Patrons squeezed past one another to admire everything from model bugs sculpted from computer parts to customized watercolor drawings during an art show held by the Rhode Island School of Design Saturday. The show is one of three slated for this academic year that will feature the work of RISD alums.
Amid the typical jewelry and ceramics offerings, this weekend's sale featured several more unique items, including lamps made from paper cocktail umbrellas or designed like a huge bowl of Froot Loops cereal.
Though the sale fully occupied several blocks of Benefit Street, running from Waterman Street to George Street at the foot of College Hill, only a limited number of artists are able to participate in each show. Participants are selected through a lottery system and have to pay a subsequent entry fee. Despite the lottery and fee, several artists told The Herald they have had no problem participating in the show for the four years the lottery has existed.
For some artists, the sale is ultimately "a service that the alumni office provides. It shows people what RISD alumni are doing (and) opens their eyes to the variety of art created," said Claire Davis, a self-employed artist who currently designs glass jewelry and magnets while working at the RISD Museum.
The art show creates substantial additional income for many artists, Davis and others told The Herald. She added that she receives a certain amount of credibility from patrons as an artist with a RISD degree.
For Ginny and Bob Troutman, who sell bags made from colorful marine vinyl, the RISD shows are "the main way we sell bags," according to Ginny. Both artists have other jobs - Ginny teaches sculpture in Somerset, Mass., and Bob is the creative director at a design studio. For them, Saturday provided one of a limited number of opportunities they have to market their wares personally.
"Having a RISD degree in the design world gets you looked at," Bob said. His wife added, "The name is known nationwide, actually internationally."
"It's really exciting to see all these people making this their living, using what they learned at RISD and being inspired by that," said Laurie Mee, who co-owns a silk-screen card company. "It's good for students to see what people who have been through RISD are doing now."
For some alums, the event can be a reunion of sorts. "It's fun to come here, run into people you haven't seen for 35 years," Richard Carleton, a professional painter, told The Herald. "It's good for Providence and it's good for the alumni," he added.
