Project Open Door
Teaching + Learning in Art + Design (TLAD) runs Project Open Door (POD), a community arts program that helps local high school students develop artistic skills through free art and design programs.
Learning within the context of RISD’s creative community, students from Providence and nearby cities receive quality instruction, encouragement to graduate from high school and support in pursuing postsecondary education. This includes preparing competitive portfolios for colleges and universities—RISD among them.
Twenty years of Project Open Door (and counting)
In June 2025, Project Open Door celebrated its 20th anniversary as a free arts education and portfolio development program for local teens. At the celebratory opening of the POD Alum Exhibition at Woods-Gerry Gallery, POD students, alums and families reflected on the opportunities the program brought them, the importance of mentorship, and the vital role of affordable arts education in Providence and beyond.
POD programs
For teens seeking to develop their artistic skills and knowledge about art and design, our Saturday portfolio program offers high-quality instruction throughout the school year.
Our after-school programming—delivered by TLAD graduate teaching artists—lets teens develop their creative talents while exploring diverse approaches to art and design practice.
Our free, community-oriented visual arts program offers workshops, afterschool classes, and popup events to young children and families in Providence and nearby communities, regardless of income or financial ability.
Grounded in material exploration, skill-building, and collaboration, this after-school program offers middle-school students (grades 6–8) access to high-quality, joyful visual arts experiences.
Through partnerships with local organizations and RISD academic departments, our short-term workshops and summer studios offer a wide range of experiences. Varying from year to year, previous workshops include design studios with Hasbro, ceramics making at The Steel Yard and more.
POD news
Four incoming first-year students discuss the enormous impact that POD has had on their lives.
Emerging artists and designers worked with TLAD students and community arts educator Jacques Bidon to honor historic Rhode Island figures.
RISD’s Jewelry + Metalsmithing department collaborates with Project Open Door to offer young artists the first on-campus studio of its kind.