I caught the Foundation Studies exhibition in the Waterman Gallery with work by students of Prof. Alba Corrado (left) and Prof. Thomas Mills (right). It was an excellent juxtaposition of three-dimensional work and two-dimensional work. What struck me most deeply was the RISD emphasis on process such that the critical thinking and critical making on display was absolutely sublime in both 2D and 3D representations. -JM

After beating out two other talented finalists, Philadelphia-based artist Ryan Trecartin ’04 FAV has just been named the first winner of the Jack Wolgin International Competition in the Fine Arts, which comes with a $150,000 cash prize – the world’s largest given to a visual artist in a juried competition.

Created earlier this year by Jack Wolgin, a real estate developer, banker and philanthropist in Philadelphia, the competition was established at Temple University’s Tyler School of Art “to recognize an emerging artist with a significant studio practice who critically and creatively engages with existing histories and images, and whose work transcends traditional boundaries.”

Ryan certainly fits the description. Through both his amazing video output and a collaborative sculpture practice with artist Lizzie Fitch, he produces outlandish but bizarrely true-to-life work that you just may want to check out on Ubuweb and Vimeo. Way to go, Ryan!

RISD Professor of Architecture Kyna Leski spoke this past weekend at Pop!Tech. Here is Ethan Zuckerman’s summary of Kyna’s talk on creativity.

At their meeting earlier this month, The RISD Parents’ Council participated in a “play date” with students and faculty involved in an interdisciplinary studio sponsored by local toy giant Hasbro. After parents played and interacted with prototypes-in-progress (see above photo by Jennifer Garza-Cuen MFA ‘10 PH), they gave students feedback that will be helpful as they continue their semester-long investigation of the intriguing concept of play.

Parents also engaged in a discussion about how they can continue to create and support more internships for RISD students. Janie and Leland Wong, parents of Sarah Wong ‘11, shared details about Sarah’s experience working with alumna Michelle Martini ‘95 FAV last summer in New York, whose clients include Macy’s and the New York State Lottery. Sarah worked on the costume and set design for this spot - check it out!

Tomorrow October 24 (Saturday) watch Prof. Kyna Leski speak at Pop!Tech on the RISD approach to critical thinking and critical making. Live webcast is at America Reimagined. -JM

From thoughtful presentations, studio tours, faculty demonstrations and  lively workshops to John Maeda’s discussion on critical thinking and critical making, the alumni entrepreneurship panel and the warmth of the reunion dinners, there was a lot packed in to this year’s RISD by Design celebration for Parents and Alumni. Attendance at reunion dinners was more than double that of previous years, with special events for many of the reunion classes.  Click here for a glimpse of the fun, selected from the thousands of photos taken during the weekend!

Photo: Linda Coulombe MAT ‘86 explores visual math in Carl Fasano’s hands-on class Design Science.

Scott Indermauer Photography

Partly Sunny, an environmentally focused design showcase originally conceived and produced by 125 RISD students for the 2008 Democratic National Convention, is being exhibited today through Sunday as part of Bioneers by the Bay, an international gathering of environmental, industry and social justice innovators focused on saving the planet. Yesterday’s excellent Design Observer review of the showcase pointed out that “as a body of work, Partly Sunny invites a reading that is greater than the sum of its projects.” The entire initiative – involving five departments at RISD – was a huge undertaking led by Associate Professor Charlie Cannon, who will be running a workshop at Bioneers tomorrow, along with student designers who worked on the project. Even if you’re not attending Bioneers, you can visit the exhibition through Sunday at UMASS Dartmouth’s Crapo Gallery.

Foundation Studies is bringing brilliant author and critic Jed Perl to campus this week for a public lecture exploring the paradoxical nature of the artistic experience and “the place of elite culture in a democratic society,” as Perl himself puts it. Well known for his insightful columns in The New Republic, Vogue, Harper’s, The Atlantic Monthly and lots of other thought-provoking magazines, Perl has also written five amazing books about art and artists. He’s currently working on a biography of Alexander Calder and in 2005 his book New Art City: Manhattan at Mid-Century drew rave reviews from the country’s leading thinkers and earned Atlantic Monthly’s Best Book of the Year. Perl will speak about Authority and Freedom: Reflections on Artistic Experience and Liberal Society at 7 pm on Thursday, October 22 in the RISD Auditorium.

Design for Obama, the website/brainchild of Aaron Perry-Zucker ‘09 GD, turned the Obama campaign themes of inclusion and empowerment into an online community where artists up- and downloaded poster designs. The hundreds of submissions (notably “Did The Right Thing,” sent by Don Button days after the election) caught the attention of filmmaker Spike Lee. The result? A book of 200 designs, selected and edited by Aaron and Spike, with an essay by design historian Steven Heller. Published by Taschen, Design for Obama: Posters for Change/A Grassroots Anthology is set for release November 4, 2009, on the year anniversary of President Obama’s historic victory.

If you’re thinking about going green with your own career, you may want to check out Design, Industry + Careers in the Age of Sustainability, a symposium/topical discussion hosted by RISD|CE on Thursday, October 22, from 7-9pm. Charlie Cannon, associate professor of Industrial Design and co-founder of RISD’s popular Innovation Studio, will moderate and be joined by fellow thought-leaders Matt Grigsby ’05 ID, CEO and co-founder of Ecolect, Dawn Oliveira, co-founder of Oliveira Textiles (environmentally friendly fabrics for the home) and Meaghan O’Neill, writer/editor for TreeHugger.com and co-author of Ready, Set, Green. CE promises that the symposium will help you learn which actions, materials and processes make the biggest eco-impact in the home and workplace, how to express your creativity while “doing the right thing,” and maybe most importantly, how to inspire others with your own enthusiasm for positive change. Tuition is $25 and you need to pre-register by completing a downloadable registration form.