Variations of a Drawing: Sol LeWitt and His Written Instructions

Sarah Laperle Educators Family Studio Notes LeWitt likened his instructions to musical scores, which are realized in a new way every time they're played, and it's possible for LeWitt's wall drawings to take slightly different forms, depending on how his directions are implemented.

Remembering Richard Merkin

Andrew Martinez From the files Richard Merkin was for decades the go-to authority for all things dandyish. As we see in the ephemera from his life and his tailored clothing on view in the exhibition "Artist/Rebel/Dandy", his personality and fashion sense live on at RISD.

The Buddha Project: Documentation

Ingrid Neuman Conservation While the sixth-floor galleries are undergoing an extensive renovation, the Museum is carefully studying and conducting conservation work on the monumental 12th-century wooden Dainichi Nyorai Buddha. When the Buddha is returned to its gallery in late spring 2014, it will be stabilized and we'll know much more about the art that went into creating this nearly 10-foot-tall sculpture.

Style and Sincerity

Dylan Brekka Educators Studio Notes Teens The woman in Frank W. Benson's Lady Trying on a Hat has always been a character who caught my eye during visits to the Museum. From her averted gaze to the contrast between her white dress and the black hat, she is poised to play the lead role on the stage that Benson created.

A Dandy Installation

Erik Gould A time lapse view of the installation of the RISD Museum's groundbreaking exhibition Artist/Rebel/Dandy: Men of Fashion.

Double-And-Add

Colin Frazer College Portfolio Student Voices In the flood of digital-ness that comprises our daily experience, it can be easy to forget that most of what all of our complex devices are doing is simply counting. It's no coincidence that the word digital comes from digits, our fingers, that most elementary of counting machines.

Collaboration and the Late-Medieval Book

Emily Peters Curator Books of hours made during the late Middle Ages and Renaissance were products of collaboration between scribes, illuminators, bookbinders, and, sometimes, the original patron or owner. A recent acquisition of a French book of hours made in Rouen around 1510 tells the story of this collaboration through the structure of its contents, iconography, and assembly.