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RISD Museum
Rating Details »
224 Benefit Street
Providence, RI 02909
(401) 454-6500
Providence, RI 02909
(401) 454-6500
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9 reviews for RISD Museum
Of course you should visit here. It's impeccably well-maintained (this IS where all our tuition money is drained into, after all) and often surprises me with its impressive collection. They are also really good at keeping a rotation of fresh and innovative exhibitions moving through the museum year-round. An added bonus is that the museum and the school sometimes collaborate and student works can be viewed installed outside the building as well as in the main lobby space.
Some notable past exhibitions include Fabulous Fakes (costume jewelry) and Wunderground (a jaw-dropping collection of posters from Providence over the years). Also exhibited at the same time as Wunderground (and possibly in conjunction) were a really astounding user-manipulated room-sized puppet and a tiny altar/cottage space created by local artists. It's nice that the museum, as highbrow as it seems, pays due respect to the aesthetic and art scene that surrounds it.
Also, inquire about the print archives, which are available by appointment. I'm not sure what the privileges are for a non-student visitor, but it's worth asking. Thousands of exquisite original printmaking editions (and possibly photographs) are collected for you by the archivist and are yours to peruse at your leisure in a private room. I can't explain the great joy the print archives have brought me over the years.
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One of the best college museums in the country. It is very much a hidden gem in Providence. It is a sprawling complex built into the slope of College Hill. It includes galleries in the museum proper as well as connected to a couple Victorian houses which you would never know contained museum from the outside.
They have great temporary exhibits and a surprisingly good collection of early American painting as well as galleries of classic Greek and Roman art. Brown and RISD students are free. Students in general are $3 and general admission is only $8 (I think) which makes it a superb deal for a museum with that much breadth.
THIS MUSEUM IS CLOSED FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST 2009. What a huge disappointment.
This is a pretty cool museum in Providence. I wanted to go to the music video exhibit this weekend, as I love Michel Gondry's videos and was pleasantly surprised to see that the museum is free every last Saturday. So that was cool.
The museum is small, and not hard to find. It has 6 floors, including the Pendelton House which is a restored 17th-18th century home featuring furnishings and linens in the period style. There is also a great Egyptian and Asian art wing, with an amazing Buddah. The Grand Gallery is not to be missed, with its bright blue walls. Very cool.
When we visited, there were free snacks in the porcelain gallery, something I've never seen at a museum. The museum is undergoing renovations, so there are several exhibits closed from view. Definitely worth a visit.
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This is a jewel of an art museum, with an incredibly broad collection for a museum of this size. They have everything from ancient Egyptian to Japanese prints to video. They have an entire building dedicated to decorative arts of the Colonial period.
Their special exhibitions are always interesting. I particularly like the faculty art shows -- so fun to see new stuff and what a great range of talent.
This is one of the best places in Providence.
The museum is often free for special RISD events.
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The Impressionist collection is not to be believed! I took a friend recently who thought it would be filled with design stuff and architecture. Hew was amazes at the collection. Here in little old Providence there is world class art! The silver and antique collection is stunning. Don't miss the main gallery hung in the Salon style. I love the Buddah! There is a very pleasant garden in the center that is just the place to relax while taking in the museum.
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I have been to the RISD Museum multiple times and have yet to take in all of their surprisingly vast and complex collection, which runs the gamut from ancient Greece and Rome to modern art. Of particular note is their Asian art wing, which includes a splendid wooden Buddha from Mt. Koya in Japan. Their temporary exhibitions are generally quite well done, too. Check their web site for special events, including nights when admission is free and they offer drinks and snacks.
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I love the big wooden Buddha. I haven't been to the museum in a couple years, but it's extremely resourceful and interesting to check out. I need to get one of those passes from the UMD library and go back some weekend...
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This is a fantastic spot. The collection is ridiculously comprehensive for a university museum. They have everything from the aforementioned outstanding wooden Buddha to a lovely little Cezanne landscape. There is a beautiful surprise around nearly every corner. The staff is friendly and willing to chat if you'd like. This applies to gallery personnel, too, which is so rarely the case. My boyfriend and I arrived about 50 minutes prior to closing, and the front desk attendant let us in for free. Lucky for us, several galleries were being reinstalled, so we did get to walk through everything, albeit a bit more hastily than I usually prefer. I'd highly recommend spending some time here.
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