Inaugural ceremony planned for RISD president

THE INAUGURATION for Rhode Island School of Design President Rosanne Somerson will be held Oct. 9 . / COURTESY JO SITTENFELD/RISD
THE INAUGURATION for Rhode Island School of Design President Rosanne Somerson will be held Oct. 9 . / COURTESY JO SITTENFELD/RISD

PROVIDENCE – The inauguration for Rhode Island School of Design President Rosanne Somerson will be held Oct. 9 at 2 p.m. at Roger Williams National Memorial, 282 North Main St.
Somerson said she is honored to be RISD’s 17th president.
“As a RISD alumna, I know the value of an art and design education and I am confident that RISD’s model of immersive, studio-based learning is more vital now than ever. As president, I will encourage our extraordinary community of faculty scholars and practitioners to help prepare our students to work with the tools, materials and opportunities of the future,” Somerson said.

Somerson graduated in 1976 from RISD with a bachelor of fine arts degree in industrial design. She is the second graduate to lead the college, but the first alumna.

She began serving on the faculty in 1985, teaching furniture and industrial design for a decade before helping create the Furniture Design Department, which she led for 16 years. She also served as interim provost and provost, according to information from RISD.

Following a global search, Somerson was named president by RISD’s board of trustees on Feb. 18. She had served as interim president for 14 months.

- Advertisement -

“Given the growing global embrace of the role of artists and designers in the 21st century, President Somerson offers a beacon of inspiration to young talent worldwide,” Board of Trustees Chair Michael Spalter said in a statement. “As the first alumna to serve as president, she embodies the spirit and essence of our community. President Somerson leads with a depth of knowledge and an instinctive understanding of RISD that will enable her to forge a path forward into uncharted territory with vision, grace, humility and integrity.”

The inauguration ceremony will be open to the public and feature speakers including MacArthur Award-winning artists Kara Walker and Janine Antoni, Tate Modern Director and RISD parent Chris Dercon, Gov. Gina M. Raimondo, U.S. Sen. Jack F. Reed and Brown University President Christina Paxson.
An outdoor after-party will follow at 6 p.m., featuring artwork and performances throughout the central campus.
To celebrate the inauguration, the RISD Museum is offering free admission from Oct. 6 to 11 and will remain open until 6 p.m. the day of the ceremony.
The inauguration celebration is part of RISD by Design 2015, an annual three-day event bringing alumni and parents to campus featuring workshops and demonstrations, open studios and more.
A juried sales exhibition of alumni and student work on Benefit Street will be held Oct. 10, along with the dedication of the newly-renovated Illustration Studies Building.
Information about the inauguration can be found HERE .

No posts to display