This is a list of notable people from the Rhode Island School of Design.
Notable alumni
Academia
Business
Politics
– Architecture
Raëd Abillama (BFA 1992; BArch 1993) — Lebanon-based architect Deborah Berke (BFA 1975; BArch 1977; honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts 2005) — dean of Yale School of Architecture; principal of Deborah Berke Partners Preston Scott Cohen (BArch 1983) — Gerald M. McCue Professor in Architecture at Harvard Graduate School of Design; principal of Preston Scott Cohen, Inc. Jonathan L. Foote (1959) — architect Frances Henley (1897) — first woman to independently practice architecture in Rhode Island Allan Merrick Jeffers — architect, designer of the Alberta Legislature Building Bernard Khoury (BFA 1990; BArch 1991) — Lebanese architect Richard Levine (BArch 1962) — professor, green architect, and sustainability pioneer Alice Malhiot (BArch 1910) — believed to be the first Canadian woman to graduate from an architectural school Michael Maltzan (BArch) — principal and founder of Michael Maltzan Architecture Sam Posey (BFA Painting 1966) — New England car racer, painter and architect Ira Rakatansky (BArch 1942) — Providence-based architect Hashim Sarkis (BArch 1987) — architect Richard M. Sommer (BArch 1984, BFA 1983) — director, Global Cities Institute (present), dean, John H. Daniels Faculty of Architecture, Landscape and Design, University of Toronto (2009–2020), director of Urban Design and associate professor, Harvard Graduate School of Design (1998–2009) Nader Tehrani (BArch 1986) — dean, the Irwin S. Chanin School of Architecture of the Cooper Union (2015—present), professor and head of the Department of Architecture, MIT (2010–2014); principal and founder of NADAAA Veronika Valk (1997) — Estonian architect Clifford Wiens (BArch 1954) — Canadian architect
Interior design
Fine art
Art collectives Forcefield Matt Brinkman (BFA 1997) — artist Jim Drain (BFA 1998) — artist Ara Peterson (BFA 1997) — artist
Art collectors and art dealers Mary Boone (BFA 1973) — owner of Mary Boone Gallery David Whitney (B. Interior Architecture 1963) — art collector and curator; longtime companion of architect Philip Johnson
Digital arts Rebecca Allen (BFA 1975) — pioneer of early computer art, installation art, interface design, and professor
Guggenheim fellowships
MacArthur fellowships
Multimedia, mixed media and installation
Painting
Photography
Printmaking
Sculpture
Fashion
Film and television
Actors
Furniture design
Glass
Graphic design
Illustration
Industrial design Archduke Dominic of Austria, Prince of Hungary and Bohemia, Prince of Tuscany (BFA Industrial Design, 1960) David Hanson (BFA FAV 1997) — robotics designer of Sophia Charles Tsunashima (BFA Industrial Design, 1997, MFA Textiles 2000) — industrial designer, Tama Art University faculty
Literature
Music
Musical bands The following bands were formed by students attending RISD.
Black Dice — formed in 1997 Hisham Bharoocha (BFA 1998) — artist and musician, former member of Lightning Bolt Sebastian Blanck (BFA 1998) — artist and musician Fang Island — formed in 2005 Les Savy Fav — formed in 1995 Syd Butler Tim Harrington Lightning Bolt — formed in 1994 Hisham Bharoocha (BFA 1998) — artist and musician, former member of Black Dice Brian Chippendale (no degree) — artist, founded Fort Thunder Brian Gibson (BFA 1998) — artist Rubber Rodeo — formed in 1980 Talking Heads — formed in 1974 David Byrne (no degree) Chris Frantz (BFA 1974) Tina Weymouth (BFA 1974)
Textiles Pia Camil (BFA 2003) — contemporary artist Cynthia Schira (BFA 1956) — textile artist known for adding relief and irregularity to weavings made on a Jacquard loom Ruth Adler Schnee (BFA 1945) — a founding figure of contemporary textile design in America, best known for her modern prints and abstract-patterns of organic and geometric forms
Notable current and past faculty
Fine Arts Division The Fine Arts Division includes the following departments; ceramics, film/animation/video, glass, illustration, jewelry and metalsmithing, painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture, and textiles.
