Shepard Fairey one of six new members on RISD board of trustees

PROVIDENCE – Well-known street artist and Rhode Island School of Design graduate Shepard Fairey is one of six newly elected members of the RISD board of trustees.

Fairey, founder of Obey Giant Art and OBEY Clothing, is best known for his creation of Barack Obama poster “Hope” that helped fuel his election to the presidency in 2008.

Fairey is joined on the board by:

  • Gabrielle Bullock, a principal at Los Angeles-based architecture firm Perkins and Will, graduated from RISD in 1984 and was the second African American woman to complete the architecture program.
  • Pakistani-born and internationally recognized visual artist Shahzia Sikander, who earned a Master of Fine Arts in painting and printmaking in 1995.
  • Norman Chan, a 1985 graduate from RISD’s architecture program, is the founder and managing director of BTR Workshop Limited, an architectural and interior design firm based in Hong Kong, established in 1995.
  • Designer Michael Rock, who received a Master of Fine Arts in graphic design in 1984, founded the firm 2×4 in 1993 with fellow alumni Susan Sellers and Georgianna Stout. A global design consultancy headquartered in New York City, the group focuses on brand strategy for cultural and commercial clients who value the power of design.
  • Dr. William Schweizer III, the parent of a recent RISD graduate, is vice chairman of Clinical Affairs at NYU Langone Health’s Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in New York City. He is a clinical associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology, director of the Generalist Division, and obstetrics service chief.

“The board is thrilled to welcome to RISD this new group of esteemed trustees, which includes several extraordinary alumni,” said RISD board Chairman Michael Spalter. “Our newest members embody RISD’s values and they have each made indelible marks on society. We look forward to the ways they will help guide our illustrious institution alongside our visionary President Rosanne Somerson, and we thank them for taking on this important commitment in service to RISD.”

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The trustees also announced:

  • As the new president of the RISD Alumni Association, Donald Wun Hing Choi, a 1982 RISD graduate and parent of a RISD graduate, will serve on the board of trustees in an ex officio capacity. Choi is the first Alumni Association president from outside of the United States. He began a two-year term on July 1 and leads the association’s 30,000 members around the world.
  • Deborah Mankiw, a parent of a RISD student, was appointed to represent the Parents’ Council on the board in an ex officio role.
  • Vincent Buonanno, Jamie Carpenter, Robert DiMuccio and Cathy Graham have been named emeriti trustees, a designation that recently replaced the previous terminology of honorary trustee.
  • At a recent meeting, the trustees also expressed their appreciation for the contributions of two members completing their service to the board: Steven Perelman and Roland “Rollie” Sturm.