John Smith, RISD Museum Director. Photograph by Josephine Sittenfeld. RISD Museum, Providence, RI.
PHILLIPS: How has the RISD Museum changed its engagement with the community under these circumstances? How is the institution’s mission relevant to this moment in time?
JOHN W. SMITH: From the moment we closed the museum on March 13, the staff went into overdrive to translate as much of our work as possible into the digital world. One of our top priorities was ensuring we could continue to serve the needs of RISD students and faculty, as well as our colleagues at Brown University and other local colleges, as they transitioned to remote teaching and learning. We knew it was also vital to continue our deep commitment to Rhode Island’s K-12 students and our Education staff has been extraordinarily creative in working with teachers. We’ve also developed inventive ways to connect our teen groups and after-school programs. I think this has been particularly valuable in providing consistency during such a disruptive and uncertain time. We also have a devoted community of museum members and it’s important to remain connected to them through online programs.
We’re fortunate in that we’ve been investing heavily in digital projects over the past several years. We have 85,000 objects out of a collection of 100,000 available through our website and we’ve also created several other unique and innovative digital platforms. So while this transition hasn’t been effortless, it’s been made easier by all of the advance work we’ve done. Needless to say, we never could have envisioned that we’d need to rely upon it in the current set of circumstances.
Japanese, Buddha Mahavairocana (Dainichi Nyorai), ca. 1150-1200. Museum Appropriation Fund. RISD Museum, Providence, RI.
P: Is there a work in the collection that embodies this moment for you, or furthers a global dialogue relevant at this time? Do you see the works differently under these circumstances or envision new ways of sharing them with your community?
JWS: One of the RISD Museum’s great masterpieces is our massive 12th century Japanese Buddha Mahavairocana. It’s been in our collection since the 1930s and has offered generations of visitors a sense of wonder, solace, and reflection. I know that it’s a work that I, and many members of the museum staff, turn to during difficult times. Regardless of one’s faith or religious beliefs, spending time with this object is incredibly calming, centering and provides a tremendous sense of global connection. During this pandemic, when we’ve witnessed a growing tide of racist rhetoric, this work is a powerful reminder of the extraordinary spiritual and artistic contribution that Asian countries have made to our global culture.
We are continuing to collect. For some time now, we’ve been actively focused on acquiring works by traditionally underrepresented artists. If anything, the current situation has re-doubled our commitment to social equity and inclusion in everything we do –our collection, our exhibitions, our programs, and community engagement.
Installation view of Raid the Icebox Now with Beth Katleman: Games of Chance, November 8th, 2019, through October 10th, 2020. RISD Museum, Providence, RI.
P: Is there a particular exhibition or educational project that you are looking forward to continuing?
JWS: Just before we closed the museum, we had finalized the last installment of a major project, Raid the Icebox Now, which celebrates the 50th anniversary of Andy Warhol’s seminal exhibition at the RISD Museum. We invited 8 artists and collectives to create new bodies of work or create a unique curatorial project using the museum as a site for critical, creative production and presentation. While this exhibition was intended to close in July, each artist has generously allowed us to keep their projects on view after we open.I’m looking forward to re-visiting each of these projects and sharing them with our public
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