Rosanne Somerson (born June 21, 1954) is an American-born woodworker, furniture designer/maker, educator, and former President of Rhode Island School of Design (RISD).

[1] Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,[2] she began her undergraduate degree at Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) in photography, but switched her focus, and received her B.F.A.

[13] Somerson's first speaking engagements as president came in the spring at the National Art Education Association Annual Convention[14] and at South By Southwest EDU in 2015, where she discussed the impact of critical making.

[citation needed] In May, the work of Apparel Design seniors was showcased in New York City for the first time at RISD Backstudio.

[19] The three-year renovation of RISD's Illustration Studies Building was completed[20] and an opening ceremony was held as part of the college's annual parent and alumni weekend.

[5] In these early years, the women in this field responded to the hyper-technical work of their male counterparts by building furniture with complex joinery and technically advanced bent wood laminations.

She started to create smaller works that valued function as well as emotional content; pieces that demanded an intimate relationship with the viewer.

Through the use of subtle color, upholstery, and graphic elements, her work stood out in the field that was quickly turning towards the era's trends of bright-colors and abstraction.

In a 1991 artist statement, Somerson writes "My hope is to help the viewer find her or her own place of emotive satisfaction, coaxed and guided by the furniture;s utility in both its obvious and more subtle functions.