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Rhode Island School of Design

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The Rhode Island School of Design (commonly abbreviated RISD and 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 has been consistently named the best art college in the country by the US News and World Report and has the lowest admissions rate of all art schools in the United States (except for the free Cooper Union).

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. It also maintains over 80,000 works of art in the RISD Museum.

Contents

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.

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

Because of its nature as an art school, sports are not the focus of campus life, but do provide a rare sense of school spirit. RISD does have several intramural sports teams including a basketball team named the "Balls," who have the slogan, "When the heat is on, the Balls stick together." The team with the most infamous name is the hockey team, which proudly carries the title: "Nads." The customary cheer at hockey games is go Nads! (deliberately sounding like gonads). The RISD mascot is "Scrotie", a giant penis.

RISD students claim Cooper Union to be their arch rival in sports events, and the two hold an annual hockey match known as the "Supportive Cup".

Notable alumni

Groups formed at RISD

Notable current and past faculty

References

External links

 

From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
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