the future is now: ringling is ready

Pervectives a magazine for alumni and friends the future is now: ringling is ready ringling college of art and design volume 3 :: issue 1 :: spring 2007

in this issue 12. From Sweden with Love: Ulla Searing 16. Giving 20. Envision This: A Visual Arts Center for the Future 22. Alumni News & Notes 28. Point of View with Dr. Tina Beer The Future of Ringling page 2 New Student Center Energizes Campus page 10 Gateway to the Future page 14 Designs of the Times: Ringling College s Sarasota International Design Summit page 18

message from the president Ringling College of Art and Design is on a trajectory to preeminence! Dr. Larry R. Thompson, President (April 14, 2007) This issue of Perspectives focuses on our future and marks an end to our 75th Anniversary. Since last summer, we have had an incredible flurry of activity, unlike any other time in our history! September: We welcomed our 75th entering class, gave them each a MacBook Pro, opened the five-story Ulla Searing Student Center, and got to work on a new Visual Brand Identity with noted Chicago design firm SamataMason. We designed a national direct-marketing campaign promoting career options in art and design and received rave reviews from high school art teachers. October: We kicked off our 75th Anniversary Year with Homecoming Weekend (complete with virtual football game), Parents Weekend, and the inaugural Sarasota International Design Summit. November: We dedicated the Thomas B. Savage Studio in recognition of his $2.1-million gift, saw incredible, creative concepts for the repurposing of historic Sarasota High School as a result of a major Architectural Competition, and selected the ADP Group of Sarasota as our architect for the project. December: We purchased the Shell gas station soon to become the grand gateway to the College and welcomed friends to our first on campus Annual Fundraising Breakfast. January: Selby Gallery celebrated its 20th anniversary. Dr. Thompson begins his ninth year as President of Ringling College of Art and Design this summer. An energetic, innovative, and visionary community leader, Larry has always been active in the area where he lives, and is passionate about the arts and education. He is involved in a myriad of volunteer endeavors throughout the greater Sarasota area and beyond. Thompson is President of the Sarasota County Arts Council, serves as Vice Chairman of the Coastal Behavioral Healthcare, and is lead spokesman for the Innovation 41 project, a collaborative effort among the private and public sector to re-energize Sarasota s North Tamiami Trail. He also serves on the boards of the Economic Development Corporation (EDC) of Sarasota County, the Community Health Corporation for Sarasota Memorial Hospital, SunTrust Bank, Sarasota Season of Sculpture and the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce. Prior to joining Ringling College he was President and CEO of the Flint Cultural Center in Michigan, and was founding Director and CEO of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in Cleveland, Ohio. February: Artventure engaged the community with a free campus-wide open house filled with hands-on creative activities, visiting artists, tours, a student art show and sale and even a 75-candle birthday cake. The Shell station was covered in a kaleidoscope of graffiti art just in time for its demolition. March: Our Computer Animation program was ranked No. 1 in North America by the acclaimed 3D World magazine. April: We announced our name change to Ringling College of Art and Design and unveiled a new Visual Brand Identity (see story on page 2) at An Evening at the Avant-Garde: Anything Goes. May: We saluted graduates at Commencement 2007. Ringling College is shooting for the stars during the next 25 years and I hope you will come along for the ride to witness its monumental and exhilarating changes. In the infamous words of Buzz Lightyear To infinity and beyond! Dr. Larry R. Thompson, President www.ringling.edu Pervectives

future of ringling More Than Just a Logo by marty fugate Changing a name changes the way people see you. If the name has a logo attached, that has to change, too. In search of a world-class logo, the College sought a world-class design firm to do the job. A task force made up of Ringling faculty, staff, students, and trustees was formed in early 2006. After a significant review process that included site visits, SamataMason, a Chicago-area firm, was chosen. The firm s robust research process tipped the balance in their favor. Lead designer Dave Mason began with hard research to define the gap between the College s self-image and public perception. His logo is designed to close that gap. And it does its job: It s a graphic statement of new identity, perceived in a glance. With this design, the College s new name is clear. The logo s graphic elements fuse continuity and change a constant rectangle created from ever-changing art, says Mason. It s the logo of a College grounded in tradition, but not stuck in it. It s a logo with art at its heart, always evolving. It s a logo that builds on the College s already strong reputation. The logo constitutes a redefined visual identity for the College, says Mason. It s not the creation of an entirely new brand. According to our research, Ringling is already highly recognized and regarded. That s a credit to the institution, its alumni, students, and faculty. Pervectives spring 2007

