Podcast appearances and mentions of rosanne somerson

President of the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and winner of the 2019 Pell Award for Outstanding Leadership in the Arts, Rosanne Somerson has a mission to enhance learning environments, accompanied by diverse experiences, viewpoints and talents.Join us in the episode of Elevate, as we delve into the important role of art in the academic and professional worlds, and discover new perspectives on the power of creativity, equality and empathy in education.

This week on the first half of Newsmakers: after seven years at the helm of the Rhode Island School of Design, Rosanne Somerson is stepping down at the end of June. Ted Nesi interviewed Somerson on the RISD campus, exploring the future of the school, the high cost of tuition, and the treasures in RISD's famous museum. Then, Target 12 Investigator Steph Machado joins Tim White and Ted Nesi to discuss her new report revealing that 60% of Providence public school students were considered chronically absent this year.

In its 144-year history, the Rhode Island School of Design—also known as RISD—has graduated numerous notable designers and creatives, from graphic designers Shepard Fairey and Tobias Frere-Jones, to painter Kara Walker, to cartoonist Roz Chast, to Airbnb co-founders Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia. Rosanne Somerson became president of RISD in 2015 after a distinguished teaching career there (and after John Maeda's departure). We speak with her about some of the common traits of RISDs most successful graduates. We also learn what she brings from her own studio practice of furniture design to her current work, how COVID has changed higher education, and about the power of a degree in the arts. Rosanne also talks about how the overlap of disciplines leads to innovation, and the importance of staying connected to your craft.  Bio An accomplished educator, academic leader and furniture designer, and a sought-after speaker and juror, President Rosanne Somerson is an advocate for the arts and the relevance of RISD's unique type of studio-based education. As the 17th president she is committed to expanding inclusion, equity and access to enhance a genuinely rich learning environment full of diverse experiences, viewpoints and talents. Somerson is also a practitioner with three decades of experience directing her own furniture design studio. Somerson has deep roots at RISD—extending back to when she was an undergraduate student at the college in the 1970s. In 1985 she returned to campus to teach furniture design, and in 1995 became the first leader of RISD's new Furniture Design department, helping to establish its strong reputation in the field. After subsequently serving in several academic leadership roles on an interim basis, Somerson emerged as the top candidate in two separate international searches, which led to her appointment as provost in 2012 and then president in 2015. An interview with Somerson is included in the Smithsonian's Archives of American Art Oral History Project and she has earned fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts along with the James Renwick Alliance Distinguished Crafts Educator Award and a 2019 Pell Award for Outstanding Leadership in the Arts.

On May 12, to kick off WantedDesign Online 2021’s online International Schools Show, host Amy Devers sat down with three brilliant, inspiring thought-leaders to discuss opportunities, advice, and insight for design students' next steps. Amy was joined by Natalie Nixon, Founder of Figure 8 Thinking; Diane Domeyer, Executive Director of The Creative Group; and Rosanne Somerson, President of RISD. The conversation looks beyond the portfolio to frame the value of creative training, stresses the importance of curiosity, and reminds us that the career path is itself a creative endeavor. With their creative tool kits, design students have everything they need to design their own opportunities. Images, links and more!Many thanks to this episode’s sponsors:Dunn-Edwards The Dunn-Edwards Emerging Professionals Design Competition is calling all emerging professionals, currently enrolled students of architecture and interior design! This is the time to practice your developing skills in commercial and residential design categories and get rewarded. Two grand prize winners will each receive $3,000 cash. Beginner and advanced levels are encouraged to apply. Submit now through August 6 at www.dunnedwards.com/clever to earn your bragging rights!StoryblocksVideo can be expensive and time-consuming, and that’s where Storyblocks can do the heavy lifting. Whether you’re a new or experienced creator, or part of a creative team, Storyblocks will help you bring all your stories to life through their affordable stock subscription plans. Browse a huge library of more than 1 million high-quality stock assets, including: 4K/HD footage, After Effects and Premiere Pro templates, music, images, sound effects, and more. These assets are royalty-free, so you can use your downloaded content anywhere for commercial and personal use. To start your Unlimited All-Access Plan, head on over to storyblocks.com/clever. Please say Hi on social! Twitter, Instagram and Facebook - @CleverPodcast, @amydevers, @designmilkIf you enjoy Clever we could use your support! Please consider leaving a review, making a donation, becoming a sponsor, or introducing us to your friends! We love and appreciate you!Clever is hosted by Amy Devers and produced by 2VDE Media, with editing by Rich Stroffolino, production assistance from Ilana Nevins and Anouchka Stephan, and music from El Ten Eleven.Clever is proudly distributed by

Rosanne Somerson is president of the Rhode Island School of Design.

