PROVIDENCE – Islay Taylor, a seasoned arts administrator, educator and curator with more than a decade of experience leading community-centered creative across Rhode Island, has been named DESIGNxRI’s new executive director, the design sector support nonprofit announced Wednesday.
Taylor will succeed Rue Sakayama as executive director. Sakayama, who has been with DESIGNxRI for three years and was director since August 2024, will still remain with the organization focusing on “storytelling, documentation and ensuring operational continuity during the transition,” DESIGNxRI said.
DESIGNxRI says Taylor, a Rhode Island School of Design graduate, recently served as The Steel Yard’s associate director. At the Providence-based design nonprofit, Taylor, DESIGNxRI says, led workforce training initiatives, artist residencies and capacity-building efforts to expand access to the industrial arts.
Taylor was suited to become DESIGNxRI’s new leader based on her strategic thinking and respect for the creative process, the organization says.
“I’ve long admired the work of DESIGNxRI and am honored to join this people-centered team of talented, motivated changemakers,” Taylor said in a statement. “DESIGNxRI has elevated design across Rhode Island, creating a platform for both emerging and established talent to thrive. I’m excited to build on that momentum and help shape the future of design in our state.”
The organization says Taylor becoming executive director marks a “significant milestone” as DESIGNxRI is set to launch a strategic planning process that, the organization says, will uplift the state’s design sector. It will do so by “championing creativity, expanding access to opportunity and using design to drive inclusive innovation,” DESIGNxRI said.
“Islay brings a rare mix of creative insight, operational expertise, and deep community ties,” organization board Vice President Scott Lyons said in a statement. “At a moment when DESIGNxRI is evolving into a more precise, intentional version of itself, she is exactly the kind of leader who can carry forward our values while challenging us to reach further.”
James Bessette is the PBN special projects editor, and also covers the nonprofit and education sectors. You may reach him at Bessette@PBN.com. You may also follow him on X at @James_Bessette.
