The name Moshassuck, or Mooshausick in the language of the Narragansett people, refers to the place where moose water. This 12-mile-long, urban river flows through the heart of Providence, where it joins the salt waters of Narragansett Bay. Do you know this river? Have you wondered what life could be found along the banks or in the water? This course will be focused on the many plant species that, despite the imposition of urban construction and inputs of pollution into the waters, grow along the banks and within the built infrastructure, changing the river, and providing habitat to many forms of life wherever possible. We will follow the Moshassuck, from its origins in the state’s only area of limestone, through ponds, over dams, and through the cannalized confines of the river’s flow through Pawtucket and Providence. Our goal will be to document the plant species, their locations, and the changes taking place within the human built infrastructure as a result of their existence.

Elective

We frequently hear about animal (and plant) species that become common nuisances in urban areas, and we hear about how natural habitat loss leads to the disappearance of other species-not to mention the emergence of new diseases. This course will approach the area of urban ecology from a natural science perspective. We will learn about a broad variety of North American organisms (vertebrate, invertebrate, plant and pathogen), from diverse habitat types, and their ecological patterns and processes with regard to urbanization. We will also conduct field experiments to evaluate certain patterns in our greater Providence landscape for ourselves. Ultimately, how do urban wildlife patterns affect the lives of our species, Homo sapiens? Coursework will include frequent readings, outdoor field trips, observational chronicling and group discussions.

Elective

This course examines the form and function of the vertebrate body using a comparative approach. We will study the following anatomical structures and how they work by comparing them across vertebrate animals: eye/vision, ear/hearing, nose/smell, throat/taste, teeth and jaws/chewing, heart/circulation, lung/oxygen exchange, intestinal tract/digestion, kidneys/protein and electrolyte balance, musculoskeletal system/locomotion, lymph tissue/immune system, reproductive tract/reproduction, and the brain and spinal cord/nervous system. Reference animals will include those for which anatomy is best-known, including humans, dogs, cats, horses, cows, chickens, bullfrogs, and salmon. Each session will begin with an examination of the structure of an anatomical region followed by an exploration of its function, including movements and processes in example species. For their final project, students will be encouraged to explore a highly developed or specialized form and its function, such how kangaroos jump, how octopuses see, and how giant pandas digest bamboo. Through this course, we will demystify and develop an appreciation for the wondrous complexity of the vertebrate body and its role in art and design. This is a lecture-style course that includes in-class discussion, research and activities. Course work includes weekly readings and written responses, a series of completed anatomical sketches, and a final project.

Elective

This immersive interdisciplinary RISD Global Summer Studies course is for art and design students interested in studying symbiotic relationships in the bushveld ecosystem of South Africa as inspiration for their creative practice. Students will combine art and science to gain a deep understanding of the intricate connections among animals, fungi, and plants and their conservation value in a well-studied biodiversity hotspot that includes Kruger National Park. On location for three weeks in South Africa, this course will be co-taught by longtime RISD faculty member, scientist Dr. Lucy Spelman (Senior Lecturer/HPSS) along with a teaching assistant. Students will learn from botanists, ecologists, professional wildlife guides, traditional ecological knowledge holders, and wildlife biologists. They will also have the opportunity on location to create/make new works of art, design, and writing informed and inspired by their understanding of the many deep connections within nature and their conservation value. 

Registration is not available in Workday. Students must complete an application through RISD Global Summer Studies. A minimum GPA of 2.5 is required for all RISD students. Failure to remain in good academic standing can lead to removal from the course, either before or during the course. Additional information including deadlines and travel costs can be found on the Global Summer Studies website.

Did you know that the red signals of traffic lights are inspired by the warning colors found in red species in nature? Nature is rich with messages conveyed through visual, auditory, olfactory, tactile, and even chemical signals; yet humans often overlook them. This interdisciplinary course invites art and design students to explore how understanding these natural messages can inspire more regenerative creative practices.

Through discussions, readings, and observational experiments, we will investigate the evolution of communication and ecological interactions in nature and their influence on art and design. Hands-on activities at the Nature Lab and in natural environments around Providence will provide opportunities to engage directly with the world’s inherent systems of communication. Students will also explore how cultural ecological perspectives shape interpretations of nature’s signals and synthesize their learning into a final visual and written project.

This course encourages curiosity and openness to observing and interpreting nature’s messages, fostering creative practices rooted in sustainability, cultural understanding, and scientific principles. No prior science background is required. Whether you’re sketching patterns, designing systems, or crafting narratives, this course will help you bridge the gap between art, design, and the natural world.

