Has the unfathomable diversity of insects ever fascinated you, but left you wondering where to begin? This is a basic course in entomology for the natural historian and artist. All orders of Class Insecta will be introduced, with both field and lab components whenever possible. Basic insect morphology and ecology will be covered for most orders, with opportunities for artistic rendition and use of both live and dead specimens as models. Students will learn basic insect anatomy and taxonomy for the identification of insects to order-level. Elements of insect ecology will infiltrate everything we look at, in both the field and the lab. Emphasis will be placed on the major orders (beetles, flies, butterflies/moths, etc.); the minor orders will be covered to varying degrees, but this can be adjusted according to the class consensus. Coursework will include field collecting trips, observation and drawing of specimens using a microscope, identification quizzes, and a course project that will emphasize the creation of materials for educational outreach. Additionally, students will finish with their own curated insect collection identified to order-level (or beyond, if student desires).

Elective

In this course we will examine the major psychological theories of color, form, depth, and motion perception. To this end, we will explore the nature of light and optics, the structure of the eye and visual pathways of the brain, and the sensory and cognitive processes which mediate visual perception. The roles of learning, memory, imagination, as well as social and cultural factors will be explored. There will be weekly class discussions of readings as well as individual presentations on various topics, some quizzes, a final paper and final class presentation.

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

For much of what we in the temperate regions of the northern hemisphere call winter, the trees around us appear lifeless. But are they? Dormancy in trees is a slowing of metabolic function, brought on and maintained by a combination of temperature and day length. Each species has a different response. The shortest day of the year marks a turning point for the plant world, as from that pivotal point day length steadily increases. So what are trees doing in January and February? How do they mark the passage of time, and know when to awaken? During the five-weeks of Wintersession, you will regularly observe and sketch a single tree, from root to bud. Through close observation you will come to understand your tree and how its various parts function in all weather. Class lectures and reading will inform your observations. In addition, samples of a variety of species will be brought inside so we can observe their responses to warmer temperatures. Each species' response will be documented through sketches and measurements of change in bud size, and emersion of leaf and/or flower. By observing the response of different species to increases in ambient temperature, we will become more informed about the implications of dramatic fluctuations in winter temperatures for trees in the future.

Elective

This course explores winter as an active ecological system rather than a season of absence. Focusing on cold-climate environments and seasonal transitions, students examine the diverse strategies organisms use to survive and communicate under conditions of reduced light, low temperatures, and limited resources. From plant dormancy and microbial persistence beneath snow to animal hibernation, insulation, cooperation, and long-distance migration, the course compares how species respond to shared environmental constraints through distinct biological and behavioral adaptations.

Through a range of materials (including readings, podcasts, and documentaries), alongside discussions, lectures, and field observations, students investigate winter as a period of metabolic recalibration, temporal anticipation, and ecological reorganization.

Designed for art and design students, no prior scientific background is required. The course integrates ecological theory with creative inquiry, encouraging students to translate scientific concepts into critical, material, and visual exploration. The final project consists of a visual and written dossier that interprets a winter survival strategy in communicative form and connects it to the student’s own practice.

Elective

Lead in city water, Mercury in fish, boil water advisories in Southern RI, PCB's, PAH's, BPA and more.  In this class, we will examine a variety of types of water pollution - how pollutants get into the water, what they do there and how they have been traditionally treated/removed.  We will examine emerging techniques for finding and mitigating water pollution, and brainstorm design solutions of our own.  We will review case studies, and take field trips to water treatment and sewage treatment plants. No prior science background is required.

Elective

‘Introduction to Sculpture: Casting’ is a rigorous short introduction to practices and techniques of contemporary sculpture.​ During the course of five weeks in Wintersession, students will move through foundational intellectual, formal and technical concepts of sculpture as a discipline, with a special focus given to casting, mold-making, and basic digital printing. The ideas and materials of sculpture are inextricably bound together, and this course is dedicated to both making objects in real physical space and dedicated to understanding those objects in conceptual space. This work is done through assignments, given to structure your exploration of the conceptual and technical applications of making multi-disciplinary art. In this course, we will focus on building material competency in plaster and flexible mold-making, and digital printing techniques. This material exploration will serve as a foundation for conceptual project prompts, individual research, discourse, artist lectures, and readings. Ultimately this course is designed for students to begin to cultivate the ability to imagine, design, build, analyze, and communicate across multiple dimensions utilizing fluid, formless material as a vehicle.

Estimated Cost of Materials: $300.00

Elective

Metals and Molds is a hands-on technical studio course that will introduce students to the fundamentals of steel fabrication and mold-making/casting and their creative possibilities, which together afford unlimited experimentation according to each artist’s individual interests. No prior experience is required. Students will not only learn about the long practice of combining mold-making and steel by various contemporary artists, such as Hannah Levy and Martha Friedman, but learn these exact processes and techniques to then apply to their own studio practice. This class approaches traditional techniques as a jumping off point for experimentation and students will be encouraged to develop an intuitive understanding of materials and form that can be applied to contemporary ideas of sculpture.

