Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Ethnicity in Communication Commons^™

Tùn-Scene And A-Futurism: Biomythography, Opacity, And Posthuman Imagination, Minglu Du

Masters Theses

Grounded in the author’s position as a Chinese feminist, this thesis examines how East Asian women, as well as East Asian-coded femininity more broadly, are objectified and othered within futurist visual culture in the age of artificial intelligence. Through an engagement with ornamentalism, techno-Orientalism, and posthumanism1 , it argues that the persistent figure of the feminized humanoid cyborg continues to reproduce colonial and patriarchal structures of desire, rendering marginalized bodies as fetishized and violable surfaces. In response, the thesis develops Tùn-Scene, a biomythographic artistic framework and the first experiment in what the author provisionally names A-Futurism. Drawing on Donna Haraway’s …

Menstrual Muses: Art, Storytelling, And The Care-Based Communication Of Menstrual Justice, Burcu Koleli

Masters Theses

Menstrual Muses is an artistic research project comprising a written thesis and a body of work developed across soft sculpture, ceramics, illustration, graphic memoir, digital media, and participatory workshops. The written component operates alongside the studio practice, outlining the project’s theoretical framework, methodology, and context while engaging questions of communication, accessibility, embodiment, and stigma. It situates menstruation within feminist discourse, examining how it has been culturally silenced, regulated, and shaped through systems of power.

The artistic work functions as research materialized through practice, responding to the central question of how my art can facilitate conversations around menstrual justice. It explores …

Archives Of The Future, Ka Oskar Ly

Masters Theses

Archives Of The Future is a practice-based thesis that invokes the archive and the future as simultaneous.

This research insists on the recentering of HMong Indigeneity and its own rooted traditions of HMong Queerness and HMong Feminism as ancestral knowledge systems.

They are the medicine. To recover their cosmological capacity is to traverse centuries of systematic eradication by empires and patriarchy.

I treat artistic making, community encounter, memory, and materials as equally valid ways of knowing and as collaborators. Field research from 2020 to 2026 moves through kinship and artisan teachings. It spans Southeast Asia, France, the United States, and …

You Are Cordially (Un)Invited: My Korean Femme Strategy And Aspiration For Survival And Queer Futures, Nahyun Kim

Masters Theses

You are cordially (un)invited: My Korean Femme Strategy and Aspiration for Survival and Queer Futures documents a series of ceremonies dedicated to the years I have survived. This book has branched from a project of the same name that consists of a durational installation, performance, and series of events. The project and book are an aspirational gesture to send off the part of myself–that had to compromise, comply, and negotiate with institutions–for a rebirth to live a life beyond survival.

As a book and project, You are cordially (un)invited is a culmination of my experiences as a Korean femme, using …

Bridging Empathy, Qianwen Lu

Masters Theses

As a jeweler, ally, and sympathetic witness to the traumatic stories of survivors, my work aims to support the process of reconstruction and reintegration for victims and the greater community. To move beyond isolation, resentment, and debilitating helplessness requires care and support. I want my jewelry to act as catalysts in the healing process by straddling both sides of the trauma-induced situation, to create greater awareness and empathy. National Coalition Against Domestic Violence shows that women are more likely to become victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, or other forms of physical and psychological abuse in unhealthy emotional relationships. These …

Liquid Border, Yingfan Jia

Masters Theses

A River is a mighty and constantly-evolving force, leaving behind an intricately designed and constantly changing system. Not just a river, the Rio Grande stretches all the way from Colorado before intersecting with the US-Mexico Border in southern Texas - a point where the powerful forces of nature now merge with a clearly-defined political boundary. The outcome of this is a unique ecological niche, which may often go unnoticed despite its distinctiveness.