the future of ringling The Future is Now and Ringling is Ready! by chris angermann illustrated by gail yui 01, illustration What s in a name? Plenty. Ringling School of Art and Design is now Ringling College of Art and Design. Why change a perfectly good name? Because the institution itself has changed. It has transformed itself from the little art school founded more than 75 years ago into one of the world s leading art and design colleges. Its name reflects what it has become. Ringling has grown. It has added new academic programs, it has built new buildings, it has acquired more land, and it has enrolled more students from 75 students 75 years ago to 1,100 today. It has gained in reputation and renown. But that s just the beginning. More exciting opportunities lie ahead. Recognizing these changes and envisioning the future led the College s Board of Trustees to decide that Ringling s 75th Anniversary was the right time for the College s name to reflect what Ringling has become and where it is going in the 25 years leading up to its 100th Anniversary. This is a whole new era for the College, says Carolyn Johnson, Chair of the Ringling College Board of Trustees. The new name makes it clear. Look at what Ringling College offers that is distinctive from our sister art and design institutions, says President Dr. Larry R. Thompson. We provide a top-quality professional education in art and design and deliver it on a campus that feels much like a liberal arts college environment. It s a unique combination. Ringling College competes for students with such elite institutions as Rhode Island School of Design, Pratt Institute, Parsons, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and the California College of the Arts. While Ringling College may not be number one yet, President Thompson firmly believes it is well positioned to take the lead within the next 25 years. We are on a remarkable trajectory to preeminence, says Thompson. And, we can get there faster than many other colleges because we are more nimble and able to change more rapidly in the pursuit of our goals. The preeminence trajectory is anything but short-term. It s a vision for the College s future, not only for the next 25 years, but through the end of the 21st century. I want to emphasize that these are not just a series of ambitious goals. We have a targeted strategy for how to achieve each of them, Thompson says. Ringling College s overall goal is simple: to be the best art and design college there is. Making that a reality is complicated, but Thompson and his team have mapped out a path to do it. New academic programs are part of the strategy two were approved last year and six more are in the process of gaining approval. One of these would expand the College s degree offerings to include a Bachelor of Arts degree in addition to the traditional Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Thompson indicated that the College will be exploring the possibility of adding a Master of Fine Arts degree in the future. With these new academic programs, Ringling College will continue to expand its faculty and attract an even wider variety of exceptional students. Bricks and mortar also have their place. The current campus master plan calls for the construction of new buildings, including academic facilities, residence halls, and a state-of-the art library. And there are efforts in the wings to further engage many of Ringling College s successful alumni as they seek continuing professional education and as a resource for recruiting new degree students. www.ringling.edu Pervectives

