Art, Design, and Architecture News

Over the last year, RIT students, alumni, faculty, and staff have worked to give back to the Rochester community by leveraging art and design. From providing creative outlets for young students to making a shelter to protect residents from the weather, RIT community members are dedicated to giving back to the city where they blossomed into the professionals they are today.

Forbes features Sean Petterson '13 (industrial design), CEO of StrongArm Technologies.

The tech employment landscape is changing, and RIT graduates are taking their skills to a variety of organizations—to support accessibility for health and wellness companies, to provide coding for data center equipment, and to develop software for sophisticated HVAC systems—and more.

Thousands of visitors at the 2023 Imagine RIT: Creativity and Innovation Festival got to see what’s on the horizon in the areas of technology, the arts, and design. Festivalgoers traversed RIT’s campus on Saturday, exploring more than 350 exhibits.

The Futurists Symposium, a collection of RIT alumni tapped to present an insider’s look into the future of industry as it relates to technology, the arts, and design, was held during the April 29 Imagine RIT: Creativity and Innovation Festival.

Common household items have historical value, even the board games collecting dust in the closet. Allie Cervantes, a fourth-year graphic design student with a museum studies minor, helped bring some of America’s favorite board games out of the dust and into the spotlight at The Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester.

When people ask what he does for a living, Lance Neirby ’05 MFA (metals and jewelry) just says he leads an incredible team of people. Maintaining a strong, positive team environment has been a priority for him as the new president and CEO of Montana Silversmiths.

James Wegner ’09 (media arts and technology) and Jonny Widder ’09 (media arts and technology) became quick friends after meeting at RIT Orientation, bonding over their desire to rebel from the “mandatory.”

Finding love on Zoom sounds like a pitch for a romantic comedy, but it’s reality for two alumni who began their relationship during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The first-of-its-kind technology is opening up new creative possibilities at RIT and beyond — it is working to fuel the future of sustainable manufacturing and even space travel.

A new student agency called Technically Speaking is providing a valuable opportunity for RIT students to get first-hand experience in marketing and public relations. The group’s first major client was RIT’s Division of Marketing and Communications, and one of their projects was to capture the behind-the-scenes work of students getting ready for Imagine RIT.

Accomplished alumni are returning to campus to discuss the future of technology, the arts, and design as part of the Imagine RIT: Creativity and Innovation Festival on April 29.