July 1 - 8, 2012

In the summer of 2012, with the generous support of the Surdna Foundation, the Department of Teaching + Learning in Art + Design convened a week-long Studio Institute for Rhode Island's K-12 art teachers. This professional development studio program centered on the theme [Re] Envisioning Drawing. Participants guided, by RISD faculty Nancy Friese and Nancy Skolos together with guest faculty Jane Masters, worked in private studios and small groups focusing on drawing and color, drawing as research or drawing and materials. The goal of this immersive institute was to provide art educators with an opportunity to renew their studio practice within a context of experimentation and discovery. While the primary focus of the institute centered on teachers' personal growth as artists, programming was designed for the consideration of new ways of working and thinking for future classroom teaching. The institute culminated in a group exhibition of teachers' work in RISD's Sol Koffler Gallery. Artist Jori Ketten, the institute's resident documentarian, produced this video piece to capture the span of the week and the institute's goals.