Texas is famous for its farms and ranches, and the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas was once an agricultural hub. However, urbanization and the depletion of water …

2022 Mlk Keynote Address: Eddie Glaude Jr. Presentation, Center For Social Equity & Inclusion, Eddie Glaude Jr.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Series

One of the nation’s most prominent scholars, Eddie Glaude, Jr. is an author, political commentator, public intellectual and passionate educator who examines the complex dynamics of the American experience. His writings, including his most recent—the New York Times bestseller Begin Again: James Baldwin’s America and Its Urgent Lessons for our Own—take a wide look at Black communities, the difficulties of race in the United States and the challenges we face as a democracy.

In his writing and speaking, Glaude is an American critic in the tradition of James Baldwin and Ralph Waldo Emerson, confronting history and bringing our nation’s …

2022 Mlk Keynote Address: Eddie Glaude Jr. Pre-Event Presentation, Center For Social Equity & Inclusion, Eddie Glaude Jr.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Series

One of the nation’s most prominent scholars, Eddie Glaude, Jr. is an author, political commentator, public intellectual and passionate educator who examines the complex dynamics of the American experience. His writings, including his most recent—the New York Times bestseller Begin Again: James Baldwin’s America and Its Urgent Lessons for our Own—take a wide look at Black communities, the difficulties of race in the United States and the challenges we face as a democracy.

In his writing and speaking, Glaude is an American critic in the tradition of James Baldwin and Ralph Waldo Emerson, confronting history and bringing our nation’s …

2020 Mlk Keynote Address: Michelle Alexander Presentation, Center For Social Equity & Inclusion, Michelle Alexander, Rosanne Somerson, Matthew Shenoda

Martin Luther King, Jr. Series

2020 MLK Series Keynote Michelle Alexander brings audiences profoundly necessary and meaningful insights on the practice of mass incarceration that plagues the US justice system, as well as eye-opening conversation on how we can end racial caste in America. Lecture Wednesday, January 22, 2020 at 5:30pm, RISD Auditorium, 17 Canal Walk, Providence, RI.

In her acclaimed bestseller The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness, Alexander peels back the curtain on systemic racism in the US prison system in a work that the New York Review of Books describes as "striking in the intelligence of her …

Center For Social Equity + Inclusion Action Plan, Center For Social Equity & Inclusion, Rosanne Somerson, Rene Watkins Payne

Center for Social Equity & Inclusion Action Plan

Art and design have far-reaching capacities for generating shared language and connecting people and communities. The creative forms we study at RISD are powerful means for conveying ideas and shaping experiences across habituated boundaries. Today we see those forms resonate more than ever before in the multilingual, culturally heterogeneous, digitally interconnected spaces around the globe. In fact, the democratization of communications media has made it possible for long marginalized voices to join and substantively transform our public discourses. The resulting body of critical knowledge has focused attention on interlocking systems of privilege and disenfranchisement entrenched throughout our social institutions, including …

2017 Mlk Keynote Emory Douglas Program, Center For Social Equity & Inclusion, Emory Douglas

Martin Luther King, Jr. Series

Program for the 2017 MLK Keynote Address: Emory Douglas. An artist, educator and human rights activist, Emory Douglas served as the Minister of Culture for the Black Panther Party from 1967-80. Best known for his political drawings and cartoons in the Black Panther Newspaper, he articulated the injustices experienced by African Americans living in the inner city, the growing militancy and organization among urban black youth in the face of police violence and the need for community-based social programs. 2017 MLK Keynote, Emory Douglas discusses the process, meaning and impact of his artwork then and now.

2017 Mlk Keynote Emory Douglas Educational Foldout, Center For Social Equity & Inclusion, Emory Douglas

Martin Luther King, Jr. Series

Educational foldout for the 2017 MLK Keynote Address: Emory Douglas. An artist, educator and human rights activist, Emory Douglas served as the Minister of Culture for the Black Panther Party from 1967-80. Best known for his political drawings and cartoons in the Black Panther Newspaper, he articulated the injustices experienced by African Americans living in the inner city, the growing militancy and organization among urban black youth in the face of police violence and the need for community-based social programs. 2017 MLK Keynote, Emory Douglas discusses the process, meaning and impact of his artwork then and now.