the future of ringling Whatever that world looks like, one thing will remain constant: Creativity. New land acquisitions and building projects will greatly expand the campus physical area and lay the foundation for future development. Ringling s growth strategy also includes an ongoing acceptance of leading-edge technology. After all, the institution has been an early-adapter since the beginning of the digital revolution one of the first art schools anywhere to embrace the computer as an art-making tool. That approach earned Ringling an international reputation as a key education center for the computer animation industry. The College s leaders intend to hold on to that reputation. We are probably the most technologically advanced art school in the world, says Thompson, and we aim to keep it that way. But technology, or a paintbrush or pencil, is only as good as the person using it. People come first at Ringling College. The institution exists to educate students to be accomplished artists first and foremost, and this involves going beyond teaching technical mastery. It includes the conceptual thinking behind the technique spiritual, political, philosophical, and emotional. (Not to mention how artists are going to make a living.) Real art education addresses the whole person; Ringling has always done just that. It s what makes the College unique. Despite the College s changes and future growth, it will never abandon the studentcentered philosophy that sets it apart from other colleges. Ringling College will continue to nurture the inner lives Pervectives spring 2007 of its students without neglecting the external practicalities of careers. In a world where change is the only constant, Ringling plans to be at the forefront of transforming the way the world sees art and design. Ringling s educational philosophy is to never forget that all this constant adaptation exists solely for the needs of the student. If an accepted student can t afford to attend the College, what s the point? Ringling s leadership wants to bring the College s financial wherewithal to a point that will allow any qualified applicant who wants to attend, but can t afford it, to become a student. Growing the endowment is key that s where major scholarship funds will come from. The students who attend Ringling College in the next 25 years will graduate into a world in which art and design play an ever increasing role. Technology, business, and art are interfacing more than we could have ever imagined, says Johnson. Who knows what the world will be like in 25 years? That is the challenge for our Board, the faculty, and the administration to think about the possibilities ahead and excel into the future. Whatever that world looks like, one thing will remain constant: Creativity. I believe that one of the most important skills for the future is creativity, says Thompson. If we continue to nurture and grow that creativity within our students it makes no difference how greatly the world changes; our students will be ready. What follows is a peek at Ringling College of Art and Design s next 25 years. The Future of Academic Programs If the next 25 years are anything like the next two to five at Ringling College, hold on to your seats! Plans are afoot to more than double the number of academic majors being offered at Ringling College. Last year, the College added two majors Digital Film and Game Art & Design to its repertoire of six majors. In February 2007 the faculty and the Board of Trustees of Ringling College approved the possible addition of six more new majors Advertising Design, Broadcast Design/Motion Graphics, Business of Art and Design (a Bachelor of Arts degree), Painting, Printmaking, and Sculpture. If proposals for these majors are approved by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD) this spring, Ringling College will begin recruiting students for enrollment as early as fall 2008. President Dr. Larry R. Thompson indicated that the reason for adding new academic programs is one of evolving the curriculum in this ever-changing world. Once Ringling College began to compete with Rhode Island School of Design, Parsons, Pratt, and the Chicago Art Institute, the institution realized that it had fewer offerings for its students than did these top competitor schools. Adding majors is only one aspect of the evolving Ringling College education. In the future, there will also be new ways of teaching. For example, online courses will soon be a commonplace delivery system employed by colleges of art and design.

the future of ringling There is an exciting trend toward more collaborative learning. We cannot afford to teach in our silos; that is not the way art and design is practiced in today s environment, says Thompson. We must connect our majors to one another and create interdependent relationships if our students are to be the leaders of tomorrow. The interconnection between art and design and the global economy is increasing every day. The economy of the future will depend on creativity. It will be one of this country s most valuable assets. Businesses will look to places like Ringling College to find creative talent, much as Ringling College must look to businesses to understand the future economy. As a result, Ringling students will be able to take advantage of more practical, realworld experiences such as internships, practicums, or cooperative education. The Chair of the Board of Trustees, Carolyn Johnson, sees education as having a much broader perspective and interface system. She also envisions a major expansion of continuing education programs. Lifelong learning will be much more important than it used to be, says Johnson. If we live into our 90s, we won t want to work at the same job for 50 to 60 years. I hope that when I am 90 years old, I can come to Ringling College and learn how to make a film! The Campus of the Future Among elite art and design schools, Ringling College is distinctive for housing nearly half of its students on campus. And according to Tracy Wagner, Vice President for Finance and Administration, that number will continue to increase. We look forward to 70 to 75 percent of our students living on campus, she says. The new student center, with housing for nearly 100 students, is a monumental step in that direction. Integrating student life and academics is a major focus for Ringling College. In time, Wagner foresees a self-contained campus where residences, food, medical services, recreational amenities, along with academic and administrative offices, classrooms, and studios are available for students use 24/7. We want to create a true learning and living environment, she says. In the meantime, the student population is growing at a strong and steady pace. With the addition of new academic programs and increased and enhanced facilities, enrollment is likely to reach 1,500 students within the next five years. Although enrollment growth is targeted at 1,500 students, some suggest there www.ringling.edu Pervectives

