« back to list

Rhode Island School of Design’s 2012 Annual Graduate Thesis Exhibition to Open at the Rhode Island Convention Center on May 18

03/08/2012

Graduate student work across 16 disciplines to be featured in showcase of more than 190 RISD artists and designers 

PROVIDENCE, RI – The thesis work of 193 students completing graduate degrees from Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) will be on display in RISD’s 2012 Annual Graduate Thesis Exhibition at the Rhode Island Convention Center from May 18 – June 2, 2012. The exhibition includes work by graduate students in Architecture, Ceramics, Digital + Media, Furniture Design, Glass, Graphic Design, Industrial Design, Interior Architecture, Jewelry + Metalsmithing, Landscape Architecture, Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Sculpture and Textiles, Teaching and Learning in Art and Design.

The exhibition, located in Hall A of the Convention Center in downcity Providence is free and open to the public daily from 12-5 pm (10:30-6 pm on June 2, the day of RISD’s Commencement), with a public opening reception on May 17 from 6-8 pm.  

The work selected represents the culmination of each student’s experience in RISD’s dynamic, diverse and demanding graduate programs. The 28,000-square-foot space will 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, or large installations from their individual thesis work – the results of two or three years of research, experimentation, critical thinking and production.

The student work can also be viewed online in a gallery featuring images and statements of students' final thesis projects, enabling viewers to gain insight into the thinking and process behind the work.  The portfolio section will go live in April at www.risd.edu/thesis  

A selection of work by second-year graduate students will also be showing at Sol Koffler Graduate Student Gallery at 169 Weybosset Street. The installation will open to the public on May 30 at noon and will remain on view through June 3 from 12-6PM (6-8 with RISD ID).

About RISD’s Graduate Programs  

Graduate Studies at RISD consists of 18 master’s degree programs in 16 departments, with more than 400 students enrolled.

Graduate students come to RISD to be part of an extraordinary creative community and to connect with exceptional faculty, who are both dedicated teachers and leading artists and designers in their respective fields. They come to work in some of the best facilities and access some of the best resources in the country, to develop an individual vision and voice, and to create work that matters. Research is at the core of graduate studies at RISD. Research at RISD is based on rigorous, systematic inquiry and critical making, and develops through a variety of methods and forms – discipline-based and interdisciplinary, as well as individually and collaboratively shaped. This is fundamental to student development as artists, architects, and designers capable of defining practice in your their own terms and bringing creative leadership to an increasingly complex contemporary world.

The division of Graduate Studies offers a shared curriculum of interdisciplinary seminars that enable students to explore the intersections between history, theory, research and contemporary culture. Graduate students also have myriad opportunities to work across the institution, to participate in a broad range of conversations and forums on issues of contemporary and emergent cultures. In addition to classes and independent work, many graduate students participate in teaching, research, and curatorial projects, often collaborating with other students and faculty members, as well as curators from our renowned Museum of Art. An impressive roster of visiting artists, designers, critics, curators, and theorists complement the work and contributions of a faculty deeply committed to graduate education. RISD’s collaborative relationship with Brown University gives students access to an even larger array of lectures, events and courses.

Graduate study at RISD is invigorating, challenging and demanding. It requires a deep commitment, the willingness to take risks and an openness to give and take. In return, students discover the lifelong rewards of belonging to a passionate creative community where they can pursue their work, vision, and a future of meaningful and consequential engagement. To learn more, visit: http://www.risd.edu/Academics/Graduate_Studies/ 

RISD’s graduate programs were ranked #1 in the nation in the recent U.S. News and World Report’s 2012 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 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. RISD’s Annual Graduate Thesis Exhibition is generously supported by The Phoenix Media Group.