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RISD Exposé Gallery and 2ndLife Expand Presence in Providence With Move Into Permanent Storefront

09/12/2012

New Space Located in the Heart of Downtown at 204 Westminster Opens September 15

Providence, R.I. – Two Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) student organizations have come together to open a permanent storefront at 204 Westminster Street in Providence. RISD Exposé, a student- curated art space, and 2ndLife, a student-run non-profit materials up-cycling center, open on September 15 with a celebration open to all. Festivities begin at 6:00PM, featuring local bands and food. Recent art and design work by current students of all disciplines and media will be on display.  

With a permanent off-campus location, Exposé + 2ndLife can be more connected to the Providence community, linking RISD students with the goings-on at other local venues and spaces, and building ties between students, alumni, and community. Fall hours for Exposé + 2ndLife are: Tuesday - Thursday 11:30AM -6:30PM and Saturday - Sunday 1:00PM - 5:00PM.

“Since the start of Exposé, many student artrepreneurs have worked together to make the gallery a successful reality,” explained Emily Jenne [’13 Printmaking] and Sarah Lammer [’13 Printmaking], Exposé co-directors. “To be able to open a permanent storefront and move from pop-up to pop-in is a testament to the talents and hard work of RISD students and their creative entrepreneurial spirits.”

Exposé started as a month-long pop-up gallery three years ago and features art and design, both to browse and to buy. More than the usual student gallery, Exposé moves beyond the guidelines of a formal gallery and opens the floor to new ideas on how to show and sell student, alumni, and local work from nearly every discipline.

Non-exclusive and ever-flexible, Exposé’s atmosphere is not defined by any individual show, event, or workshop, but by the collection of everything that passes through the space. Exposé will host shows and events that cross disciplines, spark collaborations, and bring students and community together.  

2ndLife also aims to serve that purpose in its own way. “Now in our eighth year running, it has been a goal to expand into the local community, and it’s so rewarding to finally see this dream come true,” said Joseph Escobar [‘13 Industrial Design] and Hilary Wang [‘14 Glass], co-directors of RISD 2ndLife.

2ndlife is a non-profit student run up-cycling materials center that promotes sustainability and creativity through the collection and redistribution of art supplies and materials back into the local Providence and RISD community. Wanting to create a resource for reducing waste and repurposing supplies, 2ndlife was started in 2004 by students. On any given day you can find all kinds of useful things like scrap wood, drawing pads, canvas, pencils, paint, or unique

items like old electronics and remnants of previous artworks. RISD students and members of the community can come trade, donate or buy materials and supplies at discounted prices.    

As an added bonus, Exposé + 2ndLife are joining RISD faculty and alums in the same building. The Design Office has relocated floors on 204 Westminster Street. After five years on the fourth floor, the Design Office has moved downstairs and has quadrupled it size, allowing membership to grow from four to 13 members, representing architecture, interior architecture, graphic design, photography and Web development.

About RISD

Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) has earned an international reputation as the leading college of art and design in the United States. Approximately 2,400 students from around the world study at RISD, pursuing full-time bachelor’s or master’s degree programs in a choice of 19 studio majors. RISD is known for its phenomenal faculty of artists and designers, the breadth of its specialized facilities and its hands-on, studio-based approach to learning – one in which critical thinking informs making works by hand. Required courses in the liberal arts provide an essential complement to studio work, enabling graduates to become critical and informed individuals eager to engage with the world. Through the accomplishments of its 26,000 alumni, the college champions the vital role artists and designers play in satisfying the global demand for innovation. Founded in 1877, RISD (pronounced “RIZ-dee”) and the RISD Museum of Art help make Providence, RI among the most culturally active and creative cities in the region. For more information, visit www.risd.edu or our.risd.edu.