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.
Change Lab Season 8: Reinventing Education
41 Elle Hearns on Leading a Movement for Black Trans Lives
40 Grace Lynne Haynes on painting to redefine darkness and light
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39 Cedric Johnson on thinking historically about racial justice and the policing crisis
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38 Kevin Bethune on realizing dreams through design
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37 Photographer Barbara DuMetz on bringing diversity to both sides of the camera
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36 Bob Davidson on Rising Above Segregation through Persistence and Resistance
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35 Graffiti artist Chaz Bojorquez on straddling the street and the Smithsonian
34 Get Lit Words Ignite founder Diane Luby Lane on empowering teens through spoken word poetry
33 Dennis Gassner on the ‘method’ behind his Oscar-winning production design
32 Jessica Helfand on Redefining Design Ethics for the Digital Age
31 Ini Archibong on Designing Things that Spark Wonder
30 Documentary Filmmaker Ivy Meeropol on the Active Pursuit of Empathy
29 Saki Mafundikwa and Sadie Red Wing on Decolonializing Design
28 Recent Alum Vicente Magaña on Solving the Riddle of Mass Transit in California
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