RISD Art Circle and Lost in the Museum

The objects in this case were selected by members of the RISD Art Circle, a group of teen artists and art enthusiasts who together explore the RISD Museum collections. We were invited to work with inventory objects and think about an aspect of the museum’s history that matters to us. As young people, we are often mislabeled, misrepresented, and misunderstood. Some people think of all teens as stereotypes, undermining the personal stories that shape our unique identities. Similarly, museums catalog objects based on their physical characteristics, a practice that can rely on generalities and the way an individual museum professional might see an object.

The examples in this room show how easily these interpretations can lead to misunderstandings. We want to repair the statuses of these works as items that were once personally significant to individuals. The cards in this case were created at a public program where visitors were asked to imagine a story inspired by their own close looking, rather than using curatorial language. We invite you, the public, to think alongside us to build a wider pool of possibilities.

Nicole Benitez-Poz

Travis Bonanca

Callen Dussualt

Josephine Gilchrist

Cecily Goulis

Sarah Iannetta

James Mariano

Madelyn Perez

Ava Rabiner

Samuel Soler

Cody Tu

Caleb Wagner

Maxine Wo