<p>. . . just as freshman, including my D, arrive for orientation. Wonder how long Maeda has left.</p>
<p>Embattled</a> RISD president holds meeting - PBN.com - Providence Business News</p>
<p>And what’s with the scarf? Cold neck? Hickey? Affectation?</p>
<p>When he took over as President, many of us suspected that Maeda would have a problem dealing with the Museum Board. Actually, I’m surprised it’s taken a whole year for it to break open. There has been a long-running dispute between the museum and the school – practically since the founding of RISD, and Maeda just joined the continuing saga. </p>
<p>Maeda was hired specifically because he is young, enthusiastic, tech-savvy, innovative, and one of the “funky, out-there types” who can shake the school up and put it on the cutting edge of the art/design world. RISD was lucky to get him. (Maeda was required to commit to RISD for a minimum of 5 years, as they were worried he would jump ship sooner because he gets so many offers from other places – not just academia but the corporate world as well). But that same personality/genius that the School Board was looking for puts him at direct odds with the Museum Board, which still tends to be dominated by rich dowagers and descendants of the original founders of RISD (the Providence 6) who don’t like change. They see RISD as a museum - that happens to have a school attached. They like to be fussed over, and the previous president, Roger Mandle, was a courtly “Southern gentlemen” who did that well, but Maeda just has no time for – nor the inclination to bother with – that kind of schmoozing. </p>
<p>Note that all of the negative quotes are from members of the Museum Board. (I had to laugh at the passing comment about the museum opening “a new wing that cost millions of dollars.” The Chace Center concept originally started out as a new STUDENT CENTER – because there’s no place for RISD students to hang out together, like a student union or rec complex – and then somehow it evolved into a museum expansion project!) Maeda’s going to have his hands full trying to keep both boards happy.</p>
<p>I’m not saying that Maeda is perfect. I’m reserving judgment on his performance until he’s been there a little longer. I was a strong supporter of Mandle, and quite frankly, Maeda takes a lot of getting used to. (Not being an artsy person myself – just the parent of one – I have to admit that I can’t always follow Maeda as he jumps from topic to topic in his presentations. I sure do scratch my head a lot!) But I think he’s probably what the school needs right now to make sure it stays a premier art school.</p>
<p>By the way, get used to scarf because I’ve never seen Maeda without it. I thought it was just an affectation (sort of a more grow-up version of the pink and green hair that art students are famous for), but I hadn’t considered the hickey angle. Mmmmm… he does have 5 children… ;)</p>