November 27, 2002

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Brien McDaniel, Senior Press Officer
401 454-6342, bmcdanie@risd.edu

Catalyst Arts: A RISD Community Art Project
Rhode Island School of Design Student Creates After-School Studio Art Program for High School Students in Pawtucket, RI

Project Becomes College Credit Course for RISD Students

Catalyst Arts Grand Opening Reception + Exhibition with James E. Doyle, Mayor of Pawtucket and Roger Mandle, President of RISD
Tuesday, December 10, 2002,4-6pm

PROVIDENCE, RI — Rhode Island School of Design has initiated a partnership with the City of Pawtucket, RI, and Tolman High School to establish an after-school studio art program for high school students. Created by painting student Seth Goldenberg as a senior degree project and modeled after other national community arts programs, Catalyst Arts: A RISD Community Art Project focuses on establishing a safe and creative environment for art learning for high school students, and encouraging them to actively participate in their local visual arts community. Projects the students are working on include: mosaic and landscape community garden; ceramic installation; silkscreened banners throughout downtown; social map of downtown Pawtucket; performance piece based on stories of teenagers living in Pawtucket; and the creation of ìmythsî that aliens live in Pawtucket, among other projects.

RISD adopted Goldenberg’s art program curriculum last summer, and developed it into a community service learning credit course for the 2002-03 academic year. Over fourteen RISD students representing several art and design disciplines are currently enrolled in Catalyst Arts, and act as mentors to approximately 20 students from Tolman High School who have volunteered for the program. The space in which the art program is housed in downtown Pawtucket has been designed as a collaboration between RISD and Tolman High School students.

The activities of the art program will culminate on Tuesday, December 10, 2002, 4-6pm, with a grand opening reception and exhibition of work completed by Tolman High School students since October. Catalyst Arts is located at 228 Main Street in downtown Pawtucket. The Grand Opening is free and open to the public.

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 16,000 alumni, the college enrolls approximately 1,800 undergraduates and 275 graduate students from the United States and more than 47 countries, offering degree programs in the fine arts, architecture and design disciplines and art 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, housing 80,000 works of art in its permanent collection. RISD Information: 401 454-6100

Note to Editors:
Seth Goldenberg, RISD Faculty and Pawtucket officials who are involved with Catalyst Arts are available for interviews. Please call Brien McDaniel at 401-454-6342 to arrange the interviews.