Elective

This course adds another layer of engagement to the MFA Sculpture curriculum in relation to the work done in Grad Studio and Advanced Critical Issues. The class will be divided into two six-week sections taught by a visiting critic and visiting curator. Through these distinct perspectives, students will develop a deeper understanding of the many roles that the artist can play in society in conjunction with gaining knowledge of professional practices within the fine arts field. Additionally, this course will consider the ways that art is displayed, viewed, contextualized and experienced and how visual art can influence contemporary thought and conversation through the history of curation and exhibition-making.

The course will consist of lectures, discussions, group critiques and one-on-one studio visits. The first half of the semester will focus on professional practice and consider each student’s practice through the lens of relevant historical and contemporary artists. Course content will include discussions about maintaining post-graduate art practices, application processes and cultivating thriving creative communities. The second half will focus on curation with emphasis placed on current trends and shifts in artistic and curatorial production, theory, and criticism. Students will examine a range of curatorial practices and consider case studies of artist curated shows.

The class will also develop a proposal for a potential group exhibition to occur post-graduation. Both sections will involve the topic of exhibiting works in various spaces such as galleries (artist-run, for-profit, university, etc.), museums and alternative art organizations.

Enrollment is limited to 2nd-year Sculpture Graduate Students.

Major Requirement | MFA Sculpture

In this class, we will delve into the realm of digital design and fabrication, specifically within the context of contemporary art. We will primarily focus on exploring the varied potential of sculptural techniques using a Digital Plotter, Laser Cutter and 3D Printers. Through the use of CAD software, digital tools and traditional making practices, students will enhance their comprehension of how to incorporate digital fabrication into their own art practice.

While our course content revolves around acquiring highly technical skills, its core goes beyond mere technicality. Our objective is not to achieve mastery in a particular software application or fabrication technology. Instead, we aim to cultivate a flexible knowledge of how to adeptly employ a few fundamental digital fabrication processes within one's artistic studio.

Students are expected to investigate each skill-set by way of experimentation and research, extending their practice well beyond scheduled class time. It is crucial that students make time outside the scheduled meetings to develop familiarity with the processes and tools taught in class and continue to develop knowledge outside of class.

Sophomore Sculpture students have registration priority followed by all other Sculpture students. Non-majors require department permission to register via the Request Course Section Prerequisite Override task.

Estimated Cost of Materials: $300.00

Elective

“Any attempt to understand an artistic medium through the lens of technology alone is futile and counterproductive,imposing limits on the conceptual understanding of the work. Good art is always both deeply rooted in and at the same time transcends its medium.”
-Christiane Paul
 
This course will explore digital design and fabrication within the context of contemporary art, design and architecture. Through a series of technical demonstrations and assignments, connections will be made between CAD/CAM software, fabrication technologies and the physical world. Additionally, the course will explore digital fabrication as it relates to traditional sculptural processes such as mold making + casting, metalworking and woodworking.
 
This course, although technical in nature, is not technical in spirit. Our goal is not the mastery of any one software application or fabrication technology, but instead an understanding of how to effectively leverage digital processes and tools in one’s studio.
 
The semester will be divided into a series of assignments, each exploring various approaches to digital design and fabrication, and will culminate in a final project blending digital fabrication with an existing project and/or research interest.
 
You will leave this course with the ability to model complex geometries, to collect and process 3D scan data, and to output using additive fabrication equipment. We will utilize the resources of RISD at large, but will focus on highly accessible, open source digital fabrication tools available within the Sculpture department.

Elective

This hands-on course introduces the fundamentals of mold making and casting, with an emphasis on experimentation and iterative problem-solving as essential to the process. Students will work with plaster and other easy-to-use mold making and casting materials to explore one-part and simple textural molds, direct modeling with oil clay, and basic casting techniques. The course builds toward more complex flexible mold systems—particularly with silicone rubber—while addressing key challenges like undercuts and scale. Alongside technical instruction, students will examine contemporary uses of casting in art and develop the skills to confidently adapt mold making techniques to suit their evolving studio practices.

Estimated Cost of Materials: $300.00

Elective

This course is structured according the notion that artists can use what is on hand to research and craft simple solutions to the complex physical, mechanical, and technical problems that must be routinely addressed in their making practices. This material and process based, hands-on, research studio will be structured in response to the issues that the advanced fine arts student is grappling with on a regular basis. Many of the issues that arise in the process of making provide the opportunity to transcend perceived material-based boundaries and thinking. Some of the questions this course attends to include: How do you defy gravity? How do you generate the hidden components required to physicalize the thing we can see in our mind's eye? How is the magic we need to create our work scalable to the resources we have readily available? Example working processes include: mig welding, tig welding, casting for prototyping, woodworking, and mold making. This course is open to juniors, seniors and graduate-level students. Please contact the instructor directly for permission to register.