the future of ringling Ringling College s ambitious future master plan calls for almost one million square feet of building space. could be as many as 2,000 students studying at Ringling College over the long term. To address this population explosion, Ringling College has current, interim (next five years), and future campus master plans (next 25 years) on the drawing boards. According to Jeff Poleshek, Assistant Vice President and Director of Facilities Operations, the current master plan shows the school occupying 80 buildings spread across almost 40 acres. That equates to 430,000 square feet of useable space within the buildings. The interim master plan outlines five potential new projects that will add academic, residential, and mixed-use spaces, including galleries, retail, parking, and hopefully a new library. But the ambitious future master plan calls for the College to expand to almost one million square feet of useful space double its current size. The plan calls for some property acquisition, but the focus is on replacing the smaller, one-story retrofitted buildings with larger, multistory structures. We re also looking at how to build for flexibility, so that structures can be re-crafted as times change Poleshek explains. Wagner says that Ringling College will also expand into satellite locations, beginning with the historic Sarasota High School building near downtown Sarasota. We want to foster an environment where people feel part of a larger community outside of the classroom, says Wagner. The Library of the Future The library is a learning center within a learner-centered community at Ringling College, says Kathleen List, Director of Library Services. It is a connecting point for people and ideas in a changing world. Libraries have always adapted to change in the world around them and Ringling College s Verman Kimbrough Memorial Library is no different. The advent of new technologies has been at the forefront of much of this change. The increase in portable technologies and greatly expanded bandwidth, for example, has made it possible for our library to deliver full-color visual content to students and faculty in the lab or classroom or on the road, explains List. In order to take advantage of this technology, the visual content must be in digital format. Although some research tools, such as encyclopedias, reference books, and art-journal texts are now available digitally, most art monographs and exhibition catalogs are not yet available. Many art periodicals, with their full-color illustrations, are also not available digitally. And even though the paintings of old masters are in the public domain, the museums that own these pieces often keep a tight rein on reprint permissions. List looks forward to a future in which both national and international copyright agreements and the marketplace evolve to provide what libraries need and want in digital format. What an improvement it will be, she says, to have the widest possible selection of what is needed, not just what is currently available on someone else s terms. But the library of the future will not just be technology-based. In this evolution, the physical library environment will become even more important for people, List says. It will be a place for collaborative learning, small group activity, social interaction, point-of-use teaching, private learning and reflection, physical collections and places to showcase cultural and historical artifacts. We may reduce our need for book space over time, but not entirely. Print materials meet our human experiential need for the tactile, the personal, the visual, and the serendipitous, she says. Librarians will partner with faculty and students in the learning process to an even greater extent. List is excited that Ringling College, with tremendous support from the Ringling School Library Association, has plans to build a state-of-the-art library. Our 21st-century library will be an exciting place of inquiry and discovery for our creative community. Pervectives spring 2007

the future of ringling The Future for Ringling Graduates The word of the future, according to Dr. Phyllis Schaen, Director of the Center for Career Services, is cross-fertilization. Graduates will have an abundance of career opportunities to look forward to in myriad and sometimes surprising industries. It s happening already. For example, although Ringling College no longer offers fashion design as a major, numerous fashion companies have plucked up its graduates, including American Eagle, Ralph Lauren, and Calvin Klein. Scores of others have gone to work for major newspapers and magazines, international greeting-card companies, and even General Motors and the Central Intelligence Agency. As we head into the next decades, more companies will be looking for young people with design and art expertise, Schaen says. The problem won t be finding jobs for our graduates it will be teaching those grads to be selective! They ll need more than their art skills, though, she asserts. They ll need a basic understanding of how business works. To that end, Career Services will continue to augment the College s burgeoning business curriculum through workshops on the business side of art. On-campus recruiting will continue to grow. Currently, the College invites 50 companies to visit the campus every year, including such major players as DreamWorks, Hallmark, Target, Lucasfilm, Sony Pictures Imageworks, and international design firms. It s really wonderful to see the top people from these big companies interact with our staff and students, Schaen says. Even better is when they fight over our students! Alumni also visit, Schaen explains, and share their real-world experiences. Expanded alumni involvement in mentoring students will be a hallmark of the future. For those introverted artists who are uncomfortable promoting themselves, technology will allow them to communicate visually and virtually. Ringling College has already begun to showcase its graduates portfolios on its website. And the College provides an online service (www.collegecentral. com/ringling) available to students and alumni, listing more than 3,000 art- and design-related jobs each year. But it s not all about business. For those students who wish to pursue art for art s sake, there will be more grants and subsidies, she explains, as the artist becomes recognized as a valuable asset in our society. With such a rosy future ahead, Schaen agrees with Ringling President Dr. Larry R. Thompson that it is time to destroy the myth of the starving artist. Given the caliber of education at Ringling College, and the integration of art and design in all aspects of business, the opportunities for our alumni will be endless, she says. Fifty top companies visit the campus every year, including such major players as DreamWorks, Target, and Sony Pictures Imageworks. www.ringling.edu Pervectives 7

