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Above: Senior Portfolio teens outside the POD studio on a beautiful fall day
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HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM POD!
We've had an outstanding start to the academic year and look forward to celebrating the holidays and transitioning into the new year. 2025 will be a very exciting year ahead for us as it marks the 20th anniversary of Project Open Door!
In addition to running our usual core programs and offering various other creative opportunities for teens this year, we are busy planning several projects and events to celebrate this meaningful milestone and show appreciation to our incredible community. We can not wait to share more with you all. Stay tuned!
Please look back at POD's fall semester to see what teens and alums have been up to recently!
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SATURDAY PORTFOLIO PROGRAM | |
This academic year, 70 teens, including 30 new and 40 returning students from 18 local high schools, come to the RISD campus every Saturday morning for POD's Saturday Portfolio Program. In fall and winter sessions, classes are divided by grade level, with teens focusing on foundational skills and developing their portfolios. This upcoming spring semester, teens will choose from unique class offerings that delve more deeply into a particular creative field, theme, or concept. Check out what our classes have been up to this fall, and see more images in our recent Instagram post! | |
Above: Andoni explores the Fleet Library. | |
PORTFOLIO I
Teaching Artist: Dorian Epps
Teaching Assistants: Prophet Raines, Shiloh Lemarie
In our Portfolio I class, 9th and 10th graders are practicing foundational skills with teaching artist Dorian Epps (ID '21). Teens have also been exploring and utilizing campus resources with trips to the Nature Lab, Materials Collection, and the Fleet Library, where teens can take out books with their POD ID cards!
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Above: An observational drawing by Ren. | |
PORTOFLIO II
Teaching Artist: Megan Tresca
Teaching Assistants: Joyce Guo, Vethlie Milcette
In Portfolio II, 11th grade students are working with teaching artist Megan Tresca (PT '17, MAT '18) on their observational drawing skills, exploring concepts in 3D design and creating lots and lots of work that they will use in their portfolios.
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Above: Radames works on his senior project. | |
SENIOR PORTFOLIO
Teaching Artist: MJ Robinson
Teaching Assistants: Anja Drakulovic, Lou Taylor
Our 12th graders in Senior Portfolio have been doing independent sustained projects and investigations that explore concepts, themes, and mediums of their choosing. Guided by teaching artist MJ Robinson, teens have been pushed to create meaningful pieces to add to their portfolios for their applications to college.
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Above: Elmer shows off his portfolio at National Portfolio Day in Boston! | |
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More snapshots from our Saturday Portfolio Program this Fall!
Top to bottom, left to right: detail of Sadie's (11th) diorama, Adriana (11th) shows off her painting, Barbee (10th) works at the Materials Collection, detail of a piece by Florence (9th), and our awesome Portfolio I class!
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Above: Teen work from the Cey Adams workshop!
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Iconic Artist and Graphic Designer Cey Adams Inspires RISD Community | The founding creative director of Def Jam Recordings visited RISD as part of DESIGN WEEK RI... | | | |
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In early September, legendary artist and designer Cey Adams stopped by the POD studio during Design Week RI and engaged POD teens with an artist talk and workshop. Teens loved learning about Cey's life, creative work and collaborations. The collages they created with Cey in the workshop were even displayed alongside a piece of his in front of RISD's Color Lab!
Read more about Cey's visit to POD and RISD in the article to the left.
| Above: Cey Adams shares his story with POD teens | | |
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POD + SCHOOLS
AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS
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Above: print by a MPHS teen! | |
POD + MOUNT PLEASANT HIGH SCHOOL
Teaching Artist: Emily Van Heusen
At Mount Pleasant High School this fall, teaching artist Emily Van Heusen, a current TLAD graduate student, supported by partner high school teacher Carolyne Kellner, to introduce students to various accessible forms of printmaking, such as monotypes and gel prints, and engaged the teens in new ways of creating and critiquing.
| Above: A teens's process of creating a personalized artist stamp. | |
POD + HOPE HIGH SCHOOL
Teaching Artist: Jade Yun
Current TLAD graduate student Jade Yun developed and taught an after-school course at Hope High School, supported by art teacher Mary McMurtery. The course, Drawing into Objects, encouraged teens to move beyond traditional drawing methods to explore drawing as a powerful means of creative expression. Teens experimented with 3D mediums and materials that challenged conventional perspective and created functional objects like artist stamps, soap carvings, keychains, gingerbread house lights, and more!
