Above: Painting of the POD studio created by POD teen Parson B. during Open Studios. | | |
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The POD studio is fluttering with activity this spring! Teens in the Saturday Portfolio program are taking classes of their choice, and POD + Schools after-school programs are currently running both on and off campus during the week. Our senior students are carefully considering their next steps after graduation and starting to make decisions about college. We've had many fun field trips and pop-up workshops already this year, and we've recently officially kicked off our Alumni Ambassador Program! To top it all off, we're deep in planning mode for POD's 20th Anniversary celebration in June.
See the Call for Art and Save the Date below and read more about what's been happening at POD this spring!
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Above: POD Teens Lia T. and Aniyah M. practice their spray painting technique during a recent field trip to The Avenue Concept.
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SATURDAY PORTFOLIO
Following foundational courses and assignments earlier this academic year, in which groups were divided by grade level, POD teens are now halfway through their chosen spring concentration classes. Led by incredible teaching artists and supported by RISD undergraduate TAs, teens are diving more deeply into various unique disciplines and creative processes. We can't wait to see what teens create by the end of the semester and share more about these classes! Check out this recent instagram post with more images from the semester so far.
Our Spring 2025 Saturday class offerings are:
Intro to Animation with Christy Karacas
How to Draw Comics with Cat Huang
Jewelry + Metals with Hannah Oatman
Public + Mural Art with Kendel Joseph
| Above: Teaching Artist Hannah Oatman provides a demo for teens. | Above: Alex R. hangs his in-process comic for class critique. | | | |
Above: Sahara S. sticks handmade paper to the POD Studio window. |
POD + SCHOOLS
POD is running spring after-school programs at Mount Pleasant High School and Hope High School in Providence, as well as at Shea High School in Pawtucket. Intro to Papermaking and Portrait painting programs simultaneously occur at the POD studio on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons for teens from any eligible high school. These classes are led by a fantastic school group of graduate students from the Department of Teaching + Learning in Art + Design (TLAD) who are deepening their practices as teaching artists and educators through their work with POD and thesis research.
Spring 2025 POD + Schools program offerings are:
Charles E. Shea High School with Julia Braffett, MA 25
Hope High School with Jade Yun, MA 25
Mount Pleasant High School with Emily Van Heusun, MA 25
Intro to Papermaking @ POD with Christopher Beaudoin MA 25
Painting People @ POD with Ellie Cashman MA 25
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POD + PARTNERS
Over R.I.D.E February Break, POD hosted a photography program led by teaching artist Scott Lapham for partner Onward We Learn (OWL). Teens learned all about camera obscura, shutter speed and aperture, created pinhole cameras and more. We look forward to welcoming more OWL teens in a few weeks for April school vacation when we'll be hosting an apparel design class led by POD Teaching Artist Dorian Epps.
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Above: The POD + OWL February break cohort. Photo Credit: Scott Lapham
Below: An OWL teen poses for a collaborative light drawing
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| | | Above: POD Alumni Julie is pictured with all of her ID cards from her three years at POD! | |
In January, we welcomed a fantastic group of POD alums back to the studio to catch up, spend time together, and share delicious food. This dinner also kicked off our pilot POD Alumni Ambassador Program, which will encourage alums to remain engaged with POD and offer professional and creative development opportunities. Alumni Ambassadors will also lend their valuable voices to the program by providing programmatic feedback, support, and mentorship to current teens.
See more pictures from our Alumni dinner here!
| | Above: Daniella teens look at finished prints with teens | |
During Wintersession, RISD Brown Dual Degree student Daniella Pozo (BRDD 2027, Printmaking, Urban Studies) lead a three-part, pop-up workshop series introducing teens to three distinct methods of printmaking: risograph, intaglio, and lithography.
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RHODE ISLAND COLLEGE
We took our annual visit to Rhode Island College (RIC) to check out their amazing art department! Thank you to alums Alia Del Borgo and Sandra Mora and RIC Professor Dianne Reilly for leading the tour and inspiring current POD teens!
In addition to our RIC trip, POD also hosted admissions and info sessions with RISD, Massachusetts College of Art and Design, and School of the Visual Arts (SVA). Teens have also had opportunities for portfolio reviews and individual mentorship.
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SEA + SKETCH
@ New England Aquarium
The POD Squad Committee, POD's youth leadership group, planned a wonderful field trip in early February to Boston to visit the New England Aquarium. Teens explored the building and exhibits and took time to sketch marine life from observation!
See more pictures from this field trip in our recent instagram post
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Above: Teens pose for a group picture outside the Aquarium. (Top) Teens look down to the penguin exhibit.(Bottom) | | Above: Prophet takes the TEDX RISD stage. | |
ISAIAH "PROPHET" RAINES
Prophet (RISD Sculpture 2025) has been a POD Teaching Assistant for two years. In early March, he gave an incredibly powerful talk for TEDxRISD called "The Prophecy: How to Save the Hood" about his hometown of Fall River, MA and his experiences with gentrification and artwashing.
Learn more about TEDXRISD and stay tuned for the video of Prophet's talk!
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To celebrate our 20th Anniversary, POD is hosting an exhibition and celebration on June 13th at Woods-Gerry Gallery on the RISD Campus. The exhibition will feature artwork created by members of the POD community! | |
We invite all POD Alumni from the Saturday Portfolio Program since 2005, as well as current and former teaching artists and teaching assistants, to submit artwork!
To submit your work, please complete the online submission form (linked below) by May 1st, 2025. More details, deadlines, and information included on the submission form below!
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Saturday, May 17th, 5pm - 7pm
Annual End of Year Exhibition
Join us to celebrate the end of POD's academic year and see work created by teens in the Saturday Portfolio Program. More info to come!
Saturday, May 24th, 5pm - 8pm
POD Prom
The POD Squad Committee is hosting our third annual POD Prom for all Saturday Portfolio teens!
Friday, June 13th, 5pm - 8pm
20th Anniversary Celebration
The entire POD community is invited to Woods-Gerry Gallery for a celebratory exhibition featuring work from POD teens, alums, teaching artists and TAs in honor of the program's 20th anniversary. Save the Date Below...Invitation and more information to follow!
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Project Open Door (POD) is immensely grateful to the generous support of the Hasbro Foundation, Ocean State Charities Trust, The Geneviève McMillan-Reba Stewart Foundation and the Rhode Island School of Design, whose investments in POD have made our work possible and sustainable, and directly impact the participating teens.
If you would like to learn how to support Project Open Door, please contact:
Maghan Bolles, Assistant Director, Corporate and Foundation Relations, Institutional Advancement at mbolles@risd.edu or 401.454.6762
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Project Open Door
355 South Water Street
Providence, RI 02903
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