the future of ringling Ringling College s Changing Student Body Ringling College s curriculum expansion will drive student demographics in a new and exciting direction, says Dr. Tammy S. Walsh, Dean of Students. Currently, almost 50 percent of the students come from the state of Florida. That will change as the institution gains national and international prominence. We can expect there to be a greater mix of applicants coming from other states and countries, she says. We anticipate there will also be a greater diversity of age ranges and educational backgrounds in the future student body, says Walsh. As the College offers more courses for professionals and explores the possibilities of an MFA program in the future, Ringling College will attract older students who are looking to expand their educational backgrounds. There will also be an influx, Walsh predicts, of older students who are re-educating themselves for new careers. Pervectives spring 2007 As art and design become more integral to industry, and as more business-related courses are added to the curriculum, we ll see both left- and right-brain thinkers on our campus. I believe this will result in more students who will meld both the left-brain, logical, systematic thinking with the right-brain thinker s creativity, big picture, and artistic views, says Walsh. According to President Dr. Larry R. Thompson, Ringling College is committed to attracting more students from other cultures, different socioeconomic backgrounds, and diverse ethnicity. For our graduates to be successful in this global marketplace, it is essential that they know how to interrelate with people from different cultures and backgrounds. The best way to do this is for students to interact with students different from themselves on the Ringling College campus. To accomplish this goal will require a major increase in financial aid funding levels so that money does not become an obstacle to attend this College. Today s students suffer from a lack of financial aid funds and tomorrow s students will require even more help, says Thompson. Walsh notes that as the College attains a higher level of renown and recognition, there will be a greater pool of highly qualified candidates seeking admission. It will be harder to get in when we re the best, says Walsh. Changing How the World Views Art and Design One of President Dr. Larry R. Thompson s missions is to change the way the world views art and design. Too often art has been seen as a byproduct almost as fluff and not as the economic driver it is, he says. President Thompson likes to reference the work of Daniel Pink, the author of A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future. A contributing editor at Wired magazine and a popular speaker, Pink is known for his commentaries on business, technology, and economic transformation. He believes that design is becoming a major element of how global business is conducted. Design schools will need to incorporate more business, and business schools will increasingly need to look

the future of ringling Start thinking of household appliances as works of art, automobiles as moving sculptures. Daniel Pink to design schools to incorporate more creativity. Ringling College is a leader in this entire effort. All schools should focus on educating the whole person, not simply a narrow range of capabilities, Pink explained in a recent telephone interview. Pink makes the case that in the future economies will reward artistic, empathic, holistic, and big-picture thinkers. Their creative abilities and approaches will be sought after in a world where linear, rule-based thinking can be performed by computers. Technology is just a tool to create the sounds and images that provide the world with something it didn t know before, he says. Technology can be the means to an end, but it is not the end for individuals who are able to liberate their expression and create art through the means of technology. This will be especially true for design. Pink and others predict consumers will base their purchasing decisions more and more on how things feel and look. Take the retailer, Target, as an example. The corporation has been commissioning celebrity designers such as Michael Graves to design common household items. A toaster is no longer a toaster it s an affordable work of art. Shopping at Target becomes an enhanced experience; it s not just about picking up laundry detergent, it s about buying objects with style. This is how Target is able to differentiate itself from other large discount stores. According to Pink, this kind of thinking is where the world of commerce is headed. Start thinking of household appliances as works of art, automobiles as moving sculptures, he says. As design becomes more integral to business, artists and designers will have to become more astute about business. It s good for anybody to have a basic understanding of business and business principles it s great for artists; it s essential for designers, says Pink. In fact, art and design is big business already. One out of every 100 jobs in the United States is in an art or design field. There are more people in the United States working as artists, designers, and entertainers than there are accountants, auditors, and lawyers. In the future, those numbers will only increase. What these statistics show us, says Thompson, is that we should no longer assume that artists will be paid at the low end of the wage scale. We need to destroy the myth of the starving artist, he says. Ringling College of Art and Design will be able to provide students a new opportunity to become leaders in this new creative economy. We may not know what careers or tools there will be in 2032, Thompson says, but I can assure you, Ringling College will be at the forefront of the global economy Pink references. We re committed to it. www.ringling.edu Pervectives

on campus New Student Center Energizes Campus The state-of-the art facility wows by mary catherine coolidge Wendy Gingerich, President of the College s Student Government Association, and Dr. Tammy S. Walsh, Dean of Students, in front of the new Student Center. 10 Pervectives spring 2007

