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.
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24 Jeff Goodby on Creating Mass Intimacy through Artful Advertising
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22 Mariana Prieto on Designing for Wildlife
21 Ari Montanez on Realizing his NBA Dreams through Design
20 James Hollis on the Psyche, Uncertainty and Uncovering Creativity
19 Ralph Gilles on Automobile Design, Human Connection and the Future of Cars
18 Lisa Kron on Memory, Meaning and the Collective Power of Theater
17 Charlie Hodges on Pivoting from Dance to Design
16 Jesse Genet on Building Businesses to Create a Meaningful Life
15 Matthew Rolston on Glamour, Death Anxiety and the Unity of Opposites
14 Jackie Amezquita on Crossing Borders to Create Change
13 Courtney Martin on Activism and Inspiring Social Justice Through Writing
12 Chris Kraus on Writing Through a Mask
11 Ellen Lupton on Design as Storytelling
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