Happy holidays from RISD! I wrote a simple Java program in Processing to spread the joy of my new raison d‘être. Processing is a popular system for creating computational artwork invented by Ben Fry and Casey Reas — my two former graduate students from a different era of my life. I often reflect on the fact that I distinctly recall telling Ben (often) as his research advisor to stop working on Processing and to instead focus on his PhD thesis. It turns out that Processing has become an incredible hit as it is used by numerous artists and designers worldwide today. The moral of the story? Listen to your professors … but listen even more to your own heart. I wish everyone a peaceful winter break wherever you may be.

- John Maeda

Be sure to read the recently added profile of alumnus David Wiesner [RISD ‘78, Illustration], three-time Caldecott Award winner, on risd.edu. David is one of the most original and imaginative children’s book illustrators working today. You’ll recognize his books, filled with their wildly fanciful images and few words. They’re a great holiday gift for children of all ages!

Congratulations to Evan Larson [RISD ‘99, Illustration], who is featured in The Best American Comics 2008, edited by Lynda Barry. Evan is a comic artist and illustrator (and part-time risd|works employee!), whose work has also been honored for the last three years by American Illustration, an annual juried survey of the finest contemporary illustration. Kudos, Evan!

Thanks to Fred Lynch [RISD ‘86, Illustration], a senior critic in RISD’s Illustration Department, who sent in word of Evan’s honor!

Update from Evan: “It’s worth noting that an excerpt of Jason Lutes’ [RISD ‘91, Illustration] superb series Berlin made it in [to Best American Comics 2008] as well. There’s also a recommended reading section in the back of the book which includes work by RISD alumni Brian Ralph [RISD ‘96, Illustration] and Brian Chippendale [RISD ‘97, Printmaking]. So RISD is well represented in the book.”

Congratulations to Ana Flores ‘79 PT, one of 40 people nationwide selected for the TogetherGreen Conservation Leadership Program sponsored by the National Audubon Society, with support from Toyota. An artist based in Charlestown, RI, Flores will work to create programming to engage more adolescents in art and nature through the Kettle Pond Visitor Center at Ninigret National Wildlife Center, where she is an artist in residence.

“Ana is the kind of person who can make a real difference in the health of our environment and the quality of our future,” noted Audubon President John Flicker. Flores herself recognizes that since the days of cave paintings, “artists have always addressed our fragile and ever-changing relationship with nature,” but adds that “we can no longer just document and observe from the margins - we must pair up with scientists to help bring the voice of the planet to those who are not listening. I hope to inspire people of all ages: adults, teenagers and college students to use the combined disciplines of art and science, to better understand this beautiful planet, celebrate or lament it through the arts, and ultimately imagine new, more sustainable ways to live on it.”

I visited the RISD Alumni Art Fair on Saturday here in Providence. So many things to see …

“Green Christmas,” an illustration by Marcellus Hall [RISD ’87, Illustration] of an environmentally correct Santa distributing gifts, adorns the cover of this week’s New Yorker. In addition to this commission, Marcellus creates editorial illustrations for The Wall Street Journal, Atlantic Monthly and Time. He also illustrated two books released this year: Things I’ve Learned from Women Who’ve Dumped Me (by Ben Karlin) and the children’s book Because You Are My Baby (by Sherry North). Marcellus lives in New York, where he’s also a recording and performing musician — formerly of the bands Railroad Jerk and White Hassle — and now making music under his own name.

I enjoyed this video by RISD Graphic Design MFA candidate Alpkan Kirayoglu. Certainly wish I could do Select-All and Align-to-Center with lots of things in my life. Command-Q.

Good news! The RISD Museum of Art has been granted $1 million by The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to support increased use of the collection by students and faculty at RISD and Brown. The new funding will create an endowment for a three-year postdoctoral curatorial fellowship in the Department of Prints, Drawings, and Photographs, home to the Museum’s single largest collection - 26,000 works on paper now more readily available for research in the new Minskoff Center on the fourth floor of the Chace Center. So far Art Daily, Providence Business News, ARTFORUM and WRNI public radio have picked up on the story.

(The image above is of the Minskoff Center for Prints, Drawings and Photographs, named for Edward J. Minskoff, father of Mitchell Minskoff [RISD ‘03, Photography], in the Chace Center.)

RISD and Providence are intimately connected by virtue of our region’s longstanding tradition of making things in manners true to the craft, thoughtfully composed, and with economic significance. You might say that our authenticity here at RISD stems from the authentic nature of our city of Providence. The word provenance signifies “to come from.” It struck me how similar the two words are: provenance and Providence. Coincidence? Perhaps.

I was recently talking with Beth Garvin about the hilly terrain of RISD — something you can effortlessly experience by clicking your way through a Google map … it’s soooo much easier to walk up Waterman Street this way.

View Larger Map

Beth had pointed out to me how there is “up the hill” and “down the hill” in the RISDworld. I went to visit her “up the hill” and recorded that little journey up and back down on iTunes (if you don’t have iTunes click here).