on campus Dr. Tammy S. Walsh says that the new Student Center reflects one of the College s core values, which is to focus on the development of the whole student. If a student center isn t just for students, what do you name it? Whatever you call it, Ringling College s new state-of-theart facility is multipurpose. It not only provides students with a gathering spot, it s a space where they can study, take classes, consult with faculty, and even grab a workout and a bite to eat. And did we mention they also live there? It s only been eight months since the new Student Center first opened its doors. Even in that short amount of time, this cutting-edge, 80,000-square-foot center has already become essential to campus life. And not just for students, but for staff and faculty, as well. It s truly transformed the campus, says Dr. Tammy S. Walsh, Dean of Students. It has become the energy center for the entire community. She calls the new facility a bustling beehive, filled with spaces for learning, living, fun, fitness, and community engagement. The facility has five floors. The ground level boasts a 300-seat exhibition hall, a fully equipped fitness center, a re-creation of The Fishbowl student lounge and entertainment space, the popular Outtakes Café, and the Admissions Office. The second floor is home to student services. Here, you ll find meeting spaces and media rooms, along with the Academic Resource Center and the offices of Financial Aid, Bursar, Student Life, and the Center for Career Services. On other campuses, Dr. Walsh explains, student centers will include meeting spaces or residence halls and cafés, but usually not academic classrooms. What sets Ringling College s new Student Center apart, she says, is that it dedicates its entire third floor to classrooms, creative spaces, faculty offices, and computer labs for the Computer Animation and Game Art & Design programs. The fourth and fifth floors are residence halls. This unique arrangement helped pay for the building. President Dr. Larry R. Thompson says he got the idea for the residence floors from Sarasota s Ritz-Carlton, which offers condominiums on the top floors of the hotel. Why don t we do that for our new Student Center? he thought. These are not your grandfather s residence halls. Each of the 48 rooms houses two students. The rooms have two walk-in closets and a private bath. Some of the rooms even afford a highly prized Gulf view. Three lounges and laundry facilities are available on both floors. The students are thrilled with the space, Walsh says, noting that the fitness center is an especially huge hit. Learning occurs everywhere, she says. The Student Center is a wonderful example of how the College works to integrate the curricular with the co-curricular. This aspect, Walsh says, reflects one of the College s core values, which is to focus on the development of the whole student. Students learn in the classroom but they learn so much more out of class, notes Walsh. Students need an on-campus environment where they can feel comfortable, whether they re participating in a class, discussing issues over coffee, or working out next to a faculty member. That s what the new Student Center provides. The opportunities are limitless. And the rewards for the College extend beyond student learning. A successful student center engenders a sense of community on the campus. According to Walsh, it also plays another, very important role. This new Center, she says, helps us share our story with those who aren t so familiar with the Ringling College campus. The exhibition hall will showcase special events from outside the immediate community and has the potential to attract visitors to the campus, exposing them to the Ringling College experience. The vibrant new Student Center has definitely exceeded the expectations of those who brought it to life. That success fuels the College s vision to be the preeminent art and design college. The fact that the Student Center is able to aesthetically mirror and efficiently service the vision, goals, and needs of an art and design community as diverse as Ringling College has established the benchmark for future excellence as the master plan for the campus continues to evolve. Long term, Walsh says, the College has ideas about future facilities that will, in different ways, be a focal point for the campus, but for right now the Center is the big draw on campus. What we have done here has really, truly modeled the way for our future. www.ringling.edu Pervectives 11

giving From Sweden with Love The Ulla Searing Student Center named in honor of $4,000,000 donor by lance burchett As a child living on the west coast of Sweden, Ulla Searing would look out over the ocean and dream of traveling the world. Hardship would strike in 1929 30, as her father died when she was a teenager. Soon thereafter, the global economic crisis emanating from the U.S. stock market crash led to another personal tragedy the sale of her beautiful home including collections of exquisite taste that her father had assembled during his lifetime. It was a blessing that he passed away before that happened, recalls Searing. It would have broken his heart. 12 Pervectives spring 2007 Ulla Searing emerged from her youth as a resilient, determined, and confident young woman. I probably should have continued as a student, but I had no one to advise me, Searing said. But God was good to me and my uncle s family always welcomed me to their home. I became a multi-lingual secretary, and then life became very complicated with World War II. We had no hot water, coupons for clothes and food, and no gasoline so we bicycled year round, even in the snow.. Soon after World War II, Ulla moved to New York City and worked as a secretary. She later married Arthur Searing, the financial vice president of AIG Insurance Company. Her three decades with Arthur were filled with entertaining friends and business associates. She would later fulfill her childhood dream aboard the Queen Elizabeth 2, cruising around the world for three months. Since 1973, Searing has maintained residences in Southampton, New York, and Sarasota, Florida. Although she has yet to be a full-time resident, her commitment to the arts, education, and enrichment of Sarasota has been unparalleled. In November 2006, Mrs. Searing was recognized by the Southwest Florida Chapter of the Association