2017 Mlk Keynote Emory Douglas Educational Foldout, Center For Social Equity & Inclusion, Emory Douglas

Martin Luther King, Jr. Series

Educational foldout for the 2017 MLK Keynote Address: Emory Douglas. An artist, educator and human rights activist, Emory Douglas served as the Minister of Culture for the Black Panther Party from 1967-80. Best known for his political drawings and cartoons in the Black Panther Newspaper, he articulated the injustices experienced by African Americans living in the inner city, the growing militancy and organization among urban black youth in the face of police violence and the need for community-based social programs. 2017 MLK Keynote, Emory Douglas discusses the process, meaning and impact of his artwork then and now.

2017 Mlk Keynote Emory Douglas Program, Center For Social Equity & Inclusion, Emory Douglas

Martin Luther King, Jr. Series

Program for the 2017 MLK Keynote Address: Emory Douglas. An artist, educator and human rights activist, Emory Douglas served as the Minister of Culture for the Black Panther Party from 1967-80. Best known for his political drawings and cartoons in the Black Panther Newspaper, he articulated the injustices experienced by African Americans living in the inner city, the growing militancy and organization among urban black youth in the face of police violence and the need for community-based social programs. 2017 MLK Keynote, Emory Douglas discusses the process, meaning and impact of his artwork then and now.

Am I White Enough?, Sarah Dahsohl Im, Risd Archives

Racial Justice

Representasian Campaign poster created by RISD Alumni Sarah Dahsohl Im. REPRESENTASIAN is a campaign made to raise awareness about the lack of diversity in Hollywood, specifically criticizing the whitewashing of Asian characters. Creating a visual system that was cohesive, bold, and easy to recognize was key. The color yellow and white paint were used as the main design elements. The deliverables for this campaign were accessable across print and digital platforms. Stickers, posters, and social media posts were spread with the hashtag #representasian. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with peers responding with their own experiences with whitewashing and others …

My Uber Driver Said "Xie Xie" To Me..., Jenny Li, Risd Archives

Racial Justice

他们不懂, tamenbudong, You Don't Understand campaign poster created by RISD alumni Jenny Li. Poster reads: My Uber driver said "Xie Xie" to me when I left the car, assuming I was Chinese.

Welcome To The Doll House, Francie Latour, Risd Xyz

RISD XYZ Fall/Winter 2013: Out of Bounds

From the Barbie dresses he made as a boy to his first splash in the New York art world, Martín Gutierrez 12 PR is working to perfect what he has always done naturally.

Designer's News May 19, 1969, Students Of Risd, Risd Archives

All Student Newspapers

The Designer's News was a student-run weekly newspaper published in the late 1960s. The issue of May 19-25, 1969 featured an article about the RISD Landscape Architecture department's study to save Block Island, RI. There also was an interview with John Torres about summer programs at RISD and at a school in Vermont, and an article about a RISD photo student who taught local pre-teens about photography. Also included was an article about the Rhode Island Art Festival and some RISD students who were volunteering their time to help.

Designer's News May 5, 1969, Students Of Risd, Risd Archives

All Student Newspapers

The Designer's News was a student-run weekly newspaper published in the late 1960s. The issue of May 5, 1969 is the first issue and features an introduction to the publication, along with articles on COLAB II, a new student show opening at Carr House, a speech given by union organizer Carl Braden, and an alumni seminar event on "art and censorship."

Blockprint April 15, 1968, Students Of Risd, Risd Archives

All Student Newspapers

Blockprint was a student magazine published throughout the 1960s. This issue of April 15, 1968 covers the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., including editorials concerning the event, as well as more local news related to the school. Also included is a double page spread of photographs from the school's COLAB program of the year.

Blockprint October 16, 1967, Students Of Risd, Risd Archives

All Student Newspapers

Blockprint was a student newspaper published throughout the 1950s-60s. The October 16, 1967 issue features articles on a Tent Dance at the RISD Farm, a resurgence of interest in composer Gustav Mahler, a new arts initiative called FANDSO, the Hippie movement, a concert at which The Yardbirds failed to show up, and a draft protest at Kennedy Plaza, along with a review of the film "Bonnie and Clyde," an interview with leaders of Brown student group The Sons of Liberty, a review of the exhibition "Six Sculptors," and other opinion pieces, editorials, and creative writing.

