For the next few weeks, those walking the halls of the Perry and Marty Granoff Center for the Creative Arts may notice something different. From textiles to sculptures, the talents of students enrolled in the Brown-RISD Dual Degree Program are now on full display.
The program’s 17th annual exhibition, titled “—ing,” launched on Jan. 21 and will be open to the public until Feb. 16. The display celebrates the multifaceted talents of BRDD artists and exemplifies the hard work required to create a student-led art exhibit, explained Brown-RISD Program Manager Hanna Exel.
Preparation for the exhibit began in early October, when the curatorial committee — the team responsible for reviewing the exhibition’s final pieces — decided on this year’s theme, said Alyssa Gorman ’28, a member of the curatorial committee.
The theme “—ing” highlights the time-intensive process of producing masterful artworks and invites viewers to ponder “how artworks can be about the process” rather than just the final product, Gorman added.
Once the theme was solidified, the committee sent out a call for artwork and began anonymously reviewing this year’s 77 submissions. After multiple hours of deliberation, the committee finalized pieces on Nov. 16 — or, what they called “Jury Day.”
Jury Day “is when the exhibition suddenly shifts from something that feels abstract to something that feels very real,” Exel wrote in an email to The Herald.
From writing artist statements to professionally installing pieces around the building, to printing the vinyl letters at the entrance of the Cohen Gallery, the showcase represented an opportunity for students to experience the various moving pieces involved in curating an art exhibit.
The display also honors the interdisciplinary nature of the program, Exel added. “BRDD students are practicing visual art and design and other areas of study, simultaneously and intensively,” Exel wrote. “These explorations often overlap and inform each other.”
Though the event offers a chance for artists to collaborate with their peers, Anay Agarwal ’28 emphasized the showcase’s impact on the greater Brown-RISD community.
As a BRDD student, Agarwal said that many Brown students rarely see the other side of his college career. He jokingly recalled rushing from the RISD woodshop in order to attend a Brown a cappella meeting, only to be met by confused faces once people noticed sawdust covering his clothes.
“This is an opportunity for them to actually come and see what I’ve been talking about for months,” Agarwal said.
Gorman echoed similar sentiments, discussing the divide between the two campuses. While RISD holds various showcases for student work, she views the “—ing” exhibit as particularly important, as it allows Brown students to gather and appreciate the artistic works of their classmates.
“People don’t always get the chance to see the impact of the program,” Gorman said. “It’s amazing to have the Brown community get together to see what we’re producing as students. It allows us to feel like our work is culminating into something awesome.”