Elective

This course is structured according the notion that artists can use what is on hand to research and craft simple solutions to the complex physical, mechanical, and technical problems that must be routinely addressed in their making practices. This material and process based, hands-on, research studio will be structured in response to the issues that the advanced fine arts student is grappling with on a regular basis. Many of the issues that arise in the process of making provide the opportunity to transcend perceived material-based boundaries and thinking. Some of the questions this course attends to include: How do you defy gravity? How do you generate the hidden components required to physicalize the thing we can see in our mind's eye? How is the magic we need to create our work scalable to the resources we have readily available? Example working processes include: mig welding, tig welding, casting for prototyping, woodworking, and mold making.

This course is open to junior, senior and graduate-level students. Please contact the instructor directly for permission to register.

Elective

In this course, students will spend a semester immersed in the metal shop creating performative works that incorporate elements of steel. We will practice metal fabrication skills such as welding, cutting, forging, and bending. We will explore the performative capacity of the fabricated steel objects through lectures, presentations, process critiques and improvisation. The course begins with a series of exercises that will build an object-based performance language. The second stage of the course will focus on the development of a performance work that incorporates a fabricated steel element as an essential ingredient to the performance. The course will culminate in a public performance.

No performance experience or metal shop experience necessary.

Sophomore Sculpture students have registration priority followed by all other Sculpture students. Non-majors require department permission to register via the Request Course Section Prerequisite Override task.

Elective

Time-Based Objects is founded in the legacy of sculpture—tracing the expansion of the discipline from discrete objects to the realm of installation, performance, and durational practice. This course will re-imagine the role of objects through multiple vantage points such as how they are used, manipulated, and instrumentalized towards new ends. While rooted in the tradition of theatre, the course draws on costumes, props, and sets as sculptural propositions in their own right—examining how objects carry meaning, embody narrative, and activate space. Students will explore the performative capacity of objects through projects, lectures, presentations, process critiques, and improvisational exercises.

In this course we will consider time-based methods as sculptural form. Informed by conceptual art, dance, social practice, and video installation, we will learn and engage with the experimental precedents that have shaped our current understanding of sculpture. Students will consider not just what an object is, but what it does, and what it becomes when set in motion.

Estimated Cost of Materials: $300.00

Non-majors may enroll pending seat availability. Students may use the 'Request Course Section Prerequisite Override' task to request permission to register for the course.

Elective

Building on technologies covered in Digital Design and Fabrication, this studio will explore relationships between digital fabrication, traditional sculptural and craft processes. Students will research and develop approaches to making that blend emerging fabrication technologies with traditional sculptural techniques including woodworking, metalworking, and casting. Students will leverage existing skillsets and departmental resources to both augment and invent methods of fabrication that complement their research and studio interests. The course will explore intermediate / advanced 3d modeling, 3d capture, robotics, and additive/subtractive fabrication techniques using both departmental and campus resources.

Through weekly slide presentations, readings and class discussions, students will be introduced to a broad range of artistic approaches, practices and communities merging technology and craft. Rhino 3D will be used as the primary CAD tool and students will need to provide their own laptop with Rhino installed.

The semester will be divided into a series of skill-building exercises, each blending digital tools with ‘traditional’ craft processes, and will culminate in a final project incorporating Digital Craft into an existing project and/or research interest. We will be utilizing the Sculpture department’s digital resources (Collaborative Robot, CNC Router, 3D Scanner, 3D Printers) in combination with woodworking, casting and metalworking* facilities.

This course, although technical in nature, is not technical in spirit. Our goal is not the mastery of any one software application or fabrication technology, but instead to gain an understanding of how to effectively leverage digital processes and tools in one’s studio. Success in this course requires resourcefulness, openness, and a willingness to collaborate. Depending on your existing skill set, it may be at times necessary to augment in-class demonstrations, with self-directed research and learning.

Elective

This course will teach the advanced skills and processes necessary to achieve reliably repeatable results in casting and mold-making. Students will gain material literacy beginning with a limited range of mold making products in the Platinum Silicone and Gypsum Cement families. This skillset will provide the necessary confidence to expand into the broader range of flexible and rigid mold making products to suit individual student needs. Students will learn key methods to achieve successful multi part flexible molds, with a specific emphasis on silicone rubber products. Direct modeling materials such as Castilene and Magic Sculpt will be demonstrated as companion products for making rigid semi-permanent mold ready objects. The proficiency gained in this studio course will enable students to problem solve mold-making challenges, such as complexity and scale, multi part molds, repeatable production of multiples, and planning for larger and more advanced mold-making and casting projects.  This procedural knowledge will assist in various purposes in a studio practice such as the need for repetition, durability, economy, and sustainability. This course is intended to assist, augment and enhance ongoing studio work for all students as they workshop their emerging studio practices.

