RISD Maharam Fellows Fuel Change Across the Globe

Nine RISD students and recent graduates are working to fuel meaningful change across the globe this summer as Maharam fellows. The Maharam Fellowship, which started in 2012, offers select RISD students the opportunity to participate in fully funded summer work thanks to the support of textile company Maharam. Fellows work in arenas not typically associated with art and design and focus on sustainability and social justice in community organizations close to home and overseas.

“I can’t say enough about how important it has been for students to be immersed in these environments,” says Kevin Jankowski 88 IL, director of RISD Careers. “It’s so powerful to meet people in their own spaces and interact in person with constituencies and clients versus working remotely due to the pandemic.”

Grad student Upasana Pandey MID 25 flew to India to work with Let’s Be the Change, an organization in the southern city of Bengaluru that works with citizens and the government to “make India landfill-free and create a sustainable planet for generations to come.” Pandey helped to organize a used clothing drive to keep textile waste out of local landfills.

“It was beautiful to see how the neighborhood gathered to dispose of the waste effectively, as well as the volunteers who showed up to help,” Pandey says. “The event aimed to encourage community participation in recycling efforts while promoting environmentally friendly shopping choices.”

Back in the US in Jackson Hole, WY, Brown|RISD Dual Degree student Alexandra Hogue BRDD 26 IL is working with The Grand Adventure, a nonprofit that organizes programs and support for pediatric and adult cancer survivors. She has been creating illustrated fliers and advertisements that capture the message and emotions of the program to aid in fundraising efforts, and she recently attended a camping trip with the group in Yellowstone National Park. “I was in awe of their enthusiasm and willingness to explore and take on this new adventure,” Hogue says.

Recent alum Mary Seol BArch 24 has had a busy summer at the Robert C. Williams Museum of Papermaking in Atlanta, GA. Within the first week, she began assisting with papermaking workshops for museum tours in which guests are challenged to examine the role of paper in their lives.

“This is always one of my favorite moments as I can see visitors slowly realizing how frequently we encounter paper every day, ranging from books to cardboard boxes to currency,” Seol says. She’s currently working on an upcoming fall exhibition, Build It: Cardboard!, which will be on view at the museum from September 9–December 13. The exhibit will allow visitors to explore design thinking through the qualities of cardboard.

Another recent alum, Denzel Amoah MLA 24, traveled to Ghana, Africa to work with the Ghanaian Youth Environmental Movement (GYEM), which mobilizes young people to take action to solve the environmental challenges in their communities and address the global climate emergency. During his internship, he attended two climate and pollution events and visited agroforestry sites managed by GYEM’s sister organization WildRain.

“GYEM is really active in local climate and pollution advocacy efforts,” Amoah says. “Experiencing the gravity of their work firsthand has been so empowering.”

Other 2024 fellows include Zoe Lee 24 ID, who worked in London with Dark Matter Labs on a docuseries exploring the future of design in the climate crisis; Yiming Lei MLA 24, who developed educational programs at the Bazi Botanical Garden, a queer-owned NGO in southern China; Jo Ouyang BRDD 26 PT, who worked with the Asian American Advocacy Fund to build community in urban and suburban Atlanta; Maureen Scally MFA 24 TX, who worked with the nonprofit Arte con Voz in Buenos Aires; and Maria Lopez Vasquez MLA 24, who helped implement nature-based solutions to pressing challenges at the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve in Baja, CA.

Learn more about this year’s Maharam Fellowships at risdmaharamfellows.com.

Kaylee Pugliese
August 29, 2024