Albert Bierstadt was born in Solingen, Germany, but came to the United States with his family in 1832 and settled with them in New Bedford, Massachusetts.

This salad spoon and fork set, made by the Gorham Manufacturing Company ca. 1885, is named after the coastal town of Narragansett, Rhode Island. Replete with intricately detailed shells, seaweed, and sea creatures—including small fish and tiny crabs—these two sea-encrusted utensils were my point of inspiration for a set of five brooches. In the following article I will describe some of the basic processes used to create my Narragansett-inspired jewelry

In 1971, a group of radical students in Providence produced stirring silkscreen posters. Their images contributed to the vibrant visual culture of antiwar protest.

Curatorial intern Grace Xiao reflects on viewing artwork that embraces instability, disruption, and restlessness, making room for open interpretations in the gallery.

RISD student Abena Gyampo traces the history of the hypersexualization of black bodies from the early 19th century to contemporary popular culture

RISD student Tito Crichton-Stuart analyzes Robert Mapplethorpe’s exoticisation of the black body and proposes potential acquisitions that could serve as counterpoints in the collection

1. Be steadfast.

A student in a RISD course on pan-African aesthetics contemplates a vinyl record pictured in a Sanlé Sory photograph in the collection, and imagines the songs it contains.

Juxtaposing Iké Udé’s photography with Sun Ra’s notions of "mythocracy" and Black Utopia, Ann-Maree Quaynor seeks to reclaim Black Dignity and Existence.

Professor Jan Baker encouraged her letterpress class to become inspired by the Circus exhibition at the RISD Museum.

A student in a RISD course on pan-African aesthetics, inspired by a photograph in the collection, envisions future possibilities of Black hairstyling.

The handmade object has a tendency to prompt memories from the craftsperson who made it. In this reflection on an embroidered purse from the 1970s, Ariel Wills and Kate Irvin are joined by maker Christina Bevilacqua for a dynamic conversation that demonstrates the narrative qualities embodied in material culture.

How did Japanese printmakers and poets of the 19th century express feelings and symbolic meanings through artworks depicting nature?

How does Liliana Porter use objects as playful characters in her prints? How can we create scenes using our own special objects and tell stories about them?

Why is an Etruscan situla, or pail, one of the most important objects in RISD's ancient collection? We examine its form, decoration, and context to understand its unique place in European archaeology.

The American and European jewelry collection at the RISD Museum, part of the Decorative Arts and Design Department, is made up of more than 800 works, including necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and rings from the medieval period to present day.

The RISD Museum is proud to participate in this non-partisan initiative of the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA), which uses design to encourage civic engagement.

Inspired by the European galleries, graphic designer Kelly Walters explores 19th-century notions of exoticism and beauty through the creation of a folded broadsheet poster.

Curatorial intern Sam Nehila uses collage to create abstracted forms and explore the trans experience of engaging with the museum’s collection of male nude bodies.

Curatorial Fellow Conor Moynihan explains how to schedule a virtual visit. With class-tailored PowerPoints focused on up to 10 collection objects, virtual visits encourage close looking, discussion-based learning, and non-linear exploring.

After a half-century's journey, Gorham's magnificent writing table and chair made for the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair returned home to Providence.

A glimpse into the lives of international merchants in Canton, China.

A summer intern peeks into the Museum’s hidden corners and examines its architectural quirks.

A summer intern's 3-dimensional visualization and virtual reality exploration of the Kanzeon Raijin Gate in Edo, Japan, as seen in an 1820s print.