, the day of RISD’s Commencement), with an opening reception — also public — on May 20 from 6-8pm. When the exhibition was held in the Convention Center for the first time last year, the public turned out in record numbers, with a total of approximately 3,000 attendees on opening night — more than double the number from previous years.
The selected work represents the culmination of each student’s unique experience in RISD’s diverse, dynamic and demanding graduate programs. The 28,000-square-foot space will again be custom-constructed, with more than 1,500 linear feet of walls forming a network of smaller galleries. This arrangement provides students ample space, allowing each the opportunity to showcase multiple pieces from their individual thesis work — the manifestation of several years of research, experimentation, critical thinking and finely honed skills.
To extend the viewing opportunities of the exhibition, RISD offers a web-based gallery of audio, moving and still imagery of students’ work. The images and supporting artists’ statements enable viewers to gain insight into the thought process behind each student’s thesis work. The gallery will go live on May 20 at www.risd.edu/graduate.
In addition, a selection of work by second-year graduate students will be showing at Sol Koffler Graduate Student Gallery at 169 Weybosset Street. The installation will open on May 27 at 7pm and will remain on view from May 28-June 1 from 12-8pm.
About RISD’s Graduate Programs
RISD’s 16 discipline-specific graduate programs expose students to a wide range of activities, faculty, resources and facilities. Approximately 400 master’s degree candidates are enrolled in individual programs varying in size from eight to 95 students. Students work closely with faculty and visiting critics throughout the development of their thesis work. The expertise of RISD’s world-renowned faculty — all practicing professionals in their respective fields — guides the experience of graduate students, who are accepted to RISD through a highly selective admissions process.
The diverse graduate programs are further enriched through frequent visits by many distinguished visiting artists, scholars and guest critics. Most RISD graduate students complete their degrees with an exhibition and written thesis or degree project. Most are also provided with private or semi-private studio facilities and all graduate programs require a minimum two-year residency, except for the MA and MAT programs in Art + Design Education.
Disciplines represented in the RISD Annual Graduate Thesis Exhibition include: Ceramics, Digital + Media, Furniture Design, Glass, Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Interior Architecture, Jewelry + Metalsmithing, Landscape Architecture, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture and Textiles.
RISD’s graduate programs were ranked #1 in the nation in the recent U.S. News and World Report’s 2008 rankings of the best graduate schools for fine arts and design. The magazine collected data from more than 220 graduate programs to compile its findings.
About Rhode Island School of Design
Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) has earned a worldwide reputation as the preeminent art and design college in the country. Today, with more than 22,000 alumni, the college enrolls roughly 2,000 undergraduates and 400 graduate students from the United States and almost 50 countries, offering degree programs in the fine arts, architecture, and design disciplines, and art and design education. Academic programs include research and design initiatives, the exploration of art criticism and contemporary cultural concerns, as well as international exchange programs. Each year, RISD hosts prominent and accomplished artists, critics, and authors to its campus. Included within the college is The RISD Museum of Art, which houses a world-class collection of art objects from Ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome and art of all periods from Asia, Europe and the Americas, as well as the latest in contemporary art. For more information go to www.risd.edu.
RISD’s Annual Graduate Thesis Exhibition is generously supported by The Phoenix Media Group.
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