Ceramics Otto and Vivika Heino — ceramics
Film, animation, video Yvonne Andersen — professor in animation, department head Janet Perlman — animator, Oscar nominee for The Tender Tale of Cinderella Penguin Steven Subotnick — professor in animation
Illustration Jean Blackburn (BFA 1979) — archaeological illustrator, sculptor, and painter Lars Grant-West — illustrator for Wizards of the Coast Fred Lynch (BFA 1986) — journalistic illustrator David Macaulay (BArch 1969) — illustrator and author Barry Moser — illustrator Kelly Murphy (BFA 1999) — illustrator and author, E.B. White Award winner for Masterpiece Antoine Revoy (BFA film/animation/video 1999) — graphic novelist Mahler B. Ryder — mixed media collage, sculptor, jazz pianist, taught illustration 1969–1992 Chris Van Allsburg (MFA sculpture 1975) — children's book author/illustrator, Caldecott winner for Jumanji and The Polar Express
Jewelry and metalsmithing John Prip — silver design
Painting Richard Merkin (MFA 1963) — professor emeritus, painter Duane Slick — painting faculty since 1995 George William Whitaker — first instructor of oil painting Mabel May Woodward — painting faculty for over 20 years; during the early 20th century introduced the "action class," in which students studied the human figure as a machine rather than as a stationary object
Photography Diane Arbus — photographer Harry Callahan — photographer, former chair of the Department of Photography Joe Deal — photographer, professor emeritus, former provost Ann Fessler — author, filmmaker, installation artist, former department head and graduate program director Henry Horenstein — photographer Aaron Siskind — abstract expressionist photographer who, with Callahan, founded the photography department at RISD
Printmaking Andrew Raftery — engraver; has taught in the printmaking and painting department since 1991 Brian Shure — master printmaker, realist painter, teaching 1996–2016 Carol Wax — printmaker, visiting artist and faculty in the printmaking department
Sculpture Gilbert Franklin (1919–2004; BFA 1941) — sculptor, teacher 1942–1985, and former dean of fine arts
Architecture and Design Division The Architecture and Design Division includes the following departments; apparel design, architecture, furniture design, graphic design, industrial design, and landscape architecture.
Apparel design Katie Gallagher — fashion designer Daniela Lalita — musician, model, and artist Daniela Lalita sources:
Nicole Miller — fashion designer and businesswoman
Architecture Thomas Bosworth — former chair of Department of Architecture; Seattle architect; professor emeritus, University of Washington James Ingo Freed — architect Norman Isham — Rhode Island historical architect Manfredi Nicoletti — Italian architect Monica Ponce de Leon — architect, designer of the Fleet Library Jane Silverstein Ries — first woman licensed in Colorado as a professional landscape architect Galia Solomonoff — Argentinian-born architect Friedrich St. Florian — architect, designer of National World War II Memorial Michael Webb — architect
Furniture design Tage Frid — RISD professor of Woodworking and Furniture design 1962–1985; also connected to the industrial design program Jens Risom — furniture design
Graphic design John Howard Benson — calligraphy, design theory, sculpture Malcolm Grear — professor emeritus, graphic designer Mihai Nadin — theorist, semiotics, computational design, HCI Ootje Oxenaar — Dutch graphic designer, designer of acclaimed but now vanished Dutch currency Michael Rock — graphic designer; writer; design professor at Yale University MFA graphic design program Nancy Skolos — graphic designer, co-founder of Skolos-Wedell studios, teaching at RISD since 1989 Paul Soulellis — graphic designer, artist, publisher and teacher; founder of Library of the Printed Web
Industrial design Marc Harrison — industrial designer and pioneer of universal design and RISD professor of industrial design until his death in 1998 Victor Papanek — designer and early pioneer of universal design Peter Yeadon — industrial designer
Landscape architecture Mikyoung Kim — landscape architect Elizabeth Greenleaf Pattee — landscape architect
Experimental and Foundation Studies Division Dawn Clements — foundations faculty Mark Milloff — painter, foundations faculty
Liberal Arts Division Mairéad Byrne — poet Jhumpa Lahiri — creative writing, author of the novel The Namesake
References