Families Weekend
Held in October, our annual families event offers visitors abundant chances to connect with students, faculty and staff, and to explore studios and galleries. Throughout Families Weekend you’ll experience what makes RISD so special.
A lively fall tradition
Families Weekend events invite parents to see studios up close, speak with faculty, attend demos and exhibitions, and visit with their students. RISD Craft, a juried sale that takes place on Saturday, brings people together to showcase what’s happening at RISD.
We reserve a limited number of rooms at nearby hotels, motels and B&Bs for guests attending Families Weekend. Accommodations in the area fill up fast, so be sure to book in advance via our campus travel portal.
Families Weekend 2025: October 10–12
All families are welcome to join us on campus for a fun, activity-filled weekend. From getting a look inside our studios and sharing a meal at The Met to learning about student and family resources and more, this is a unique opportunity to experience life at RISD firsthand.
2025 Schedule
October 10
Friday Events
10 am–4 pm
Registration & Check In
ProvWash, 20 Washington Place, Providence, RI 02903
10 am–4 pm
Family Photos
ProvWash, 20 Washington Place, Providence, RI 02903
10 am–5 pm
New Contemporaries 2025
Gelman Gallery, 20 N Main Street Floor 2, Providence, RI 02903
10 am–5 pm
Liz Collins: Motherlode
RISD Museum, 20 North Main Street, Providence, RI 02903
10 am–5 pm
Architecture Department Triennial
Woods-Gerry Gallery, 62 Prospect Street, Providence, RI 02903
10 am–5 pm
Illustration 75th Anniversary Alumni Exhibition
ISB Gallery, 55 Canal Walk, Providence, RI 02903
11 am–12:30 pm
FALC Meeting
ProvWash room 366, 20 Washington Place, Providence, RI 02903
12:30–1:30 pm
Downtown Mural Tour with the Avenue Concept
*Registration required
Meet at Bolt Coffee, RISD Museum, 224 Benefit Street, Providence, RI 02903
12:30–4:30 pm
Office Hours: Student Financial Services, Registrar, Career Services
ProvWash, 20 Washington Place, Providence, RI 02903
4–5 pm
Inside the Studio Presentation
Guest speaker: Joanne Stryker, Dean of EFS, Division of Experimental and Foundation Studies
ProvWash Auditorium, 20 Washington Place, Providence, RI 02903
October 11
Saturday Events & Open Studios
9 am–5 pm
Registration & Check In
ProvWash, 20 Washington Place, Providence, RI 02903
10–11 am
This Painterly Print (monoprint) workshop
Memorial Hall, First floor, Rm 111, 226 Benefit Street
10 am–12 pm
Hands-On Session: Ming Ying Hong
Waterman Building, Room 42, 13 Waterman Street, Providence, RI 02903
10 am–2 pm
Fleet Library Annual Book Sale
Fleet Library, 15 Westminster Street, Providence, RI 02903
10 am–4 pm
RISD Craft
Happening Rain or Shine!
Benefit Street (Between Waterman & Hopkins Streets)
10 am–4 pm
Family Photos
ProvWash, 20 Washington Place, Providence, RI 02903
10 am–5 pm
New Contemporaries 2025
Gelman Gallery, 20 N Main Street Floor 2, Providence, RI 02903
10 am–5 pm
Liz Collins: Motherlode
RISD Museum, 20 North Main Street, Providence, RI 02903
10 am–5 pm
Architecture Department Triennial
Woods-Gerry Gallery, 62 Prospect Street, Providence, RI 02903
10:30–11:30 am
Outside the Studio Panel
Guest speakers: Sara Rothenberger, Associate Dean of Students and Ray Quirolgico, Vice President, Student Life and Engagement
Metcalf Auditorium, Chace Center, 20 North Main Street, Providence, 02903
10:30 am–12 pm
Campus Tour
Meet at ProvWash Lobby, 20 Washington Place, Providence, RI 02903
12–5 pm
Illustration 75th Anniversary Alumni Exhibition
ISB Gallery, 55 Canal Walk, Providence, RI 02903
1–2 pm
Student & Families Panel
Metcalf Auditorium, Chace Center, 20 North Main Street, Providence, 02903
1–4 pm
Nature Lab Open House
Edna W. Lawrence Nature Lab, 13 Waterman Street, Providence, RI 02903
3–4 pm
Life After the Studio: A Career Services Presentation
Metcalf Auditorium, Chace Center, 20 North Main Street, Providence, 02903
5:45–7 pm
Families Reception with the President
*Registration required
Grand Gallery, RISD Museum, 224 Benefit Street, Providence, RI 02903
OPEN STUDIOS
Apparel Design
Canal Street Studios, 189 Canal Street
11 am–2 pm, Tours of department and corset design
demos using 3D modeling. Corsets under construction
on view, room 202.
