RISD is one of the best art schools in the country. In Providence, a small, comfortable city, the program provides an excellent foundation in all the visual arts, as well as specialized training in many departments. Most departments focus on overall technique and theory rather than cutting-edge methods, but the school is full of people exploring their areas independently. Right now, the school is undergoing a slight growth period, so many of the classes and extracurriculars may suffer from slight neglect as new buildings are built and moved into.