Commencement
Join us for our fun, spirited celebration of RISD’s newest art and design standouts—the Class of 2024.
Commencement Ceremony
Saturday, June 1 at 9 am eastern (doors open 8 am)
Amica Mutual Pavilion
One Lasalle Square, Providence RI
Graduate Hooding Ceremonies
Friday, May 31 at 12 pm and 2 pm eastern
RISD Auditorium
17 Canal Walk, Providence RI
Commencement tickets
For graduating students who ordered tickets by April 26, your tickets will be available for pickup at the Career Center from 9 am–4 pm on the following dates:
- Wednesday, May 22–Friday, May 24
- Tuesday, May 28–Friday, May 31
The Career Center is located on the first floor of 20 Washington Place. To pick up tickets, you must show your RISD ID. You can pick up tickets for other graduating students as long as you can provide an email from the student showing their approval.
Only graduating students can pick up tickets.
Important dates and deadlines
May 31
Graduate Hooding Ceremonies at the RISD Auditorium
Jun 1
Commencement ceremony at Amica Mutual Pavillion
Caps and gowns
The deadline to order caps and gowns for Commencement has now passed. If you did not order your cap and gown by April 17, you may still pick up an extra one from the RISD Store beginning May 20. If you have any questions in the meantime, please email risdstore@risd.edu.
For graduate students who missed the order deadline, extra hoods will be available at the Graduate Hooding Ceremony as well as at Commencement.
Venue information and accessibility
The Amica Mutual Pavilion is an accessible building. For Graduate Hooding, the accessible entrance for RISD Auditorium is located on Amos Street.
We ask that graduating students let us know about the special seating needs of their families and guests when reserving tickets for Commencement. You may also email us at commencement@risd.edu or call 401 454-6379. Please contact us well in advance for information on entry and seating arrangements.
An American Sign Language (ASL) translator will be on stage during Commencement as well as at the Graduate Hooding Ceremonies. The Commencement program will include translations of ceremony details and the president’s welcome message in more than 20 languages.
2024 speakers and honorees
David Moon Ki Lee — Commencement speaker
David Moon Ki Lee 00 GD serves as the chief creative officer of Squarespace, leading their award-winning team responsible for the company’s brand strategy, creative, design and production efforts. Honored as Brand Chief Creative Officer of the Year by Ad Age, David’s visionary leadership has driven his team to achieve recognition as Ad Age’s In-House Agency of the Year.
Under David’s guidance, Squarespace’s internal agency has been celebrated as the Brand of the Year by the Art Directors Club and recognized as the foremost globally awarded in-house agency by the One Club for Creativity. Since joining Squarespace, David has garnered an Emmy Award for Outstanding Commercial of the Year, earned a spot on the Adweek Creative 100 List, and been named one of the Most Creative People in Business by Fast Company.
David has recently been recognized by Gold House in the A100 list, honoring Asian Pacific leaders who made the greatest impact on culture and society. He has served on RISD’s Board of Trustees since 2021.
Nicholas W. Benson — honorary degree
Nicholas W. Benson is owner of the John Stevens Shop in Newport, RI, which was founded in 1705 and specializes in the design and carving of lettering in stone. He studied calligraphy and letterform design at the School of Design in Basel, Switzerland before taking over ownership and management of the shop in 1993.
Nicholas has designed and carved inscriptions on many civic memorials, including the National World War II Memorial, the National Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial and the National Eisenhower Memorial. He has also designed and carved inscriptions for many notable universities, including Yale, Harvard, Princeton, Brown and Dartmouth, as well as private commissions for prominent institutions and families.
The grandson of late RISD professor John Howard Benson (designer of RISD’s seal), Nicholas received the National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellowship in 2007 and was awarded a MacArthur Fellowship in 2010. He lives in Jamestown, RI with his wife Alix and their children, Hope and Henry.
Marva Griffin Wilshire — honorary degree
Marva Griffin Wilshire was born in Venezuela and adopted Milan as her home city when she began working in the design and furniture world. Since 1990 she has served as international press director at Salone del Mobile Milano, where she currently serves as ambassador of international relations.
In 1998 Marva founded SaloneSatellite, which in May 2014 received the Compasso d’Oro XXIII Lifetime Achievement Award. She also earned the Ambrogino d’Oro Award for Civic Merit in 2017 and, in 2021, an Honorary Master's Degree in Product Service System Design from Politecnico di Milano. Since 2001, she has been a member of the Philip Johnson Architecture & Design Committee of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York.
In 2016, Marva became ambassador for Italian Design Day, presenting talks in Seoul, Montreal, Miami, Madrid, Buenos Aires, Guatemala City, New Delhi/Mumbai and Johannesburg/Cape Town.
Dorothy W. Ford — President’s Medal of Honor
Dorothy W. Ford served as the coordinator of RISD’s Minority Affairs/Third World Office from 1973–2000. She advocated for students of color and principles of social equity and inclusion long before such ideas were adopted nationwide. Her commitment impacted the lives of generations of RISD students, particularly students of color, allowing them to thrive during and after their years at RISD.
Dorothy’s work built the foundation for RISD’s current Social Equity and Inclusion plan and other initiatives launched to support marginalized students, such as Project Thrive and the RISD First-Generation to College Pre-Orientation Program.
Special events
click the event link for location details
May 31–June 2, 2024
Part of Commencement + Reunion Weekend, this year's reunions celebrate the classes of 1949, 1954, 1959, 1964, 1969, 1974, 1979, 1984, 1989, 1994, 1999, 2004, 2009, 2014, 2019 and our two-year reunion class 2022!
Saturday, June 1, 2024
11 am–5 pm
Featuring over 100 RISD artists, makers and designers, RISD Craft is a highlight of Commencement + Reunion Weekend. RISD Craft is held each year on historic Benefit Street located in the center of campus.
Post-commencement reception
Saturday, June 1, 2024
12–1:30 pm
Immediately following the Commencement Ceremony at the Amica Mutual Pavillion, our entire community is invited to celebrate the Class of 2024 at a festive reception back on campus.
More in Commencement
Find out about nearby transportation, hotels and lodging, and dining options, as well as important info for international families traveling to the US.
Stay informed about Commencement with all the dates, deadlines and important links you need as we get closer to June.
Have questions about Commencement but don’t know where to start? See our FAQ for answers to the questions we hear the most.