Estimated Cost of Materials: $300.00

Elective

What is the meaning of contemporary? What is the meaning of critique? What are models for sustainable and ethical artistic practice? What is the role of the artist in contemporary culture? These are but a few of the frameworks we will use to explore an array of new tools for thinking, feeling, perceiving, and analyzing the textures of our inter-subjective environment. Together, we will address the challenges implicit in the willful consideration of what exists beyond what we think we know; beyond what we have been told is true about our chosen field as artists. We take up this exploration through a selection of readings, films, lectures and class discussions. Some of the discourses we engage include the relationship between politics and aesthetics, critical race theory, myriad feminist theories, theories of institutional critique, and methods of radical practice in contemporary art.

Majors are pre-registered for this course by the department.

Major Requirement | MFA Sculpture

Advanced Critical Issues Seminar 2 introduces a rigorous theoretical framework for thinking and writing about contemporary sculpture practice. Each seminar develops from a specific theme drawing on research from Grad Critical Issues 1, current debates in the field and contemporary events. Past seminars include: Artificial Natures, Precarious Relations, Frankenstein and Crime, Vanishing Points, as examples. Trespassing across sculpture, performance, cinema, fiction, feminist, queer, race and political theory and back again, we will address writings by Walter Benjamin, Lauren Berlant, Judith Butler, Gilles Deleuze, Michel Foucault, Maggie Nelson, Claudia Rankine, Jacques Rancire (as examples) in conversation with contemporary artists writings and projects to cultivate a conceptual grammar to extend to our studio practice. Approaching issues in contemporary sculpture through these discursive perspectives generates new strategies simultaneously material, conceptual, and critical.

Majors are pre-registered for this course by the department. Enrollment is limited to Graduate Sculpture Students.

Major Requirement | MFA Sculpture

What theories and methods concerning political, historical, and artistic languages do artists rely on to inform their practices? How are you and members of your cohorts approaching aesthetic form in your own practice? What is the language being used in and around the work you are creating? How can we as a community create space to refine these messages within our work? What role does the method of critique play in this collective investigation? 

Graduate Sculpture Critique is a discussion-based, collaborative critique seminar that makes space for multiple voices and ways of being in community; foregrounding and supporting the burgeoning artistic practices represented in the grad cohorts. This course centers community building, supplemental reading, group and peer-to-peer critique, and other dialectical methods that foster an intellectual and artistic intimacy among cohort mates. Here we build a foundation that supports risk-taking, question-asking, and the reimagining of predetermined boundaries. Students are asked with great intention to expand the discussion around intersectionality, interstitially, and interdisciplinarity and how the space between things comes to bear on the method of critique.

Majors are pre-registered for this course by the department. Enrollment is limited to Graduate Sculpture Students.

Major Requirement | MFA Sculpture

Graduate Sculpture Critique II/IV builds upon topics discussed in the previous semesters during graduate critique I/III. It continues its form as a discussion-based, collaborative critique seminar that makes space for multiple voices and ways of being in community; foregrounding and supporting the burgeoning artistic practices represented in and across the grad cohorts. This course builds upon the intellectual and artistic intimacy among cohort mates and between cohorts established in the first semester of each year. The risk-taking, question-asking, and reimagining of predetermined boundaries in the second semesters yields new critique and research methodologies that in the case of first year grads supports the lead up to their summer studio intensive or residencies. In the case of second year grads, this semester of intensive critiques supports their capstone thesis presentation and the group critiques and final thesis committee meetings that characterize the end of their work at RISD. As a practice in need of continual commitment, students are asked with great intention to continue to expand the discussion around intersectionality, interstitially, and interdisciplinarity and how the space between things comes to bear on the method of critique.

Students are pre-registered for this course by the department. Enrollment is limited to Graduate Sculpture Students.

Major Requirement | MFA Sculpture

What theories and methods concerning political, historical, and artistic languages do artists rely on to inform their practices? How are you and members of your cohorts approaching aesthetic form in your own practice? What is the language being used in and around the work you are creating? How can we as a community create space to refine these messages within our work? What role does the method of critique play in this collective investigation? 

Graduate Sculpture Critique is a discussion-based, collaborative critique seminar that makes space for multiple voices and ways of being in community; foregrounding and supporting the burgeoning artistic practices represented in the grad cohorts. This course centers community building, supplemental reading, group and peer-to-peer critique, and other dialectical methods that foster an intellectual and artistic intimacy among cohort mates. Here we build a foundation that supports risk-taking, question-asking, and the reimagining of predetermined boundaries. Students are asked with great intention to expand the discussion around intersectionality, interstitially, and interdisciplinarity and how the space between things comes to bear on the method of critique.

Majors are pre-registered for this course by the department. Enrollment is limited to Graduate Sculpture Students.

Major Requirement | MFA Sculpture