WAYS RAC WORKS

Public Engagement

PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT

RAC is a leadership group at the museum. We create programs mostly for teens in the community. Centered a lot on having our perspective heard by a larger audience. We use the museum to create the programs and we want to reach an audience farther than that of just museum goers.

The RISD Art Circle teens are passionate about connecting artworks in the collection to the lives young people today. The group has done this through programs, installations, and acquisitions.

Art Truck Takeover

In June 2017 as part of a partnership with the City of Providence Department of Art, Culture and Tourism, RAC and the RISD Museum Artist Fellow Walker Mettling were involved in “Cranston Street Armory Activated by Art” an experimental auxiliary arm of PVD Fest that took place Sunday June 4th in Dexter Field adjacent to the Cranston St. Armory. Many different organizations, businesses and artists converged on the park that day. In the northwest corner of the park RAC and Walker worked to bring together local creators to transform five rented U-Haul moving trucks into exciting interactive experiences.

Working with eight different artists each truck became project space. García Sinclair transformed their truck into a menu karaoke bar. Kylie Why, along with several artist assistants gave festival goers makeovers and manicures for a single nail. Unknown Studios is a collective of young self-taught artists who produced 200 bandanas and tote bags in a live screen printing session. Rachel Blumberg Percussion Garden was an interactive, community focused sonic installation, made from found objects and existing percussion instruments. The RISD Art Circle teens and Walker Mettling created a pop up gallery of new works generated onsite and registered 150 people for the Artists Membership.

Twelve teenagers in two rows all wearing a white t-shirts with a maroon collar in front of beige fabric banner with blue monsters.

Person performing Restaurant Menu karaoke in the back of Uhaul Truck with decorated with inflatable instruments.

Inside of U-haul Truck covred with small pieces of cardboard that have drawings on them.

Someone holding out a finger out to display a single fingernail design from the makeover U-haul truck.

Artists screen-printing a white botanical design on black bag with the help of a participant

Sticks, metal objects, fake flowers inside a U-Haul truck as part of found object noise garden.

Camera angled from the top of the stair looking down a staircase at five people talking with some art installation equipment nearby.

Two people talking with step-stool behind them but in front of piece of white fabric with a black ink drawing on it

Teenage helping another teenager step into a two foot pinneapple shaped stool that is holding the leaf shaped stool top.

Student straightening a wall piece that has layers of fabric one of which is being lifted to reveal small letters that spell Call Mom.

Touchable Art

RAC worked with Emily Sellon, a graduate student at Brown in Public Humanities, to curate an exhibition of touchable art at the Granoff Center for the Creative Arts located on the Brown University Campus. The call for art was open to Brown, RISD, and local high school students. RAC reviewed 53 submissions from college students, one submission from RAC, and one high school student submission. Submissions represented a huge variety of media and approaches to the concept of “touchable art”. RAC was given complete curatorial freedom over the exhibition with the exception of artwork determined by the Granoff building managers not able to be safely displayed. The exhibition was displayed throughout three floors of the Granoff Center. RAC members were also involved in the process installation and learn how to hang objects at eye-level, discussed ADA compliance and other factors . RAC members invited friends and family to attend the opening reception and a performance where they were able to meet many of the artists.

Rhythm & Ink

RAC in partnership with New Urban Arts hosted a teen event on November 2019 Third Thursday called “Rhythm & Ink.” Students from New Urban Arts created designs inspired by The Art & Design of Spider Silk which were screenprinted onto tote bags during the event. DJ Ken supplied music and RAC created a zine called “How to Museum” with prompts and ideas for young people on how they might approach and relate to the Museum. Student contributions to the zine were influenced by earlier conversations RAC had with curators Jamie Gabarelli and Emily Banas