giving Her gift will change the lives of young aspiring artists, and their families, forever and as we all know, when you change the present to propel art and education, you change the future of our society for the better. Dr. Larry R. Thompson of Fund-Raising Professionals (AFP) as the region s Philanthropist of the Year no small feat considering the wealth of competition for that honor. I was just flattered that Ringling School nominated me, Searing said, I really did not expect to win. But her friends at Ringling College of Art and Design looked past her humility. Ulla Searing is one of if not the most prolific philanthropists I have ever had the honor of working with, confided Ringling President Larry R. Thompson. She is a sophisticated donor who holds organizations to her very high standards. Her latest gift a $4,000,000 commitment to Ringling College of Art and Design, is the second biggest of her life, and the largest of its kind in the College s 75-year history. The Ulla Searing Student Center by Don Brandes A Night to Remember: Ringling College Honors Ulla Searing On April 28, 2007, Ringling College of Art and Design dedicated its new, 80,000- square-foot signature building, The Ulla Searing Student Center. At the event held that evening in her honor, it was difficult to ascertain which party was more grateful. Dr. Thompson stated that her gift will change the lives of young aspiring artists, and their families, forever and as we all know, when you change the present to propel art and education, you change the future of our society for the better. When asked why she made this investment in Ringling College, Searing responded: We are very fortunate to have this world-class art college right here in Sarasota to enrich the culture that we all treasure and this will make the College and Sarasota an even greater place in the future. On Saturday, April 28, under a starfilled sky, Ringling College of Art and Design thanked and honored Ulla Searing for her extraordinary generosity to the College and its students. In the beautiful 75th Anniversary Commemorative Courtyard that provides an expansive front yard to the campus new Student Center, with a pianist playing Mrs. Searing s favorite songs, the Ringling College community and friends of Mrs. Searing gathered to pay tribute to a great woman and a great philanthropist. Following cocktails and dinner, President Dr. Larry R. Thompson gratefully recognized Ulla Searing for her commitment to supporting the arts and education and for her support of Ringling College. Then, with great fanfare, the gleaming letters atop the building s entrance were unveiled and The Ulla Searing Student Center was formally dedicated. A painting of the Student Center by Ringling College Illustration faculty member Don Brandes was presented to Mrs. Searing as a tangible reflection of the College s gratitude and a remembrance of a beautiful evening. Generations of students will benefit from Mrs. Searing s vision and her transformational contribution to Ringling College of Art and Design. www.ringling.edu Pervectives 13

on campus Gateway to the Future Ringling College acquires the Shell station and takes a vital step toward the campus of the future. by chris angermann illustrated by don brandes For a quarter of a century, the intersection of Dr. Martin Luther King Blvd. and U.S. 41 has functioned as the main entrance to the Ringling campus. For many years, the entrance has carried a mixed message. On one side of the street sits the iconic blue cube sculpture that announces the campus; on the other side, the bright yellow logo of a Shell gasoline station beckons. Over the years, much effort has gone into trying to purchase the gas station s two-acre site. But while the College has managed to buy one other gas station in the past 10 years, the prized corner location has proved elusive. That is, until last year. It s a key piece in the master plan for Ringling s future, says Johnson. Without it, it would be difficult to establish a continuity of visual identity along U.S. 41. The ball got rolling when Johnson and Ringling President Dr. Larry R. Thompson attended a college-governance conference. During discussions about pressing issues and Ringling s future, the Shell station property kept coming up. So Johnson looked at President Thompson and Thompson looked back at Johnson and they decided to make acquiring it a priority goal of Johnson s chairmanship. A task force was just the way to do it. When Carolyn Johnson, a longtime Board of Trustee member, became Board Chair, acquiring the Shell property took on a new sense of urgency. 14 Pervectives spring 2007

