Instructor Spotlights

Meet some of the creative professionals who teach for RISD Continuing Education.

Are you a RISD CE instructor who would like to be featured by #risdceSPOTLIGHT? Fill out this Google Form or email cemedia@risd.edu to learn how.

Instructor Spotlight: Jason LeClair

RISD Continuing Education instructor Jason LeClair began his journey with a single course in cartooning at 15 years old. More than two decades later, a colleague’s recommendation led to a position teaching Critical Studies [...]

  • A woman poses against a wall with drawings posted on it.

Instructor Spotlight: Taylor Pate

Taylor Pate’s background as both an artist and an educator inspired her to be part of a program that encourages students to explore new ideas, take risks, and develop their own artistic voices. RISD [...]

  • Portrait photo of instructor Yikui (Coy) Gu in front of an abstract wall painting.

Instructor Spotlight: Yikui (Coy) Gu

Meet RISD CE instructor Yikui (Coy) Gu. In his recent mixed-media autobiographical series, he layers paint, stock imagery and everyday objects. Through the combination of political, cultural and domestic imagery, he hopes to subvert [...]

  • Instructor Sam Horowitz in his studio.

Instructor Spotlight: Sam Horowitz

“My journey to RISD Continuing Education began when I was looking for teaching opportunities in the Boston area. I got the confirmation once I had moved to Alabama and, happily, the class was remote! [...]

  • RISD CE instructor Colete Martin

Instructor Spotlight: Colete Martin

“My journey to RISD CE began when I taught an acrylic painting course in late 2022. I'm currently building a course on alla prima painting using acrylic paints (Alla Prima Acrylic Figure Painting). The [...]

  • RISD CE instructor spotlight: Bruce Campbell

Instructor Spotlight: Bruce Campbell

"My Journey with RISD Continuing Education began when I completed a faculty swap with my lecturer position at the University of Washington. Charles was teaching at RISD CE but wanted to perform research activities [...]

  • RISD CE instructor profile: Tim McCool

Instructor Spotlight: Tim McCool

“My journey to becoming a RISD CE instructor began when I was asked if I could adapt my abstract painting class into an online format. Setting up asynchronous courses was a challenge because I [...]

  • RISD Continuing Education Spotlight: John Gonzalez, instructor

Instructor Spotlight: John Gonzalez

“I grew up in Providence and wanted nothing more than to attend RISD as a student, which I did as an undergraduate in the early 2000s. RISD really is a special world. When I [...]

  • Matthew Manning, RISD CE instructor spotlight

Instructor Spotlight: Matthew Manning

Get to know Matthew Manning, a RISD Continuing Education instructor for animation and stop-motion courses: Matthew started animating as a child with a Super 8 camera in his parent’s garage. He attended California State [...]

  • risdceSPOTLIGHT: Katy Dika, instructor, RISD Continuing Education

Instructor Spotlight: Katy Dika

“My journey to RISD began when I set foot in the Nature Lab. I went on a tour when I was about 17 years old and knew I had to be a part of [...]

  • Taleen Batalian, RISD CE drawing instructor

Instructor Spotlight: Taleen Batalian

"Everyone sees differently–students start trusting their process more once they see their drawings developing in ways they hadn’t imagined.” —Taleen Batalian, RISD CE Drawing instructor; recipient of the 2020–2021 RISD CE Teacher of Excellence [...]