Check out the convenient Our.risd.edu Google gadget by the guys in RISD’s Interactive Design team to add to your iGoogle home page.

Here’s a report from Joan Herron ‘64 GD, President of RISD’s Alumni Association, about the RISD Northern California Alumni club (RISD NoCA) event at Mina Dresden Gallery in San Francisco:

“Our RISD NoCA “One Night Stand” show last night was an incredible success….about 4 times the people we expected to showed up. The atmosphere in the gallery was high-pitched, enthuhsiastic, exceedingly warm and certainly FUN. The work was of high quality and people really enjoyed sharing what they had been doing, and seeing each others work. it was exciting for me to see the inagination and creative energy that our local alumni have…and we do love being with each other.”

Many thanks to volunteers Eric Engstrom ‘64 IL, Jeannie Pettigrew ‘90 PT, Kate Rittman and Joan, and the others who pitched in to make the one night show a success. There is power in community!

I’ve started to present a weekly “innovation spark” to our core management team here at RISD. It’s been a useful exercise. I hope these sparks can start something up for you, wherever you may be.

• [000: Plurk]
• [001: Open Street Map]
• [002: Scratch]

Yesterday I visited the RISD Museum and experienced “Free-for-All Saturdays” with a variety of free make-stuff activities for kids spread around the Museum. Melissa Pinga pictured here is taking a bunch of children through the construction of a styrofoam bee sculpture. If you know a young family looking for a summer activity you now know where to send them to for the next upcoming “Free-for-All Saturdays” activities on July 26 for Gods and Monsters and August 31 Imagine a Space.

Today I addressed students from all over the world attending the 6-week Pre-College Program here at RISD. There I asked them a question about where RISD’s future should go. The resounding response was to achieve a global emphasis on the importance of creativity in this world, and to also support their future growth as world citizens. Big thoughts from young minds — the RISD way.

Today I had a nice chat with a former university president that gave me the following advice:

It will take you 3 years to get anything done. The first year will be spent figuring out the place. The second year will be spent figuring out how where the gas pedal, steering wheel, etc are so you can get the car moving. The third year is finally when you’ll figure out what you’re doing and where to head. Be patient to get to the third year.

He also offered more sage advice:

There will always never be enough resources to feed the entire system. The trick is to use your resources wisely, and to try and make everyone feel happy so they can focus on doing good work.

Conclusion for the day is that happiness is important, and that patience is more than just a virtue — it’s a requirement to live happily. Live happily this weekend, and beyond.

Welcome to Bill Gaylord BAR ‘77 and Kyle Gaffney BAR ‘90, who have agreed to take on leadership of the Seattle Alumni Club.

Here’s a photo of Bill:

And here’s a photo of Kyle:

Bill and Kyle are full of ideas for new events and activities for alumni, and welcome your input as well. You can contact Bill at BGaylord*AT*GGLO.com and Kyle at kgaffney*AT*skbarchitects.com. Get involved!

Like his name (but not how it is pronounced “Tay-Oh”) RISD alum and artist Tao Urban is an affable, calm, and extremely peaceful man. I was enchanted by the fact that he didn’t have a single computer in sight at his studio. Tao chooses to use pencil, ruler, template, and his most high-tech tool seems to be his electric-powered eraser. I was once told by a RISD professor that RISD students are uniquely trained to be able to work: “… even when the power goes out.” Seems like a useful skill in our ongoing challenge to survive with less energy in this world.

RISD is about the families that wonder out loud, “What will my son/daughter do with a RISD degree?” and ideally as pointed out by alum Mednick so that they “Don’t look for someone else’s ending.” I had a chance to sit with the Barclay family in Los Angeles to learn about their hopes for what a RISD education might provide their son Christopher. In response it was clear — a RISD education provides the opportunity for a creative person to shape and inform the world of art, design, and business, government, cooking, philanthropy, biology, medicine — as evidenced by the diverse body of alumni careers that I am beginning to observe. RISD creates extraordinary people that can become heroes with real superpowers. Perhaps capes should be distributed at the next RISD convocation … hmmmm. Hold that thought.

If alum Scott Mednick (GD 78) is RISD’s Thor, then Seth MacFarlane (FAV 95) is RISD’s Superman and Shepard Fairey (IL 92) is RISD’s Batman. Seth is the whimsically brilliant creator of the popular TV series Family Guy which has many subtle RISD tie-ins; Shepard is the creator of the eponymous Obey Giant brand that placed propaganda art on the contemporary map.