The first two weeks of the course will focus on obtaining technical skills through in-class demonstrations, immediate material engagement, and various small assignments. In steel, students will start by learning the basic steel fabrication techniques in the foundry, and how steel is both one of the most strong and malleable materials to work with. Students will learn cold and hot bending, cutting techniques (saws and plasma cutter), and Oxy-Acetylene welding (gas welding). In addition, students will learn the most common welding method, MIG welding, as well as grinding and finishing steel.

Mold-making will prioritize teaching the workflow of mold-making and casting, including identifying undercuts and high/low points, planning for pour spouts, and selecting casting materials. Students will specifically learn how to construct 1-part plaster molds and 2-part silicone block molds and how to use these molds with different casting materials to achieve desired results. Additional mold-making techniques may be explored depending on the learning pace and needs of the class.

Once basic skills are mastered the course will transition into how to manipulate these processes according to the students’ unique artistic visions, ultimately culminating in two projects that integrate steel fabrication with cast materials. Students will participate in two peer critique sessions to evaluate the final projects for integration of technical skills as well as conceptual/formal qualities.

Estimated Cost of Materials: $300.00

Elective

Afterschool Special adds another layer to the MFA Sculpture curriculum in relation to the work done in Graduate Studio and Graduate Critique. The class will be divided into 2 six-week sections taught by an artist and a curator. Through these differing and connected perspectives, students will develop a deeper understanding into the ways that art is displayed, viewed, contextualized and experienced. The course will explore the many roles that the artist plays in society in addition to elaborating the ways that visual art influences contemporary thought 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 practices in the field of fine arts. Students will be introduced to a variety of resources and skills necessary in preparing for upcoming and future opportunities such as residencies, granting applications, and fellowships. There will also be discussions about maintaining post-graduate art practices 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 case studies of a range of curatorial practices and consider examples of artist curated shows. 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

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 class explores digital design and fabrication in the context of contemporary art. We will primarily focus on exploring the varied potential of sculptural techniques using 3D Scanning and 3D Printing. Through the use of CAD software, digital tools and some traditional making practices, students will enhance their comprehension of how to incorporate digital fabrication into their own art practice.

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 digital fabrication tools available within the Sculpture department.

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

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 CNC Router. Through the use of CAD/CAM software, digital tools and traditional making practices such as joinery and finishing techniques, students will enhance their comprehension of how to incorporate digital fabrication using the CNC Router 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 digital processes and specifically, the CNC Router within one's artistic 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 digitally model complex geometries in two and three dimensions, generate toolpaths in two and three dimensions, output to a CNC Router and apply a professional finish to a CNC’d work.

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

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. 

Sculpture Sophomores have registration priority. All Juniors and above require department permission to register. Use the Request Course Section Prerequisite Override task to request permission to register for the course.

Elective

The prevalence and rapid evolution of digital fabrication technology is due in large part to open source communities of users who actively develop and contribute to new software, hardware, and publishing platforms. In this hands-on studio we will explore both the history and potential of the open source movement as it relates to art, design, and its production. Specifically, we will build upon, modify, hack, and create new open source tools, workflows, and platforms that aid in the production of original artworks. The semester will begin with a series of projects in which students gain familiarity with the norms and practices of open source collaboration, development, and publishing. From there, students will have the opportunity to devise and use an example of open hardware in the creation of an original body of work. Topics include: bootstrapping, hacking, intellectual property, licensure and attribution, speculative fiction, Cyberpunk aesthetics, Afrofuturism, Shanzhai, additive and subtractive fabrication, physical computing, motion control systems, experimental materials, digital distribution, and dissemination.

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

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

‘Intro to Sculpture: Wood’ is a rigorous introduction to practices and techniques of contemporary sculpture with a focus on wood.​ Students will move through intellectual, historical, formal and technical concepts of wood as a material. This work is done through assignments and is tailored to graduate students' individual projects and practice. The exploration of wood will serve as a foundation for conceptual project prompts, individual research, discourse, artist lectures, and readings. Ultimately this course is designed for graduate students to begin to cultivate the ability to imagine, design, build, analyze, and communicate across multiple dimensions within the expansive field of sculpture.

Graduate Sculpture students receive priority registration. Graduate students outside the Sculpture major may request permission to enroll by submitting the Request Course Section Prerequisite Override task for departmental approval.

Estimated Cost of Materials: $300.00

Elective

Our eyes are nearly always drawn towards something moving over something inert. What innovative strategies can be employed to incorporate video, sculpture, and physical space into a single work, without one medium dominating the other? How can an artist resolve the fundamental differences between two-dimensional moving images and three-dimensional objects or space? This intensive studio elective will explore methods and issues of assimilating video, photography, sound, performance, objects, and space through studying and constructing multimedia sculpture and installations. Throughout the semester we will be presented with assignments that examine these different possibilities from multiple perspectives, including studio projects that deploy video in a sculptural context, and sculpture that is only activated through a video work. We will study the recent history of artists and designers who engage multimedia techniques and experiment with new formats and technologies. Students will learn the basics of DSLR camera technique, digital video editing, audio production, audio/video display technology, and installation techniques. Students in the course should have an understanding of sculptural materials and fabrication techniques, and should be ready to experiment with the fundamental structure of the presentation of media.

Estimated Cost of Materials: $150.00

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