In this special program, presented as part of WantedDesign Manhattan Online Conversation Series 2020, we discuss leadership insights, best practices and innovative ideas that can help sustain art and design schools through the new realities of the global health crisis and beyond. A conversation hosted by Amy Devers of Clever, with Rosanne Somerson, President of RISD; Samuel Hoi, President of MICA and Lorne Buchman, President of ArtCenter. This episode is presented as part of WantedDesign Manhattan Online Conversation Series 2020, presented by Clever and Design Milk. Visit wanteddesignnyc.com/online to view the program and watch replays of live talks. Please say Hi on social! Twitter, Instagram and Facebook - @CleverPodcast, @amydevers, @designmilk If you enjoy Clever we could use your support! Please consider leaving a review, making a donation, becoming a sponsor, or introducing us to your friends! We love and appreciate you! Please fill out Clever’s listener survey. Thank you for your input! Clever is hosted by Amy Devers and produced by 2VDE Media, with editing by Rich Stroffolino, and music from El Ten Eleven. Clever is proudly distributed by Design Milk. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/clever. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Rhode Island School of Design president Rosanne Somerson talks about the challenges she’s facing as a leader in higher education amidst the novel coronavirus, why territorial thinking has to stop, and the need to look at the Covid-19 pandemic as a “call-to-action moment.”

In this episode, we talk to Rosanne Somerson, president of Rhode Island School of Design, and Co-editor of The Art of Critical Making. She tells us how RISD (Rhode Island School of Design) teaches idea creation, how trained designers can uniquely tackle complex challenges like climate change, and how technology gives us new lenses for understanding the world.

Rosanne Somerson is a furniture designer, educator, and President of Rhode Island School of Design. After studying industrial design at RISD and running her own practice, she returned to the school in 1985 to teach furniture design, and became the first leader of the new furniture design department. In 2015, she was appointed the 17th president of RISD. In this episode, Jarrett and Rosanne talk about her early career and how she started teaching, how she approaches her presidency like a designer, and what she sees for the future of design education. Links from this episode can be found at scratchingthesurface.fm/144-rosanne-somerson.

The Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) was founded by women over a century ago, and it continues to be one of the leading art schools in the United States. Its current president, Rosanne Somerson, who is also an accomplished furniture designer, stopped by to talk about the institution and how it has pivoted to stay on top of the field, while serving an increasingly diverse student body.We also discuss the RISD Museum and its recent attempt to repatriate an item in its collection, the financial realities that face students, and how arts education can help us solve some of the challenges of today.A special thanks to musician Sophie Hintze for allowing us to use her unreleased song “Coffee in the Rain.” You can follow her on Twitter or Instagram.This and more in the current episode of our weekly Art Movements podcast.Subscribe to Hyperallergic’s podcast on iTunes, or RSS, and anywhere else you listen to podcasts.

Rosanne Somerson is an internationally exhibited furniture designer and President of Rhode Island School of Design. Somerson, a RISD alum, sees her parallel roles as a leader and practitioner as complementary parts of her life’s work, which she says began when she was a young girl charged with describing the world to her blind grandfather and “opening doors for people to see things differently.” Somerson, who grew up outside of Philadelphia, initially set out to pursue a career in photography. She changed course after her first year at RISD, when she discovered her calling to create functional works of art in 3D during a woodworking class. After earning her degree in Industrial Design and establishing a thriving design studio, she began teaching at her alma mater. In 1995, she was asked to run the newly minted degree program in Furniture Design. The scope of her leadership responsibilities expanded in 2011 when she elevated to the role of provost, and then, in 2015, named president of Rhode Island School of Design. Lorne came to know and deeply respect Rosanne through their time spent together at various meetings and conferences. They discovered that in addition to leading colleges of art and design on opposite coasts, they also share a conviction that a studio based immersive making environment is fundamental to fostering and mastering a creative life. As they gathered in Detroit for a recent conference, Lorne sat down for an interview with Rosanne in a recording studio (converted from an old shipping container) to explore some of the most pressing issues facing arts education today. The result was a wide-ranging dialogue on innovation and change, affordability and accessibility, and the enduring and growing value of design thinking in these challenging times.

