Ringling College of Art and Design

Art school in Sarasota, Florida

Ringling College of Art and Design

Other name

| RCAD

Former names

| The School of Fine and Applied Art of the John and Mable Ringling Art Museum,[1] Ringling School of Art and Design (RSAD)
Type| Private art school
Established| March 31, 1931; 94 years ago (1931-03-31)
Founder| Ludd M. Spivey
Accreditation| Southern Association of Colleges and Schools

Academic affiliation

| National Association of Schools of Art and Design
Endowment| $49.5 million (2020)[2]
President| Larry R. Thompson[3]

Academic staff

| 182
Students| 1,663[4]
Location|

Sarasota

Florida

United States

27°21′38″N 82°32′53″W﻿ / ﻿27.3606697°N 82.5480817°W﻿ / 27.3606697; -82.5480817
Campus| Urban
48 acres (19 ha)
Mascot| Remy the Armadillo
Website| www.ringling.edu

Location of RCAD

Show map of Florida

Ringling College of Art and Design (the United States)

Show map of the United States

Ringling College of Art and Design (RCAD; stylized as Ringling College of Art + Design) is a private art and design school in Sarasota, Florida.[5] It was founded by Ludd M. Spivey as an art school in 1931 as a remote branch of Southern College before their separation in 1933.

## History

[edit]

The origins of the college go back to when the President of Southern College (now called Florida Southern College), Ludd M. Spivey, wanted to get the support of John Ringling for his institution. Spivey learned that Ringling did not have an interest in helping Southern College, was almost broke, and wanted to start his own art school on the grounds of his museum.[6][7] The two discussed the idea of creating a new and independent art school before reaching the agreement that they would open a school in Sarasota as a branch of Florida Southern College.[6]

The School of Fine and Applied Art of the John and Mable Ringling Art Museum was founded on March 31, 1931.[6] It opened on October 2 with 75 registered students.[8][6] The school, although an extension of Florida Southern, initially functioned as a junior college with business and arts classes. The college would end up breaking off from Southern College in 1933 after Ringling faculty discovered and disliked that money made from the school went to pay salaries at the college's Lakeland campus. Another theory holds that conservative Methodist trustees from Florida Southern were outraged that Ringling students were drawing naked models, so they sought to end the relationship. In any case, the school ended up successfully petitioning for and officially became independent on May 14, 1933 when they received their charter.[9] Under this new charter, the institution became known as the Ringling School of Art.[8] In 1934, the junior college and music courses were eliminated and the decision was made to concentrate solely on art.[9] After World War II, enrollment grew at the school, growing from 250 in 1949 to 450 by 1959, mostly because of the G.I. Bill.[6]

The institution qualified for full accreditation as a degree-granting institution by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in 1979. That year the college became known as the Ringling School of Art and Design.[6] In 1984, the school became accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art.[10]

The campus has in the past also included the Longboat Key Center for the Arts, which operated from 1952 to 2017.[11][12]

Most recently, the Sarasota Art Museum, housed in a newly-renovated 1926 Sarasota High School, opened in 2019 as a division of Ringling College of Art and Design, and comprises a separate "Museum Campus" further south than main campus.

## Academics

[edit]

The college currently offers the Bachelor of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Arts degrees. It operates on a semester academic term system.[5]

### Library

[edit]

The Alfred R. Goldstein Library is an informational, educational, and social hub for RCAD's students and faculty.[13] Designed specifically for its creative students, the library's collection includes children's literature, game arts, graphic novels, letterpress, book arts, pop up books, special collections, reference, and online resources.[14] The 46,000-square-foot library houses over 75,000 books and periodicals.[15]

The Ringling College Library Association (RCLA) is a nonprofit organization that was created by a small group of community leaders in 1975 in an attempt to aid Ringing College in constructing its first library. The RCLA operates with an annual overhead of 10% and has “made gifts and commitments to the college in excess of $11 million dollars”.[16] With nearly 2,000 members, the RCLA continues to support the Alfred R. Goldstein Library and the RCAD community by providing scholarships to students, programming special events (including the RCLA Town Hall Lecture Series), and encouraging creativity and community togetherness.

