Rhode Island School of Design

Renowned artist and alum Julie Mehretu will deliver the keynote address and receive an honorary degree at RISD’s 143rd Commencement Ceremony on May 30, 2026. Commencement 2026 May 30 9 am ET Rhode Island Convention Center, downtown Providence To learn more about Mehretu and to view the ceremony streaming live on May 30, visit risd.edu/commencement—link in profile.

In the latest episode of “It Starts with a Question,” Oscar and Tony award-winning actress Marcia Gay Harden shares how an appreciation for the simple beauty of nature inspires her in life. For Marcia, creativity can extend in several directions. Watch the full episode of “It Starts with a Question” where Marcia and President Crystal Williams reflect on its origins, techniques, and manifestations—link in profile.

Furniture Design graduate student Jisu Han Jung is exploring the idea of “form fakes function” through his piece “Door Room Divider.” What is the action of opening a door if it doesn’t take you to a new space? Is it still a door? See the work of graduating student @junghanjisu along with other students completing master’s degrees across 19 disciplines at RISD Grad Show 2026 on view May 21–30 with a public opening reception on May 20 from 6–8 pm. at the Rhode Island Convention Center.

Sol Armada de la Cruz, who earned her BFA from RISD in 1992, is a creative leader working for Warner Brothers Discovery as part of the Global Experiences team. She has helped launch Harry Potter theme parks and traveling exhibitions across continents and redefined how fans interact with the TV and movie characters they love. Swipe through to see @solarmada ’s work and read the accompanying RISD.edu interview in which she discusses her years at RISD, the importance of having fun in one’s career, and her new role as president of RISD’s Alumni Association—link in profile. Stay tuned for more alumni features highlighting RISD graduates who are shaping culture and industry in bold, unexpected ways.

RISD Furniture Design presents “Intrinsic Values” a selection of works from the BFA and MFA programs that examines the role of furniture in contemporary life and the values that shape its creation @icff_official + Wanted 2026—come visit @risd_furnituredesign @javitscenter booth W981 from May 17–19. Working across diverse materials and processes, these works balance traditional craftsmanship with experimental approaches, engaging dialogues between hand and machine, structure and expression, and function and narrative. Together, they position furniture as utility, as art, and as a medium for questioning domestic conventions, environmental responsibility, and the emotional resonance of material form. Learn more on risd.edu—link in profile Shown: 1: Muhammad Asif, “New River Chair” Samuel Webster, “Ermine Chair” Anoushka Chaudhur, “Void Cabinet” 2: Mary Alford, “Filet Lamp” 3: Muhammad Asif, “New River Chair” 4: Anoushka Chaudhuri, “Void Cabinet” 5: Elizabeth Che, “Branch Chair” 6: Jack Crane, “The People’s System” 7: Lieyah Dagan, “Occasional Cabinet” 8: Russ Fogle, “Screenshot 2017-01-02 at 01.35.00 PM” 9: Andrew Goulet, “Cart” 10: Gregory Kmieciak, “Cairn” 11: Zoe Maxwell, “Splayed Windsor Chair” 12: Maggie McCreery, “Black Currant Sconce,” “Wax Linen Box Sconce,” and “Ash Horn Sconce” 13: Spencer Graham Peterson, “Camera Irritants (#1 and #2)” 14: elle wall, “secretary: (c)hair” 15: Samuel Webster, “Ermine Chair” 📸 Erik Gould

Repetition has long played an important, and often inventive, role in art and design. Associate Professor Minkyoung Kim, who teaches in the Graphic Design and Computation, Technology, and Culture (CTC) departments, discusses how small shifts, irregularities, or relationships between iterations can produce new meaning when you thread them all together. Our new series takes you into the studio for mini-lessons on art and design practice with RISD faculty and staff. Questions and thoughts for Minkyoung @mkimkimkimkimkimkimkimkimkimk Comment below.

Interdisciplinary Sculpture course “Metal and Performance” introduces students to the concept of “performance thinking” via steel objects fabricated in the Sculpture department’s foundry. Faculty member and alum Isabel Mattia, who teaches the course, sees it not as a traditional studio offering, but a laboratory for structured experimentation. Read more about the studio on risd.edu—link in profile Shown: 1: The class interacts with a piece by junior Taryn Liu 2: Sophomore Eve Paige explores the notion of constraint 3: Grad student Nicolás Franco demonstrates a key aspect of his final performance piece 4: The class views work in progress by grad student Lily Berman referencing urban decay 5: Performance piece by sophomore Davis Bos

President Williams recently led a passionate online conversation with activists and artists @tracieching , alum Shepard Fairey @obeygiant , @dreadscottart , and Yana Buhrer Tavanier @fineacts . “I frequently hear from young creatives who are figuring out how they want to engage with the world and wondering why art is important now,” @crystalannwilliams noted as she kicked off the conversation. Read more about the panel on risd.edu—link in profile. Shown: 1: Protesters with placards designed by Shepard Fairey and distributed by nonprofit design lab Amplifier 2: Work by Tracie Ching, whose wide-ranging practice includes working with the US Forest Service 3: Detail of Dread Scott’s 2023 print “I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free” 4: Dread Scott’s rallying cry in his work against authoritarianism 5: Shepard Fairey’s “Defend Dignity” mural in Los Angeles

Sculpture graduate student @nahom.ghebredngl ’s work captures a sense of accumulated time through material. Much of his work is surfaced with a homemade papier mache paste, a versatile material that he has used countless gallons of glue to make himself. See the work of graduating student Nahom Ghebredngl, along with other students completing master’s degrees across 19 disciplines at RISD Grad Show 2026 on view May 21–30 with a public opening reception on May 20 from 6–8 pm. at the Rhode Island Convention Center.

RISD has an outsized presence at the Obama Presidential Center with ties to seven of the 30 artists Barack and Michelle Obama commissioned to create work for the soon-to-be-open Obama Presidential Center in Chicago. Visitors are greeted by “Uprising of the Sun,” a vibrant, 83-foot painted glass window on the museum’s north facade by MacArthur Award-winning artist, RISD alum, and 2026 Commencement speaker Julie Mehretu. Also making boundary-breaking work for the center are alums Jenny Holzer, and Spencer Finch past honorary degree recipients María Magdalena Campos-Pons, Nick Cave, and Theaster Gates, Jr., as well as Associate Professor of Printmaking Tyanna J. Buie. Additionally, alum David Wiseman contributed one of his nature-inspired, bronze and porcelain Radial Branch chandeliers to the center. Visit link in profile to read more on risd.edu and the @nytimes about the commissioned artists with RISD ties. Images Courtesy The Obama Foundation, Theaster Gates Studio, and Kaylee Pugliese/RISD

The @risd.fav Senior Show premieres on May 8-9 🎬 ✨ See the work of 42 Film/Animation/Video seniors, whose films often go on to garner awards and critical recognition in venues worldwide. May 8-9 7 PM RISD Auditorium 17 Canal Walk Free and open to the public Each night offers a different program of films. The Senior works will also be streamed on RISD’s YouTube channel, May 15 & 16 at 7:00 PM.

2014 Graphic Design alum Morgan Ruby @morganruby_duh is an independent creative director working at the intersection of contemporary culture and brand, with clients like Nike, Google, and Apple. Her practice spans conceptual image-making, narrative, film, spatial, and design direction. Swipe through for a glimpse of her exciting work and the wisdom that informs her practice.