Architecture
Bayard Ewing Building (BEB), 231 S. Main Street
11 am–2 pm, Student tours, Under Construction exhibition
in BEB gallery, and Urban Ecologies work in 4th floor
Pin-Up Space.
Film/Animation/Video
RISD Auditorium, 17 Canal Walk
1–6 pm, Senior Film Show, room 330
2–5 pm, Filming Yourself in Green Screen and Finding
Yourself Where Weren’t!, room 125 (The Blue Studio)
Market House, 27 Market Square
2–5 pm, Making Flip Books and Shooting Object
Animation, 3rd floor Studios
Furniture Design
Metcalf Building, 7 North Main Street
11 am–2 pm, Steam bending demo in alley and wood
carving demo in woodshop
Glass
Metcalf Building, 7-14 North Main Street
1–4 pm, Students Blowing Glass in Hot Shop, 4th floor
Graphic Design
Design Center, 30 North Main Street
11 am–2 pm, Pop Up Show in the Commons, 1st floor
Open Studios, 5th, 6th, and 8th floors
Shops and Galleries, rooms 103, 301, 701
Student studios, rooms 501, 601, 801
Jewelry & Metalsmithing
Metcalf Building, 7-14 North Main Street
11 am–2 pm, Selection of student work on view in the
2nd floor hallway display cases
Industrial Design
Industrial Design (ID) Building, 161 South Main Street
11 am–2 pm, Tours of department and wood & metal shops
Painting
Memorial Hall, 226 Benefit Street
11 am–2 pm, Tsohil Bhatia This Fire that Warms You
exhibition, 1st floor
Photography
Design Center, 30 North Main Street
10 am–4 pm, Student-led tours in Portrait Studio, room 308,
MFA Photography exhibition Housewarming in Red Eye
Gallery, 4th floor
Printmaking
Intaglio Studio, Benson Hall 206
10 am–12 pm, Priyanka Kumar MFA 26 PR, Monoprinting
Frazier Terrace, Benefit Street
11 am–2 pm, T-shirt printing activity
Intaglio Studio, Benson Hall 206
2–4 pm, Yuqi Liu MFA 26 PR, Paper Marbling
Sculpture
Metcalf Building, 7-14 North Main Street
11 am–2 pm, Students showing process and sculptural
examples in the digital labs, rooms 206 and 301, and the
foundry, down alley at right side of Metcalf Building
Textiles
Metcalf Building, 7 North Main Street
12–2 pm, Jacquard machine demo
College Building, 2 College Street
12–2 pm, Student-led tours on 2nd, 3rd and 4th floors.
Access at building signs on Benefit or College Streets.
October 12
Sunday Events
10 am–5 pm
New Contemporaries 2025
Gelman Gallery, 20 N Main Street Floor 2, Providence, RI 02903
10 am–5 pm
Liz Collins: Motherlode
RISD Museum, 20 North Main Street, Providence, RI 02903
2 pm–5 pm
Architecture Department Triennial
Woods-Gerry Gallery, 62 Prospect Street, Providence, RI 02903
Contact us
Alumni and Family Relations is here to help you navigate your student's RISD experience. Email us at families@risd.edu or give us a call at 401 454-6656.