The library hosts an independent art publishing book fair called Paper Jam. Organized jointly with Letterpress and Book Arts Center and the Brizdle-Schoenberg Special Collections Center and in collaboration with SRQ Zine Fest, the annual event features a wide array of creative books and experimental printed items that highlight local and diverse perspectives.[17]

The library originated as a first floor location on the east side of campus. Its new modern facility, completed in January 2017, is centrally located, physically representing the mission of the library as the heart of its college. The $20 million dollar library, designed by Shepley Bulfinch and Sweet Sparkman Architects, is significantly larger than its predecessor. It features furnishings selected by RCAD students, bright colors, a 24-hour lab, a café, ten group study areas, and 4 terraces overlooking Whitaker Bayou. American Libraries, a publication of the American Library Association, featured the Alfred R. Goldstein Library in its yearly Library Design Showcase later in 2017.[18][19][20]

Alfred Goldstein, the library's namesake, was a local benefactor. Along with his wife Ann, he contributed to many Sarasota organizations and funded the Ann Goldstein Children's Rainforest Garden at the Marie Selby Botanical Gardens.[21] The library naming ceremony took place on February 15, 2016.[22]

## Notable alumni

[edit]

Main page: Category:Ringling College of Art and Design alumni

The Ringling Alumni Wall of Honor on the main campus recognizes exceptional RCAD alumni who have received awards and accolades since graduating, and whose creative work has made a positive impact. Twelve alumni are honored each year, one for each major, as well as alumni leaders who support the college with their time and generosity.

Distinguished alumni include the following individuals:

* David Bromstad — designer, television personality
* Jeff Fowler — filmmaker and animator
* John Hambrock — graphic designer, cartoonist of The Brilliant Mind of Edison Lee
* Bret Iwan — voice actor, illustrator
* Tim Jaeger — painter
* Andrew Jones — concept artist and digital "painter"[23]
* John Marshall — cartoonist of the Blondie comic strip
* Brandon Oldenburg — Academy Award-winning short film director and illustrator
* Patrick Osborne — Academy Award-winning short film director and animator
* Tim Rogerson — painter
* Michelle Phan (never graduated) — make-up demonstrator and entrepreneur - founder of EM cosmetics
* Nick Pitera — singer-songwriter, musician, animator
* Mike Zeck — comic book artist
* Brenna Thummler — illustrator, author of Sheets graphic novel

