Rina Risper’s connection to fiber arts began early in life through a family tradition of sewing, knitting, embroidery, and cross-stitching that stretches back generations. Her grandmother lived on the Caribbean islands of Curacao and Sint Maarten, where she owned a wedding shop designing dresses, and was later recruited to the United States to work as a seamstress for Saks Fifth Avenue creating wedding gowns. As a child, Risper often visited the shop and helped with small tasks, absorbing the craft that would later influence her artistic identity.
Growing up in Brooklyn, New York, her mother became known in the neighborhood as “the knitting lady,” frequently helping neighbors learn knitting techniques and encouraging creativity as a constructive outlet. Risper came to view poetry as another form of art, noting that while embroidery, cross-stitch, and knitting require precise patterns, quilting and poetry allow for imperfection and personal interpretation. At about six years old, she attended an after-school art class in Brooklyn’s East New York neighborhood, where her teacher, Mr. Bettis, recognized her talent after she painted a fruit bowl that won an art contest. That early recognition strengthened her confidence in pursuing creative work.
When her family moved to Bay Shore on Long Island during her fourth-grade year, Risper found inspiration in nature by walking through the woods, picking berries, and experimenting with dyeing T-shirts using blackberry juice. During those formative years she learned more advanced knitting patterns, sewing, and embroidery, often working alongside her mother, who taught her practical sewing skills such as hemming garments evenly, trimming loose threads, and sewing buttons so they faced the same direction. Sewing became a generational practice passed from her grandmother to her mother and then to her.
Her mother even sewed school clothing for Risper’s son when he attended an Afrocentric school, and Risper saved the leftover scraps with the intention of creating a quilt. The quilt eventually became a deeply personal project connected to memories of scarcity and resilience. The small two-inch fabric pieces were stitched together gradually over thirteen years until the quilt was completed. In 2006, the finished quilt was selected for display in Michigan State University’s Museum’s Michigan Quilt Project exhibition. That experience helped transform sewing from necessity into personal expression.
After taking a quilting class at a local business and realizing she could replace expensive materials with recycled fabric, Risper began collecting remnants from friends and family and encouraging others to recycle, reduce, and reuse through art. Her commitment to sustainability also shaped her community work during the COVID-19 pandemic, when she collaborated with other fiber artists to sew and distribute thousands of protective masks throughout the community.
Her artistic work was later showcased in the exhibition “The Art of Knitting, Poetry, Quilting and Stitching,” which ran from March 8 to March 31, 2025, at the East Lansing Public Art Gallery and featured quilts, knitted sweaters, selected poems from her poetry collection Somewhere in Between, and cross-stitched items.
Beyond fiber art, Risper has built a career centered on journalism, literacy, and community engagement. In 2002 she founded The New Citizens Press newspaper, which continues in both print and online formats. Since 2023, she has also hosted the Sociologically Speaking YouTube channel, where she explores the social motivations behind human behavior. She also serves as Executive Director of The New Citizens Press Community Action Network (TNCPCAN), where she advocates for literacy programs, artistic expression, and support services for individuals affected by homelessness, violence, and domestic violence.
Her creative business, Raggedy RiRi, reflects her commitment to preserving stories through fiber art and highlighting the cultural narratives embedded in handmade objects. In 2005 she founded Poetry in the City, which has become the longest-running poetry event held on any state capitol steps in the United States, celebrating literary expression and community participation. Through TNCPCAN she also created the 2018 “Read to Succeed, Write to Ignite” program at Lansing School District’s Pleasant View School, where students worked with dictionaries, thesauruses, and journals to expand vocabulary and develop poetry over a two-month period.
Risper earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from City College of the City University of New York in 1989. Her dedication to community advocacy and creative education was recognized nationally when she was named WLNS Nexstar Media’s 2024 Remarkable Woman, one of 112 women selected across the country. She continues to focus on educating, motivating, and mentoring youth and adults while expanding her artistic knowledge and strengthening connections through journalism, poetry, and fiber arts.
For further insights into her work, visit www.tncpcan.org, tncpnews.com, and www.raggedyriri.com.
