5 Must-See Events at Design Week 2025

Design Week RI launches a weeklong celebration of design this Friday at Moniker Brewery in Providence. Rue Sakayama, DESIGNxRI’s director of operations and storytelling, talks to the crowd at last year’s party. Photo by James Jones Studio.

Design Week RI, a celebration and showcase of the state’s creative design scene, kicks off Friday night with a party at Moniker Brewery in Providence.

At least 2,000 people are expected to check out the curated mix of workshops, speakers, parties, studio tours and behind-the-scenes peeks into design hot spots. This year will feature some new hosts, fun surprises and a slate of offerings for families, children and teens, says Reba Mitchell, DESIGNxRI’s programs director.

“We strive to keep things varied, both in terms of the diversity of fields and interest in creative practices and businesses that are represented, but definitely in terms of format,” she says. “We like to have some talks, some workshops. We now do a full open studios weekend. We started doing that last year, and it was great — they’re a cool behind-the-scenes look at all different kinds of studios across Rhode Island.”

DESIGNxRI, a nonprofit that works to boost the state’s design sector by hosting numerous events, workshops and programs, organizes the weeklong event, which this year runs from Sept. 12–19.

Friday’s kickoff party will be held Friday from 5–8 p.m. at Moniker Brewery in Providence. Speakers, raffles and plenty of merriment are on tap, along with the unveiling of Design Week 2025’s beer can design. This year’s can features a design by illustrator Michelle Martins, who took part in DESIGNxRI’s Design Catalyst program in the spring.

Last year’s Design Week RI beer cans were designed by local artists Hannah Chung and Lumuku. Photo by James Jones Studio.

Here are five can’t-miss selections from this year’s event. Most are free, donation-based or pay what you wish. For the entire lineup, visit designxri.com.

Open Studios

Look inside artists’ and designers’ studios on Saturday, Sept. 13, and Sunday, Sept. 14, from 10 a.m.–9 p.m. More than twenty creatives will open their studios in northern Rhode Island on Saturday, with ten studios welcoming visitors to the southern reaches of the state on Sunday.

‘Map for a Cat’ Workshop

Head to the Art Annex in Pawtucket’s Hope Artiste Village Saturday to try your hand at map-making — from a cat’s perspective — with Andrew Middleton, owner of The Map Center. It’s sure to make you rethink your assumptions about design. Also, can you bring your cat? Ahem. Asking for a friend.

Neon-Bending Demo

Watch Nick McKnight of Night Light Neon shape a straight tube into a lit sculpture as he chats about the history of neon and describes the detailed process and craft goes into creating neon signs. The event is being held Sept. 15, from 6:30–8:30 p.m. at Night Light Neon in Providence.

Peek Inside Pretty Snake

Explore the wondrous world of Pretty Snake, the Providence store that features the colorful and pop-culture-centric creations of designer Joseph Aaron Segal, on Sept. 18 from 10–11 a.m. Segal will share secrets behind the Snake Den’s design, his inspiration and his creative process.

Closing Party

Grab a slab of clay and test your skills Sept. 19 at Design Week Rhode Island’s closing party slash pottery throwdown at Anyhow Studio in Providence from 5:30–8 p.m. Can you create a shape on the pottery wheel while blindfolded? Or make a design using one hand? Studio owner Liz Welch, also a Design Catalyst graduate, will lead the night’s ceramic challenges.

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