Threadless is a typical website with weird and wacky t-shirts (pictured: the adorable “Wanted” by Jean-Sebastien Deheeger), with the distinction that fans can both submit and vote on designs.  What better pairing than with Providence’s own RISD, an institution that encourages, among other things, future weird and wacky t-shirt designers. Tonight, the first-ever guest-curated Threadless t-shirt gallery (wow, that’s a lot of hyphens) opens at the Chace Center, and RISD|works will sell the shirts for a good cause (scholarships). The theme, which is perfect for election week, is “newness.” I have high hopes for some kick-ass designs.

Chace Center, 20 N. Main Street, Providence / 7-9 p.m. / refreshments served

Oh my God, cracked-out old people.  SHUT UP.  So your kids are trampy!  We get it.  You don’t need to tell the whole effing library about it…

Anyway,  David Macaulay’s going to be at the RISD Auditorium at 6:15 tonight.  Get there early if you want an aisle seat (which, if you’re taller than 5′2″, you will.)  I’ve never heard the man speak, but learning a little bit about his meticulous process would surely be worth it.

Lifting the Hoods: Abu Ghraib, Torture, and the Art of Daniel Heyman

Thursday, October 23, Lecture @ 5:30pm
RISD College Building, Room 412 and
Viewing of Prints in Minskoff Study Center

Since we’ve been having some typography discussions here lately I thought I might mention the cool little font movie, Helvetica. It’s quiet and talky — hardly any car chases — but these people are really serious about their typography and it will open your eyes to our helvetica-soaked world.  Now I see it everywhere I go and it’s driving me mad. (Of course, none of this is in helvetica.)  Good extras on the dvd, more of the interview with font superstars Hoefler & Frere-Jones (Tobias Frere-Jones received his BFA from RISD). Fun fact: same cinematographer as Borat.

Tonight at 9pm is the season premiere of Family Guy on Fox.  If you are new to town you may not know that you now basically live in Quahog.  Seth MacFarlane is from Connecticut, with a BFA from RISD, and the show is heavily larded with inside names and visual jokes that outsiders probably ignore.  Here’s a primer. 1) The skyline in the background is recognizable as Providence.  2) A quahog is a hard-shelled clam and can be prepared and eaten in any number of delicious ways, including raw. 3) Buddy Cianci Junior High is named for the former mayor of Providence, who recently spent almost 5 years in federal prison for violation of the RICO statute. 4) Roger Williams Park is real and a very nice place to visit. 5) James Woods pops in from time to time and he is also real and comes from Warwick.  I’m sure I’m forgetting lots of stuff.

The larger issue of whether  Family Guy is any good or not is so divisive that it has actually been the subject of an episode of South Park.  (I believe Cartman thinks it sucks balls.)  I’m inclined to defend it, in that the stuff that is good is so funny as to make up for the occasional lapses in taste. Plus, except for icebergs, this is the only national exposure that Rhode Island ever gets.

(Illustration courtesy of Fox who can clearly see that this is an educational Fair Use of same.)

The Chace Center officially opens today, so head down to the RISD Museum to escape the drizzle and check out the fancy new galleries.

I’ve always been partial to the discreet Benefit Street museum entrances, but the new entry on South Main is a lot nicer-looking than I’d expected.  My favorite thing about the museum, the little set of stairs on the side of the building, has become a more welcoming thoroughfare; there’s a gallery space in the museum now for student work; and RISDWorks has morphed into a real museum store (and now, thankfully, seems to be about 75% less relient on selling Family Guy merchandise.)

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Welcome to this year’s freshman class… Brown, RISD, J & W… everyone.  You will find Providence is a wondrous but sometimes mystifying place.  If you are reading this then you have already discovered that the Providence Daily Dose is the go-to blog for ‘what to do’ and how to think.  We try to keep you posted on what bands are playing in what clubs, how to watch television, where to buy vegetables, who to vote for, and all things Muppet.

No need to worry about the rice shortage when human flesh is so plentiful — good source of protein too — so let’s get zombified.

8:30 PM — Preparations for the third annual Zombie Day invasion take place in the Upper Quad at RISD, 55 Angell Street, where an experienced team will apply makeup and blood. Your clothes will get messed up, plan accordingly.

10:00 PM — From there, the zombies will swarm down Thayer Street, lurch around Brown, and back to Angell Street in search of slow-moving yuppies and pie-throwing commies, vegans and freegans and out-of-town mommies. And please — I am begging you — get that guy who plays the saxophone. This is being organized (a relative term when speaking of zombies) by Andrew Fogel and a gang of RISD students who must insist that you be at least 18 years old to take part for reasons of liability. (Oh right, almost forgot, get the lawyers!) A donation of a buck or two is requested to support the purchase of the Z-Day supplies. You can even RSVP on Facebook.

11:00 PM until whenever — The Undead After-Party at Studio Blue, 271 Bullocks Point Avenue, Riverside — of which, more later.

… and go outside.

Drawn & Quarterly artist and New Yorker contributor Adrian Tomine will offer a presentation of his cartooning career, in the RISD Auditorium on Friday, February 29 at 7pm. A book signing of his latest graphic novel Shortcomings will immediately follow. Shortcomings will be on sale in the Auditorium lobby prior to the presentation.

This event is free and open to the public, and is sponsored jointly by RISD’s Departments of Illustration and Continuing Education.

See Adrian’s work on the Drawn & Quarterly website.

A cabaret-style evening of performance art created by people who work in the sex industry, to dispel the myth that they are anything short of artists, innovaters and geniuses! Performances range from music to burlesque to spoken word and everything in between. This is a nationally acclaimed show featuring worldclass performances- don’t miss it!

Sex Workers’ Art Show
Sunday February 17th
RISD Auditorium, 7PM
$5 with RISD/Brown ID
$7 general public

Sure hope a pillow fight doesn’t break out:

RISD kids are having an epic Capture the Flag game tomorrow at Roger Williams Park at 2:00. Anybody is welcome to come and play — rain or shine! The more people the better! And best of all, it’s freeeee!!!

But wait, silly RISD kids — anybody want to tell use whereabouts, exactly? There are two Roger Williams Parks, and one of them is real big.

[UPDATE: The Roger Williams Park in question is the Roger Williams Memorial Park at N Main St.]

NYTimes still likes us:

Selling housewares, jewelry, fashion accessories, books and other gifts, the shop carries the work of RISD (pronounced RIZZ-dee) alumni and faculty

And word has trickled in that next Thursday’s Today Show will have some sort of piece on Providence, including a segment featuring Young Voices and Mayor Cicilline.

Also, lipstick is making a comeback!!!

The Rhode Island School of Design has named John Maeda to be their new president. Maeda’s background in new media and corporate design makes him a very interesting choice for the school who’s history has usually bent more towards the fine/practical arts. At 41 Maeda will be the youngest president in the school’s history. Outgoing president Roger Mandle describes Maeda as “a humanist. He is a genius — and he gets things done.”

RISD has more information and a cute little video.

Big ups to Barnaby Evans for the tip on this