Looking for a fun and educational weekend trip? RWU students get free admission to the RISD Museum, which is affiliated with the Rhode Island School of Design. Located at 20 N Main St. in Providence, the museum has numerous exhibits and an array of artifacts that can satisfy any visitor.

When you first walk in, there is a blue neon sign saying, “You belong here,” catching a person’s eye the moment one walks in. Like any museum, RISD showcases multiple exhibitions. Currently, they are showcasing materials made from spider silk. Branching into their fixed collection, the first floor of the museum is comprised of Greek and Roman artifacts.

The same floor also contains some 19th and 20th century works of art. The museum also houses European, Japanese, Chinese, Egyptian and Spanish art, and has acquired sculptures, fashion and textiles.     

One of the art pieces that stood out came from an American artist named Clare Rojas. The piece was called “Untitled” and had a description of “lady with black hair and pink shirt.” The colors and patterns the artist used grabbed the viewer’s attention. It had a striped design with the lady in the painting wearing a floral shirt. In addition, it had an ambiguous tone, since there was a light beam going through her body and no direct inclination as to whether the source of light came from her or if it implied an act of violence against her. 

The museum is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Every third Thursday of the month it is open until 9 p.m. It is definitely worth the visit.