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Rhode Island School of Design

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Rhode Island School of Design
File:RISD seal.png
TypePrivate
Established1877
Endowment$220 million
PresidentRoger Mandle
Academic staff
146 full-time, 336 part-time
Students2,282
Undergraduates1,883
Postgraduates399
Location
Providence, Rhode Island
,
USA
CampusUrban
13 acres (53,000 m²)
Websiterisd.edu

The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD, pronounced /RIZ-dee/) is one of the premier fine arts institutions in the United States. It was founded in 1877 and is located in Providence, Rhode Island at the base of College Hill and contiguous with the Brown University campus. The two institutions share social, academic, and community resources. They offer joint courses and students at each institution may cross-register in courses offered by the other institution.

RISD is widely regarded as one of the best art schools in the country. It has been consistently named the best Master of Fine Arts program by U.S. News & World Report and has the lowest admissions rate of all art schools in the United States, except for the free Cooper Union.[1]

In May 2006 the RISD Board of Trustees approved this mission statement:

"The mission of the Rhode Island School of Design, through its college and museum, is to educate its students and the public in the creation and appreciation of works of art and design, to discover and transmit knowledge and to make lasting contributions to a global society through critical thinking, scholarship and innovation."

The school includes about 350 faculty and curators, and 400 staff members. About 1,880 undergraduates and 370 graduate students enroll from all over the United States and 50 other countries from other parts of the world. It offers 16 undergraduate majors and 17 graduate majors. RISD is a member of the Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design (AICAD), a consortium of thirty-six leading art schools in the United States. It also maintains over 80,000 works of art in the RISD Museum.

History

The Centennial Women were a group formed to raise funds for Rhode Island's exhibit at the Centennial Exposition in 1876. The group had $1,675 left over after the exposition, and, inspired by foreign exhibits on design and interior decorating, Helen Adelia Rowe Metcalf persuaded the group to donate the money to found what would become the Rhode Island School of Design. The school was incorporated in 1877 and opened its doors the following fall. Metcalf directed the school until her death in 1895. Her daughter, Eliza Greene Metcalf Radeke, then took over until her death in 1931.[2]

The Rhode Island General Assembly ratified “An Act to Incorporate the Rhode Island School of Design” on March 22, 1877. “For the purpose of aiding in the cultivation of the arts of design.” Over the next 129 years, the following original by-laws set forth these following primary objectives :
First. The instruction of artisans in drawing, painting, modeling, and designing, that they may successfully apply the principles of Art to the requirements of trade and manufacture. Second. The systematic training of students in the practice of Art, in order that they may understand its principles, give instruction to others, or become artists.
Third. The general advancement of public Art Education, by the exhibition of works of Art and of Art school studies, and by lectures on Art.

Sports

Sports are not the focus of campus life but do provide a rare sense of school spirit. RISD sports have fluctuated over the years with the RISD archives containing photos of football, baseball, and basketball teams spanning the very early 20th century. Yearbooks and alumni reveal the RISD Student Association funded basketball teams throughout the 50's and 60's and were called the 'Nads'. An ice hockey team formed soon after using the same name, 'Nads'. The ice hockey team played through the 70's, 80's, and 90's with little record of other athletics. In 2000, a new basketball team was formed under the name 'Balls' to complement the ice hockey team, each with their own slogan: "When the heat is on, the Balls stick together", and "Go Nads" (deliberately sounding like gonads). Currently, these are the two most active and organized sports teams at RISD, with basketball being the only team playing varsity- level competition. Together, both teams provide a rally ground for students, faculty, administration and staff alike. Intramural level teams round out the offering in rock climbing, mens and womens soccer, volleyball, and biking.

RISD students claim Cooper Union and Pratt Institute to be their arch rivals in sporting events, and the two hold an annual basketball match in both Providence and New York.

Notable alumni

Groups formed at RISD

Notable current and past faculty

References

  1. ^ "America's Best Graduate Schools 2007: Master of Fine Arts." U.S. News & World Report.
  2. ^ Kirk, Laura Meade (2004-3-21). "From bonnets to baccalaureates". The Providence Journal. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
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