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "About us". Ringling College of Art and Design. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
2. ^ As of June 30, 2020. U.S. and Canadian Institutions Listed by Fiscal Year 2020 Endowment Market Value and Change in Endowment Market Value from FY19 to FY20 (Report). National Association of College and University Business Officers and TIAA. February 19, 2021. Retrieved February 21, 2021.
3. ^ "Leadership & Administration". Ringling College of Art and Design. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
4. ^ "At A Glance 2018-19" (PDF). Ringling College of Art and Design. Archived from the original on May 12, 2019. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
5. ^ a b "Overview of Ringling College of Art and Design". US News.
6. ^ a b c d e f Perkins, Robert E. The first fifty years : Ringling School of Art and Design, Sarasota, Florida, 1931-1981. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
7. ^ Meter, Amanda Ellen (2009). John Ringling: Story of a Capitalist. Florida State University. Retrieved October 28, 2022 - via DigiNole.
8. ^ a b Shank, Ann. "Ringling School of Art Started with 75 Students". Sarasota History Alive!. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
9. ^ a b Bauer, Ruthmary (1997). "Sarasota: Hardship and Tourism in the 1930s" (PDF). Florida Historical Quarterly. 76 (3). Florida Historical Society: 8. Retrieved October 27, 2022 - via STARS (Showcase of Text, Archives, Research & Scholarship) from the University of Central Florida Libraries.
10. ^ "RINGLING COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN". National Association of Schools of Art & Design. Retrieved October 27, 2022.
11. ^ "A Fond Farewell to Longboat Key Center for the Arts". Sarasota Magazine. Retrieved 2020-01-30.
12. ^ Becnel, Thomas (April 29, 2020). "Ringling College reconsiders Longboat Key Art Center project". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Retrieved 2020-04-14.
13. ^ "Alfred R. Goldstein Library". Ringling College of Art + Design. Ringling College of Art and Design. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
14. ^ "Library Catalog". Ringling College of Art + Design. Ringling College of Art and Design, Alfred R. Goldstein Library. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
15. ^ "Alfred R. Goldstein Library". The Sarasota Observer. March 9, 2017.
16. ^ Ringling College Library Association. "History". Retrieved October 28, 2022.
17. ^ "Paper Jam". Paper Jam. Ringling College of Art and Design. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
18. ^ "Alfred R. Goldstein College Library at the Ringling College of Art and Design". University Business. 5: 15. 2018.
19. ^ Pirman, J. (2017). "Alfred R. Goldstein Library, Ringling College". Sarasota Magazine. 9: 180.
20. ^ Morehart, P. (2017). "2017 Library Design Showcase". American Libraries. 48 (9/10): 26–33.
21. ^ Brugmann, Anna (June 29, 2017). "Alfred R. Goldstein: A legacy etched in stone". The Longboat Observer: 4.
22. ^ "Topping-Out and Naming Ceremony Heralds The Ringling College Alfred R. Goldstein Library and Appointment of Kristina Keogh as Director of Library Services; New Ringling College of Art and Design campus library slated to open fall 2016". GlobeNewswire. February 12, 2016.
23. ^ "Arts and Artists: Andrew Jones". www.imersa.org. Retrieved 2020-01-30. "He attended the Ringling School of Art and Design in Sarasota FL, where he trained in traditional academic drawing/painting and animation."

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ringling College of Art and Design.

* Official website

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Association of Independent Colleges of Art and Design

United States|

* Cincinnati
* Art Center
* California College
* California Institute
* Creative Studies
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* Lesley
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Canada|

* Alberta
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Sarasota, Florida

Historic Districts|

* Burns Square
* Caples–Ringling Estates
* Central–Cocoanut
* Downtown Sarasota
* Harding Circle
* Laurel Park
* Maine Colony
* Overtown
* Newtown
* Rigby's La Plaza

Historic Sites
and Landmarks|

* Bay Haven School
* Booker High School
* Chidsey Library
* Crisp Building
* Ed Smith Stadium
* Florida Studio Theatre
* Lime Lake
* Marie Selby Botanical Gardens
* Mote Marine Laboratory
* John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art
* John Ringling Causeway
* Payne Park
* Robarts Arena
* Rosemary Cemetery
* Roth Cigar Factory
* Sarasota Classic Car Museum
* Sarasota High School
* Sarasota Jungle Gardens
* Sarasota Memorial Hospital
* Sarasota Municipal Auditorium
* Sarasota Opera House
* Selby Public Library
* Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall

Former buildings
and landmarks|

* El Vernona Hotel–John Ringling Hotel
* Gulfcoast Wonder & Imagination Zone

Colleges
and universities|

* Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training
* East West College of Natural Medicine
* Florida State University College of Medicine
* Ringling College of Art and Design
* New College of Florida
* University of South Florida Sarasota–Manatee

Transportation|

* Breeze Transit
* Manatee County Area Transit
* Sarasota–Bradenton International Airport

Media|

* Sarasota Herald-Tribune
* Sarasota Observer
* ABC 7
* SNN

Organizations|

* Asolo Repertory Theatre
* Florida Studio Theatre
* Sarasota Orchestra

Government|

* Sarasota County Government
* Fire department
* Library system
* Schools
* Sheriff's office
* Sarasota Police Department

This list is incomplete.

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF

National|

* United States

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