Straight-A Students

With its history of innovation, the Rhode Island School of Design would hardly hold a bake sale. So, instead of offering chocolate-chip cookies and Rice Krispies Treats, the school launched RISD Works, a downtown Providence shop that sells objects by alumni and faculty— some famous, some

undiscovered. In the past three years, the "famous" category has included T-shirts and postcards by Jenny Holzer, class of 1977, and umbrellas and baby bibs by Nicole Miller, 1973. Among the 43 new designs for 2004, boxed note cards by Dale Chihuly, 1968, show images of his glass sculptures.

From recent RISD grads, the newest standouts are stoneware mugs by Paul Eshelman (1981), rubber and stainless-steel jewelry by Anna Chan and Craig LoPresti (both 1995), and a plastic-and-nylon tote bag by Shawn Parks (2004).