RISD’s Illustration Department Celebrates 75 Years with Sweeping Alumni Exhibition

RISD’s Illustration department is celebrating its 75th anniversary with a sweeping exhibition in the ISB Gallery featuring work by over 200 alums. Organized by Department Head Robert Brinkerhoff, who began teaching in the department in 1996, and Executive Director of Donor Relations & Engagement Amanda Wright, the exhibition is on view through October 11, where it will be the site of a Families Weekend 2025 reception.

“As RISD’s largest major, Illustration is home to approximately 300 undergraduates and (since the MFA program was launched in 2022) about 30 grad students with a diverse range of skills and interests,” says Wright. “We invited alums to submit whatever they felt best showcased their work: a fine art illustration, a book illustration, a still from a film, and so on.”

In order to encourage participation from as many alums as possible, the work was gathered electronically, laser-printed at RISD, and mounted simply with no mattes or frames. The submissions represent 67 years of Illustration graduates, from the Class of 1958 to the Class of 2024, including such luminaries as painter Eric White 90 IL, graphic novelist Brian Selznick 88 IL, and award-winning children’s book authors Grace Lin 96 IL/HD 25 and Jarrett J. Krosoczka 99 IL. 

“It’s a really nice representation of the department,” says Brinkerhoff, “and the quality of the work is excellent overall. The breadth of possibilities and pathways for Illustration alums is what makes the department so popular. Our alums do everything from designing films to working as photographers, art directors, and gallery artists.”

Brinkerhoff goes on to say that it’s this breadth of possibilities—and a commitment to building a strong foundation in drawing, painting, and narrative image making—that has carried through in the department’s curriculum since it was launched in 1950. And while the markets for professional illustrators change over the years, he explains, “there is always a need for visual materials to embellish, explain, underscore, express, and communicate.”

The 2022 introduction of RISD’s MFA program in illustration has also impacted the department’s overall vibe. “It’s an intellectual, civic-minded program that emphasizes a commitment to issues of social and political concern,” says Brinkerhoff. “Our grad students are interested in using their talents to effect change.”

Wright and her colleagues in Institutional Advancement helped to put together a comprehensive exhibition catalogue in which contributing alums share their own stories and reflect on how RISD has influenced their careers.

“Illustration taught me how to mix together an array of image- and text-based research into drawings and paintings, which has led to a successful fine arts career,” says exhibition participant Leon Benn 04 IL. Christy Colebank 70 IL submitted the cover of her recently published science fiction book, Phoenix Quest: Would You Go to Mars?, and notes that she learned her colored pencil technique from late RISD faculty member Edna W. Lawrence 20 PT, who founded RISD’s Nature Lab.

“The breadth of possibilities and pathways for Illustration alums is what makes the department so popular.”

Illustration Department Head Robert Brinkerhoff

“My time as a student in Illustration instilled in me a great appreciation for drawing from life and from nature,” says Michael Rich 91 IL. “My work has evolved in directions I could not have anticipated since my time at RISD, but the foundation in drawing, color, and the craft of painting is still the basis for my studio practice today.”

Alum and longtime RISD Professor Fred Lynch 86 IL submitted the celestial recruitment poster he created for the college in 1992. “At RISD, illustration has always been about more than just pretty pictures,” he says. “It’s about the visual expression of meaningful ideas. This show celebrates that tradition.”

Simone Solondz / installation photos by Kaylee Pugliese
September 22, 2025