Maura Clark

Maura Clark is a Lecturer in Interior Architecture at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) and an active architectural lighting designer whose studio work explores how light generates form and language within built environments. Her professional portfolio spans civic, commercial, and residential projects worldwide, informed by a fine-arts background and curatorial experience as a fellow at the New Museum.

Education:

• MDes in Interior Architecture, Rhode Island School of Design
• BFA in Painting, Pennsylvania State University, Schreyer Honors College
• BA in History, Pennsylvania State University, Schreyer Honors College

Research & Teaching Focus:
Clark’s pedagogy centers on the tactile and psychological qualities of light, guiding students to understand how natural and artificial illumination shape design, mood, and spatial perception. She emphasizes hands-on engagement with contemporary lighting-industry practices and encourages interpretive design strategies that merge functional requirements with imaginative expression.

Professional Practice:
Concurrent with teaching, she operates an independent studio specializing in architectural lighting and custom light-fixture design. Her cross-disciplinary approach—bridging art history, museum curation, and built-environment lighting—feeds directly into her instructional objectives, fostering future designers who can navigate both poetic and technical dimensions of light.