The President of Rhode Island School of Design, furniture designer/maker Rosanne Somerson was considered a rabble rouser in her youth for attempting to take a woodshop class while being female. Undeterred, she found her way to a BA in Industrial Design from RISD and built her name as a leader in the studio furniture movement. Now the president of RISD, having also co-founded RISD’s Furniture Design department, is carving new ways forward for arts and design education and championing the power of boredom.  Images and more from our guest! Please say Hi on social! Twitter, Instagram and Facebook - @CleverPodcast, @amydevers, @designmilk If you enjoy Clever we could use your support! Please consider leaving a review, making a donation, becoming a sponsor, or introducing us to your friends! We love and appreciate you! Clever is created, hosted and produced by Amy Devers and Jaime Derringer, aka 2VDE Media, with music from El Ten Eleven and editing by Chris Modl. Clever is proudly distributed by Design Milk.

Rosanne Somerson is a furniture designer and maker, with works in the permanent collections of the Yale Art Gallery and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. She is also the President of the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). She has a long history with the school: she earned her BFA in industrial design there, with a focus on furniture making, and she joined the faculty of RISD in 1985. She was appointed its president in 2015, but she still maintains a studio in Fall River, Massachusetts. She still makes time for one or two design projects a year, a practice she feels is necessary to her work as president. Rosanne is passionate about arts education as a preparation for jobs that don't exist—a crucial skill in an ever-changing world—and about artists as the change-makers the world needs.  Make/Time shares conversations about craft, inspiration, and the creative process. Listen to leading makers and thinkers talk about where they came from, what they're making, and where they're going next. Make/Time is hosted by Stuart Kestenbaum and is a project of craftschools.us.

November 3, 2012 With Debera Johnson, Sanjit Sethi, and Ezri Tarazi; moderated by Rosanne Somerson. Within art and design institutions a variety of models for inter–disciplinary, industry–sponsored, and community–based research have emerged that hold great potential for building infrastructure and “best practices” to support collaborative and partnered research. At the same time, these approaches raise a range of practical and ethical questions regarding, for instance, the educational benefits and ethical challenges of collaborating with industry, and broader concerns regarding the ways in which creative research is used, credited, and (occasionally) monetized within these “partnered” relations. Rosanne Somerson received her BFA from RISD in 1976 and joined RISD’s faculty in 1985. After serving as interim provost for the 2011–12 academic year, she has been appointed provost effective July 1, 2012. In addition, she served as interim associate provost for Academic Affairs from 2005–07. After a sabbatical in 2007–08, Somerson resumed her position as professor and head of Furniture Design. From 1985–95 she ran the MFA Graduate Program in Furniture Design in Industrial Design, and from 1995–05 was head of the newly formed Department of Furniture Design at RISD. In addition to her academic roles at RISD, Somerson has maintained her own studio since 1978, where she designs and makes furniture for exhibitions and by commission. She is also a partner in DEZCO llc, a production furniture company whose projects include design and manufacture of the furnishings for the 500 bed living quarters in 15 West at RISD. Debera Johnson leads Pratt’s commitment to integrate sustainability into academics in her role as Executive Director of the Center for Sustainable Design Studies (CSDS). Founded in 2008, the CSDS interdisciplinary thesis lab supports industry based research projects in design, architecture and urban planning. The CSDS is the campus resource for sustainable design and has published open source evaluation tools and programming, workshops for faculty development, and documented case studies by students, faculty and alumni. Sanjit Sethi’s work focuses on issues of trauma, culture and community collaboration and the ways that art, design, and architecture can be utilized to address this complex topic. Of particular interest to him is the ways institutions of higher education can redefine themselves through the process of greater community engagement at the local, national, and global level. Sanjit received a BFA in 1994 from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University, an MFA in 1998 from the University of Georgia, and an MS in advanced visual studies in 2002 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is currently Director of the Center for Art and Public Life, Chair of the Community Arts Program and Barclay Simpson Professor of Community Arts at the California College of the Arts. Ezri Tarazi is an industrial designer and the head of the Industrial Design department at Bezalel Academy of Art and Design in Jerusalem. During the past 15 years, Ezri has been active as a designer, realising a large body of experimental and practical work for a number of clients; as a writer; and as a curator, a participant, and the subject of a range of exhibitions. Host Organizations