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Rosanne Somerson
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Rosanne Somerson
Rosanne Somerson (born June 21, 1954) is an American-born woodworker, furniture designer/maker, educator, and former President of Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). An artist connected with the early years of the Studio Furniture, her work and career have been influential to the field.
In an interview on Amy Devers' podcast Clever, Somerson discusses her upbringing and how it affected the path she took. She attempted to join a woodworking/shop class in middle school, but wasn't allowed to participate and faced repercussions for asking. Somerson also made most of her clothes throughout high school. She attributes this to her reliance on hand-me-downs, along with her want to have unique clothes that she couldn't otherwise afford.
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, she began her undergraduate degree at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) in photography, but switched her focus, and received her B.F.A. degree in Industrial Design in 1976. During this time of transition, she took a semester off of her studies at RISD to attend full-time furniture making workshops at Peter's Valley Craftsmen (Peter's Valley School of Craft). After graduation, Somerson worked as a correspondent for Fine Woodworking magazine. She also assisted for photography with her former professor and mentor Tage Frid's three-part book series "Tage Frid Teaches Woodworking" published by Taunton Press (1996).[citation needed]
She taught woodworking with the Harvard Extension School from 1977 to 1978, and at the Boston Architectural Center in 1981. Somerson joined the Rhode Island School of Design faculty in 1985. Starting in 1985, Somerson ran the M.F.A. Graduate Program in Furniture Design and she co-founded the creation of the Furniture Design department in 1995. She served as RISD's interim associate provost for Academic Affairs from 2005 to 2007, as interim provost from 2011 to 2012, as provost from 2012 to 2013 and as interim president from 2014 to 2015. The RISD Board of Trustees appointed her the college's 17th president on February 18, 2015.
After being appointed president of the university in February 2015, Somerson appointed Pradeep Sharma to be Provost. Somerson's first speaking engagements as president came in the spring at the National Art Education Association Annual Convention and at South By Southwest EDU in 2015, where she discussed the impact of critical making. In April, 44 technicians at the college went on strike, but the three-day job action concluded with the ratification of their contract.[citation needed] In May, the work of Apparel Design seniors was showcased in New York City for the first time at RISD Backstudio. Somerson's first semester as president concluded with filmmaker John Waters delivering the college's commencement address. His remarks went viral and have been turned into a book.
In the fall of 2015, Somerson spoke at the Nantucket Project, the Drucker Forum in Vienna and Art Basel Miami Beach. The three-year renovation of RISD's Illustration Studies Building was completed and an opening ceremony was held as part of the college's annual parent and alumni weekend. Somerson was inaugurated as the seventeenth president of RISD in October 2015.
In July 2020, after the outbreak of COVID-19 and the subsequent closure of the RISD campus, Somerson began negotiations with the RISD faculty union over the avoidance of possible layoffs by suggesting cost-cutting measures. The part-time faculty union, the National Education Association rejected the initial proposal.
During the beginning of her sixth year as RISD's president, Somerson announced her plans for retiring on June 30, 2021. In retirement, Somerson plans on taking a sabbatical and will take on the role of President Emerita.
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Rosanne Somerson
Rosanne Somerson (born June 21, 1954) is an American-born woodworker, furniture designer/maker, educator, and former President of Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). An artist connected with the early years of the Studio Furniture, her work and career have been influential to the field.
In an interview on Amy Devers' podcast Clever, Somerson discusses her upbringing and how it affected the path she took. She attempted to join a woodworking/shop class in middle school, but wasn't allowed to participate and faced repercussions for asking. Somerson also made most of her clothes throughout high school. She attributes this to her reliance on hand-me-downs, along with her want to have unique clothes that she couldn't otherwise afford.
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, she began her undergraduate degree at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) in photography, but switched her focus, and received her B.F.A. degree in Industrial Design in 1976. During this time of transition, she took a semester off of her studies at RISD to attend full-time furniture making workshops at Peter's Valley Craftsmen (Peter's Valley School of Craft). After graduation, Somerson worked as a correspondent for Fine Woodworking magazine. She also assisted for photography with her former professor and mentor Tage Frid's three-part book series "Tage Frid Teaches Woodworking" published by Taunton Press (1996).[citation needed]
She taught woodworking with the Harvard Extension School from 1977 to 1978, and at the Boston Architectural Center in 1981. Somerson joined the Rhode Island School of Design faculty in 1985. Starting in 1985, Somerson ran the M.F.A. Graduate Program in Furniture Design and she co-founded the creation of the Furniture Design department in 1995. She served as RISD's interim associate provost for Academic Affairs from 2005 to 2007, as interim provost from 2011 to 2012, as provost from 2012 to 2013 and as interim president from 2014 to 2015. The RISD Board of Trustees appointed her the college's 17th president on February 18, 2015.
After being appointed president of the university in February 2015, Somerson appointed Pradeep Sharma to be Provost. Somerson's first speaking engagements as president came in the spring at the National Art Education Association Annual Convention and at South By Southwest EDU in 2015, where she discussed the impact of critical making. In April, 44 technicians at the college went on strike, but the three-day job action concluded with the ratification of their contract.[citation needed] In May, the work of Apparel Design seniors was showcased in New York City for the first time at RISD Backstudio. Somerson's first semester as president concluded with filmmaker John Waters delivering the college's commencement address. His remarks went viral and have been turned into a book.
In the fall of 2015, Somerson spoke at the Nantucket Project, the Drucker Forum in Vienna and Art Basel Miami Beach. The three-year renovation of RISD's Illustration Studies Building was completed and an opening ceremony was held as part of the college's annual parent and alumni weekend. Somerson was inaugurated as the seventeenth president of RISD in October 2015.
In July 2020, after the outbreak of COVID-19 and the subsequent closure of the RISD campus, Somerson began negotiations with the RISD faculty union over the avoidance of possible layoffs by suggesting cost-cutting measures. The part-time faculty union, the National Education Association rejected the initial proposal.
During the beginning of her sixth year as RISD's president, Somerson announced her plans for retiring on June 30, 2021. In retirement, Somerson plans on taking a sabbatical and will take on the role of President Emerita.
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