Blockprint September 18, 1967, Students Of Risd, Risd Archives

All Student Newspapers

Blockprint was a student newspaper published throughout the 1950s-60s. The September 18, 1967 issue features articles on hippies, the Montreal Expo 67, and the band Country Joe & the Fish, along with other opinion pieces, editorials, and creative writing.

Blockprint May 08, 1967, Students Of Risd, Risd Archives

All Student Newspapers

Blockprint was a student newspaper published throughout the 1950s-60s. The May 8, 1967 issue features articles on the Vietnam War, the RISD Executive Financial Advisor, a rodeo in Cranston, theater at RISD, the philosophy of duality, Bud Williams of the WPRO radio station, the Crystal Tap soccer team, film reviews, the Montreal Expo 67, and the Apparel show, along with other opinion pieces, editorials, and creative writing.

Blockprint May 01, 1967, Students Of Risd, Risd Archives

All Student Newspapers

Blockprint was a student newspaper published throughout the 1950s-60s. The May 1, 1967 issue features articles on the Chairman of the Freshman Foundation Division, a speech by Martin Luther King Jr. at Brown, a dispute involving sophomore women students not being allowed to live off-campus, a new Dean of Students, community involvement, and film reviews, along with other opinion pieces, editorials, and creative writing.

Blockprint April 24, 1967, Students Of Risd, Risd Archives

All Student Newspapers

Blockprint was a student newspaper published throughout the 1950s-60s. The April 24, 1967 issue features articles on the Associate Dean of Students, dorm living, a peace march in New York City, a motorcylce event in Massachusetts, car racing in North Carolina, and living conditions in Farnum Hall, along with other opinion pieces, editorials, and creative writing.

Blockprint April 17, 1967, Students Of Risd, Risd Archives

All Student Newspapers

Blockprint was a student newspaper published throughout the 1950s-60s. The April 17, 1967 issue features articles on communication between the administration and students, the Dean of the Faculty, studio hours at RISD, a new Dean of the College, the Crystal Tap Soccer team, interactions between RISD students and the Providence community, the need for a community organization to address moral and political issues, and Providence news, along with other opinion pieces, editorials, and creative writing.

Blockprint April 10, 1967, Students Of Risd, Risd Archives

All Student Newspapers

Blockprint was a student newspaper published throughout the 1950s-60s. The April 10, 1967 issue features articles on Parents' Weekend, the RISD Director of Admissions, issues with college Deans, slovenliness, the Rhode Island Italian Festival, an Andy Warhol visit and exhibition, and an Architecture Department project on campus, along with other opinion pieces, editorials, and creative writing.

Blockprint April 4, 1967, Students Of Risd, Risd Archives

All Student Newspapers

Blockprint was a student newspaper published throughout the 1950s-60s. The April 4, 1967 issue features articles on the value of art in society, a film on New Guinea by Dadi Wirz, RISD Hockey updates, and a new curator at the RISD Museum, along with other opinion pieces, editorials, and creative writing.

Blockprint March 13, 1967, Students Of Risd, Risd Archives

All Student Newspapers

Blockprint was a student newspaper published throughout the 1950s-60s. The March 13, 1967 issue features articles on the expulsion of twelve students from RISD and a colonial portrait show at the RISD Museum, along with other opinion pieces, editorials, and creative writing.

Blockprint February 27, 1967, Students Of Risd, Risd Archives

All Student Newspapers

Blockprint was a student newspaper published throughout the 1950s-60s. The February 27, 1967 issue features letters to the editors on Associate Dean of Students Paisner and other matters, articles on a sculpture exhibition at the Tonoff Gallery and the sailing club, and a review of the film "Endless Summer," along with other opinion pieces, editorials, comics, and creative writing.