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Above: Niah shows off her shibori piece! | |
INTRO TO SHIBORI @ POD
Teaching Artist: Christopher Beaudoin
This fall at the POD studio, teaching artist Christopher Beaudoin led an Introduction to Shibori workshop. Over five weeks, a dedicated group of teens learned the ancient art of Japanese textile dying by experimenting with various technical methods to create t-shirts and wall hangings.
| Above: A Hope HS teen's soap carving | |
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SUPER SENIORS!
This year, POD has four Super Seniors, or 12th-grade students, who have participated in POD's Saturday Portfolio Program since their freshman year of high school.
They are all fantastic young artists with distinct interests and styles. Their commitment to show up every Saturday morning during the school year for four years is beyond impressive. It's been thrilling to watch them grow as artists and young people, and we are very proud of all their hard work and dedication to improve their skills and develop their practice. We can not wait to see what they do next!
Our super seniors are (Top to bottom, Left to right):
Julian W. from Hope High School in Providence, Althea P. and Vaeh S. from J.M.Walsh in Pawtucket, and V D. from Beacon Charter in Woonsocket.
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VUTHY LAY
Recently, POD Alumni Vuthy Lay (BArch '19) was announced as one of nine Interlace Grant Fund's Project Grants recipients. These grants "support new and experimental work by local artists with visions for projects produced and presented in Providence that might otherwise fall outside traditional arts funding opportunities."
For their project, The Mutual Aid Altar, Vuthy will build a public shrine that distributes free health and rescue supplies anonymously 24/7 year round. This site-specific installation builds upon the visual language of diasporic Buddhist altar building traditions. The Mutual Aid Altar aims to increase access to crucial resources while inviting the broader community to reconsider harmful narratives and stigmas surrounding sexual health and addiction.
Read more about Vuthy's project and the other grantees on the Interlace Fund's Announcement
Follow Vuthy on instagram at @oun.incognito
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KENDEL JOSEPH
POD Alumni Kendel Joseph, who graduated from high school and POD in 2009, was a featured guest along with others from the The Avenue Concept (TAC) on a recent segment of Generation Rising on Rhode Island PBS.
Kendel is the Paintbar and Installation Specialist at TAC and we are looking forward to welcoming Kendel back to POD as teaching artist in spring 2025!
Check out the entire segment below and be sure to follow Kendel on instagram @kendel_arts
| "In this episode of Generation Rising, we explore the transformative power of public art with The Avenue Concept. Anaridis Rodriguez sits down with Executive Director, Tracy Jonsson-Laboy, artist Kendel Joseph, and Jamie Coelho to discuss TAC’s mission to bring murals, sculptures, and public installations to Providence. Discover how TAC is making art accessible in everyday spaces, sparking community connections, and uplifting local voices, all while reshaping Rhode Island’s cultural landscape." | | | |
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Alia Del Borgo recently had a show with fellow RIC student Natalia Miller at the Chazan Family Gallery at Rhode Island College (RIC). Alia is a fourth year printmaking student and will be graduating in Spring 2025. Be sure to go see her show, which is on view until January 18th and follow Alia on instagram @aliadelborgo
Alia, and the show was recently featured on Inside Art by Michael Rose. You can read the entire article here:
Duo Impresses at New Show - Inside Art With Michael Rose
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Alia talking about her work with Desmond, another POD alumni | |
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RSVP HERE!
Please RSVP by Thursday, January 1st!
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CALLING ALL POD ALUMS!
You are invited to our upcoming “We Miss You” Dinner!
Come catch up with us and your fellow POD Alumni at the studio and enjoy good food and good company together!
WHEN:
Thursday, January 9th, 6 - 8 pm
WHERE:
POD Studio, 355 South Water Street, Providence, RI 02903
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We are grateful for the generous support of
Hasbro Foundation
Ocean State Charities Trust
Rhode Island School of Design
The Geneviève McMillan-Reba Stewart Foundation
whose generous investments in POD
make our work possible and sustainable.
If you are interested in donating to POD, please reach out to:
Maghan Bolles
Assistant Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations
mbolles@risd.edu | 401.454.6762
OR
Check out the NEW donate page on our website!
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