EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR + CO-FOUNDER
adrienne@downcitydesign.org

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Adrienne co-founded DCD in 2009 to help people design and build solutions for their communities and was later awarded the 2013 RI Innovation Fellowship for her plan to expand design education in RI. She has served as adjunct faculty in RISD’s Architecture Dept, where she taught a course on socially engaged design. Prior to her work with DCD, Adrienne was Education Director for Providence CityArts for Youth and a curator for SFMOMA. She graduated magna cum laude from Yale and received her MA in Design Education from RISD.

EDUCATION DIRECTOR
anna@downcitydesign.org

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Anna is an educator and designer with a long-standing commitment to equitable, youth-centered arts education programming. Anna earned her MA in Education Policy and Analysis from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, where she was an Urban Scholars Fellow with a concentration in Arts & Learning. She also holds a BFA in Printmaking from the Rhode Island School of Design and a BA in History from the University of Rhode Island. Anna is excited to join DownCity Design’s team to support programs that help young people design for a more sustainable, just, and joyful future.

SITE DIRECTOR
marlyne@downcitydesign.org

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Marlyne is a lifelong Rhode Island resident. Over the last decade she has served in various roles in education and community settings with youth. Marlyne is an alumna of Central High School and received her BS in Human Development and Family Studies from URI. She is currently pursuing her MPA at Roger Williams University through evening classes. She brings to this PCTA Site Manager role her exceptional organizational skills, experience in school settings, and passion for education. In her free time she enjoys spending quality time with her son and reading a book by the ocean.

OPERATIONS MANAGER
emma@downcitydesign.org

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Emma is a designer and educator passionate about teaching and learning with creative young people. She holds a BFA from the School of Visual Arts and an MFA in Furniture Design from RISD, with a Certificate in Teaching Art + Design. Her work has been exhibited by Friedman Benda, Sight Unseen, and the RISD Museum. As a Rhode Island native, Emma found her passion for the arts working at Yellow Peril Gallery as a teen and later developed an interest in art education managing Wesleyan University's Digital Design Studio, where she restructured student staffing for equity and professional support. Emma enjoys film photography, cooking, DJing, sewing, pilates, and spending time with her partner Tim and cat Stretchy.

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT COORDINATOR
kailey@downcitydesign.org

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Kailey Coppens (she/they) is a Providence-based artist and educator. They earned a BFA in Painting and Studio for Interrelated Media from the Massachusetts College of Art and Design. While living in Massachusetts, they worked at contemporary art institutions such as MASS MoCA and ICA Boston, and trained as a fine-art picture framer. Their work has been exhibited nationally and has received support from organizations including Monson Arts, ArtsWorcester, NYFA, and CERF+. Since moving to Providence, Kailey has developed and led creative programs for young people and communities through Riverzedge Arts, the Federal Hill House Association, and the Providence Public Library.  They are interested in making art accessible, process-driven, and connected to the places and communities where people live.  

SHOP MANAGER
jeremy@downcitydesign.org

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Jeremy Grail (he/him) is a Designer, Technologist, and Educator from the American Southeast. He recently graduated from RISD's Master of Industrial Design Program and earned his Bachelor of Environmental Design from Texas A&M University. Jeremy's passion for the built environment and technical systems stems from his familial roots in the building trades. He is looking forward to continuing his work at DownCity Design, teaching young designers methods to critically investigate and reimagine the world around them.

DESIGN/BUILD LEAD EDUCATOR

DESIGN/BUILD LEAD EDUCATOR

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Lillyanne Fisher (she/her) loves to create, especially alongside others. An artist, community programmer, and recent graduate of RISD Sculpture, she believes in the transformative experience of art education. She sees collaborative making as one of the most powerful ways to cultivate community and can't wait to create with DownCity Design this summer.

DESIGN EDUCATOR

ARTS EDUCATOR

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Ava Varszegi is a Providence based artist and educator. She has a BFA from RISD in Illustration as well as certificates in Natural Science Illustration and Graphic Design from RISD Continuing Education. She has taught art to a wide range of students, from preschoolers to adults.

ROBOTICS EDUCATOR

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GRAPHIC DESIGN EDUCATOR

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Catalina Martínez (she/her) is an artist, educator, and recent graduate of the Printmaking MFA program at RISD. Her artistic practice explores how meaning is created through everyday experiences, focusing on the relationships between people and the ordinary objects that shape domestic life. As an educator, Catalina is passionate about fostering collaborative and creative learning environments where students can think critically, make with intention, and design in community for community. She believes that creating together is a meaningful way to build knowledge, curiosity, and connection.

GRAPHIC DESIGN EDUCATOR