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| half a century at risd |
04.20.08 | issue #37 |
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 For more than 50 years, Professor Mike Fink has been reaching RISD students through his popular English classes, which get aspiring artists and designers excited about reading and writing through courses in journalism, film criticism, poetry and more. We asked Mike to reflect on his half a century at RISD and what keeps him as engaged with today’s students as with the generations of alumni he has taught in the past. Excerpts from that interview appear in the print edition of risd views, which is on its way to readers through the mail, and in this online video clip. |
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online slideshow
The Athena Awards presentation in NYC (April 10) drew a crowd of hundreds to celebrate the accomplishments of eight outstanding leaders in the world of art and design. |
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| from alumni relations |
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As Roger Mandle enters the home stretch on his 15-year presidency at RISD, he has been traveling to various alumni hubs to connect with the many graduates he has befriended over the years. Next stop: Maine College of Art in Portland for a reception on Tuesday, April 29 from 6-8pm. Interested? Contact Claudia Zanni at RISD.
The Board of Trustees invites all members of the RISD community to the May 1 dedication of The Roger Mandle Building: The Rhode Island School of Design Living and Learning Center at 15 Westminster Street in Providence. So, stop by. The festivities begin at 5:30pm.
As part of the national American Institute of Architects Convention in Boston, TRO Jung|Brannen is hosting a RISD alumni reception in honor of Professor Jim Barnes BArch ’69, who has taught here for 35 years. The reception runs from 6-8pm on Thursday, May 15. You can RSVP to Gail Duarte at RISD.
RISD’s Career Services is bringing more than 125 visiting critics to campus for its Reality Check portfolio reviews this spring. Students are benefiting from feedback from representatives of such firms as Blue Sky Studios, Pentagram, Continuum, Mixed Greens, Scholastic, SOM, Reebok, Landor Associates, Pace Prints and KlingStubbins. Nearly half of the reviewers are RISD alumni; if you’d like to participate in future portfolio reviews, please contact Kevin Jankowski in Career Services.
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| look around |
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Self-proclaimed “cork dork” Daniel Michalik MFA ’04 FD believes that everything in our lives could, and should, be replaced by cork — the rapidly renewing wonder-material that he uses to make furniture. The Sundance Channel profiled Dan and his Brooklyn studio DMFD earlier this month on its environmental-issues series Big Ideas for a Small Planet; click here to watch a clip.
Driven by his “great conviction that Barack Obama should be the next President,” LA artist Shepard Fairey ’92 IL (best known as the mastermind of the Obey Giant street art campaign) created an iconic poster portrait of the candidate that has been spotted in public places from coast to coast. The Obama campaign recognized the power of the image and commissioned an official second version, which is available for sale to support the senator’s run for president. Click here to listen to Shep’s recent NPR interview about his unexpected role in the Obama campaign.
Wellness, a new film written, directed, shot, edited and produced by Jake Mahaffy ’96 FAV, holds “cult potential,” according to Russell Edwards of Variety. The feature about a man trying to succeed in a business that doesn’t exist is an “astute effort that is both razor-sharp and genuinely sensitive” — attributes that helped the film win the Narrative Grand Jury Award at the 2008 SXSW Film Festival.
Congratulations to Tom DesLongchamp ’07 FAV, who recently talked about his short KID SHOW as part of the Animation Competition at AFI DALLAS 08 International Film Festival.
In an article on Rhett Turner ’98 PH in this month’s issue of The Atlantan, the magazine points out that the avid photographer and filmmaker has explored 47 countries since 2007 — including such out-of-the-way places as Bhutan, Patagonia and Tanzania. His company, Red Sky Productions, creates TV documentaries about everything from endangered honeybees to the threat of weapons of mass destruction.
Chelsea Green MID ’07, James Minola ’07 ID, Jackie Guido ’07 ID, Brit Kleinman ’07 ID and Sami Nerenberg ’07 ID have regrouped post-RISD as Grain Design, a consultancy dedicated to uniting sustainability and business through 2- and 3D design services, research and strategy. New furniture pieces by Chelsea and James are currently on view in Design + Modern + Function at the Seattle Design Within Reach studio.
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on campus |
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RISD’s reach extends far beyond Providence, through studios and projects that take students to spots around the globe. Find out where in the world students have been and what they’ve been up to via the new international projects area on risd.edu.
Printmaking Professor Andrew Raftery is among the select group of artists, scientists and scholars chosen to receive 2008 Guggenheim Fellowships. He will use the fellowship period to complete an engraving project he’s been working on for several years — a group of interior scenes investigating human character through the way people live. The works will be exhibited in a solo show at NYC’s Mary Ryan Gallery in October.
In recognition of his contributions to the photographic arts in New England, Photography Professor Henry Horenstein ’71 PH/MFA ’73 has been selected by the Griffin Museum of Photography to receive the New England Beacon Award at its annual Focus Awards reception on May 8. |
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Eric Engstrom ’64 IL
50 Fremont Center
San Francisco, CA
through June 14
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John Gardner BArch ’81
Bermuda National Gallery
Hamilton, Bermuda
April 25-September 4
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Rob Nadeau ’99 PT
Mixed Greens Gallery
New York, NY
through May 23
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Jeff Waring ’85 PT
Highwire Gallery
Philadelphia, PA
through April 27
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Madeleine Pydych Hopkins ’82 IL
Three Graces Gallery
Portsmouth, NH
through May 4
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Kristin Street ’80 TX
URI Feinstein Providence
Campus Gallery
Providence, RI
through April 30
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