Events

PIZZA & PATENTS

Thursday, September 24, 2026 / 20 Washington Place Lobby / 12:00 PM ET

Join us on Thursday, September 24th for Pizza and Patents, a presentation and Q&A with Liz Jackson, Acting Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's Northeast Regional Outreach Office. Liz will be joining us for the afternoon to give an overview on the basics of intellectual property and pursuing patents and trademarks, and to answer questions from the RISD community. Any interested faculty, students and staff are invited to attend. A pizza lunch will be provided.

Programming presented by Academic Engagement and RISD Careers.

U.S. VISA OPTIONS FOR ARTISTS & PROFESSIONAL WORKERS

Thursday, October 8th , 2026 / Live Virtual Event / 7:00 PM ET

Gain information and guidance on which visas might be available to F-1 visa holders after OPT. Immigration attorney, Eileen Morrison, will present visa eligibility details for visas such as the H-1B, O1, EB2, TN and more. Please be sure to join us for this informative session and bring any questions that you have related to what you hope to do after graduation. This program is offered by ISSA and they will also hold separate sessions specifically on OPT and the application process. This session is open to all U.S. visa holders.

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CAREER OPTIONS IN ART & DESIGN

Saturday, October 10, 2026 / 20 Washington Place Auditorium / 3:00 PM  ET

How do you take your incredible RISD studio experiences and apply them to the professional world? Hear how students and alumni utilize their skills and creative thinking across numerous fields and markets including art, design, social justice, sustainability, technology, business, healthcare and more. Discover how you can find opportunities, network with professionals, and develop career options that align with your interests. Learn how to prepare for what you want and how to access career resources to support you.

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ART OF BUSINESS SERIES: BUSINESS 101 FOR CREATIVES

Wednesday, October 14, 2026 / Live In Person & Virtual Event / 7:00 PM ET

Whether you freelance, sell your work, take commissions, or want to start a business, understanding how your creative practice works as a business can give you greater control over your career. This session introduces the foundational thinking behind creative business, with attention to the different realities of service, product, and hybrid businesses. We’ll explore how your work creates value, who it is for, why someone might choose you, and how pricing, costs, time, and revenue shape whether the business can sustain the work.

Rather than treating creativity and business as separate practices, this session reframes business as a creative challenge: designing the system that allows your work to exist, reach people, generate income, and continue. Students and alumni will leave with a clearer framework for thinking about the business behind their creative practice and the key questions they should begin asking as they build it.

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PREPARE FOR INTERNSHIP CONNECT

Thursday, October 15, 2026 / 20 Washington Place Auditorium / 7:00 PM ET

Learn everything you need to know to meet with professionals at Internship Connect *in-person* on October 21st! Gain insights on making your introduction when speaking with professionals and the questions to ask them about their internships. We'll also share information on the materials you need to prepare before the event so you can make a lasting impression. Gain tips and advice on the best ways to follow up with those you meet and ways to use LinkedIn to research companies and network before and after Internship Connect. First Year Undergraduate Students are not eligible to attend Internship Connect, but are welcome to attend this prep program to learn about opportunities for next year.

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INTERNSHIP CONNECT 2026

Wednesday, October 21, 2026 / 20 Washington Place / 4:00 PM ET

Internship Connect is your chance to speak directly with companies and organizations seeking RISD interns! Learn about their internship opportunities and practice how you introduce yourself to professionals in-person. Make contacts with key people and gain valuable tips on presenting a strong application. Be prepared before the event with the materials they would like to see. Make a lasting impression and stay connected to the professionals you meet for future opportunities. First Year Undergraduate Students are not eligible to do internships for credit until starting their Sophomore year at RISD and are therefore unable to attend this event. 

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INTERNSHIPS: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

Thursday, October 29, 2026 / 20 Washington Place Auditorium / 7:00 PM ET

Now is the time to start planning for an internship experience! Internships are a crucial bridge between your academic learning and future professional opportunities. In this presentation, learn how to find internships, what kind of preparation and materials are needed to apply, what important deadlines you should be aware of, how to register your internship in ArtWorks, and whether to take your internship for credit or not.

Internship manager, Karen Harris, and Senior Career Advisor, Jason Arnone, will carefully guide you through all of these steps and more. Ultimately, an internship experience in a professional work environment will help you to clarify your career goals, build a professional network, and gain a competitive edge in the job market!

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ART OF BUSINESS SERIES: SOCIAL MEDIA & MARKETING YOURSELF AS AN ARTIST

Wednesday, November 4, 2026 / Live Virtual Event / 7:00 PM ET

This webinar will train artists to design and build a trajectory from their early career to the world of galleries and museums. Dr. Rosa will discuss marketing and branding on social media, and the steps to documenting your work for the digital world. This webinar will discuss how artists can begin to see themselves as entities with a public record and brand, and how that knowledge can be liberating and not at all intimidating. Dr. Rosa is an art curator and professor at Brown with the 135K following on Instagram, who has propelled her public-facing career through accessibility and horizontal teaching and learning. 

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EXPLORING ARTIST RESIDENCY OPPORTUNITIES

Thursday, November 5, 2026 / Live Virtual Event / 7:00 PM ET

Learn how residencies can support you with time and space for your practice while expanding your resources - including access to equipment, connection to community, and new exhibition opportunities. They can also provide you with a great summer internship! You'll hear how residencies are research and development labs for the arts with over 500 programs in the U.S and more than 1,500 world-wide. Discover resources to help you find programs focused on your social practice, the environment, and the sciences, as these residencies bring together artists, designers, and scholars from all disciplines.

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MAHARAM FELLOWSHIP INFO SESSION

Wednesday, November 11, 2026 / 20 Washington Place Auditorium / 7:00 PM ET

Receive $5,000 for your summer internship and be part of RISD's prestigious Maharam Fellowship! Learn everything you need to know to make a strong and compelling application. This award has been opening new avenues for RISD talent in organizations where artists and designers are not typically found or where artists/designers can contribute to the mission of the organization in a meaningful way. Maharam is committed to making the art and design world more fair, diverse, and creative. The Fellowship will focus on two of the most urgent issues of our time - social justice and sustainability. The Fellowship will support internship work that aspires to advance social progress or safeguard the environment or even combine both of these important issues. At the Info Session you’ll learn about the Fellowship and hear from past RISD Fellows about their successful experiences.

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MUSEUM CAREERS: PATHWAYS & OPPORTUNITIES

Thursday, November 12, 2026 / Danforth Room RISD Museum / 6:30 PM ET

From community engagement to publication design, from curatorial work to textile conservation, there are a multitude of career paths in the museum world - and many other ways to work with museums and institutions as an artist. Learn about these opportunities and the skills you need to pursue them firsthand from RISD Museum staff. Discover unexpected roles in museums, gain an understanding of the work they do, and learn how to seek out opportunities that interest you. 

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