on campus It was a real team effort on the part of the task force and the administration. It s very gratifying to accomplish something that the school had been trying to do for 25 years. The timing was right and we were focused on getting it done. Dianne Belk, Ringling Board member and task-force leader Johnson asked Dianne Belk, a board member with a background in mergers and acquisitions, to lead the task force. The team, which included John Patterson, Peter Weill, Bob Richardson, Bob Roskamp, Tim Hill (and later, Tracy Wagner), began meeting in the summer of 2005. They had the property appraised, researched Shell s real-estate operations, and developed a strategy on how to approach the company. Not an easy task, as they soon found out. Just getting Shell s attention proved a challenge because the company was not interested in selling the property. According to Peter Weill, Ringling s General Counsel and a member of the Board of Trustees, it was a long, arduous process. Trying to get a corporation the size of Shell to sell something that s not for sale is quite a challenge, he says. Weill made the initial contact with Shell s legal department in Houston. He had to work through several layers of management to get to the decision makers. We made an offer more than a year ago, but the corporate wheels grind very slowly, he says. First, a change of corporate management slowed down negotiations. Then Hurricane Katrina hit, and Weill s main contact at the oil company had to leave for Louisiana. But despite all the setbacks, the task force never lost hope in ultimate success. We were simply determined that we were going to buy the station, says Belk. After Shell finally agreed to the offer, there was an additional snag. It turned out that the operator of the station had first right of refusal on the sale. Further negotiations were required to buy out his portion of the business. Belk and another taskforce member, Sarasota attorney John Patterson, did most of that work. All in all, it took a year and a half and over 2,000 hours of volunteer time to get the job done. Belk likes to call the protracted process a labor-intensive labor of love. On December 15, 2006, Ringling finally closed on the deal, paying a fair market value of $1.9 million for the property. Looking back, Belk says, It was a real team effort on the part of the task force and the administration. It s very gratifying to accomplish something that the school had been trying to do for 25 years. The timing was right and we were focused on getting it done. In contrast to the snail s pace of the negotiations, things are now moving along quickly. By the time this article goes to press, the station will have been razed and the process of remediation cleaning up the pollution and soil contamination completed. Part of the deal has Shell paying the portion of the remediation cost that the state of Florida won t pay, so that process will cost Ringling very little. The final step will be to plant grass and complete basic landscaping. For now, that is. After all, the property is prime real estate and so many people have suggestions for possible future uses. So far, suggestions include a library, galleries and academic space, a conference center, and an auditorium. As Thompson says, That does not include all of the department heads who believe that the site should be the location for their department s new building. Thompson suggests that considerable discussion needs to take place before any definite decision can be made. This will be the defining gateway to the College, he says, and there are many possibilities for its use. I envision an architecturally significant structure that boldly announces the entrance to Ringling College of Art and Design. www.ringling.edu Pervectives 15

giving Polishing the Gem Charles and Mary George Smith by pat mckanic The community is beginning to realize what a gem this College is. Chuck Smith, Ringling College Trustee and donor Ringling College Trustee, Charles (Chuck) Smith and his wife, Mary George, love visual and performing arts. When they moved to Sarasota to be closer to their children and grandchild, the city s vibrant arts community was an added benefit. The couple was introduced to Ringling College and to President Dr. Larry R. Thompson soon after President Thompson s arrival in 1999. That introduction was the beginning of a great relationship. I think the community is really beginning to realize what a gem this school is, Chuck says. The College has a wide and stellar reputation that is destined to become even greater in the future. Chuck, who retired from a career in finance, has admiration for Ringling College s strong fiscal stewardship. Ringling has never had a bad year, says Chuck, pointing to the College s 75 years of finishing in the black. While appreciating the College s strong financial position, the Smiths also recognize the need for a significant increase in the institution s ability to provide scholarship support to students. As proof of their commitment to Ringling College and its students, the Smiths recently contributed $100,000 to create The Mary George and Charles Smith Endowed Scholarship. They feel very fortunate to be able to help students who have an awful lot of talent but not the resources to come to a school like Ringling. And just as Chuck and Mary George were introduced to Ringling College, they have shared their enthusiasm with others, continuing a tradition of spreading the word about this very special gem. I just feel very honored to be affiliated with the College, Chuck says. 16 Pervectives spring 2007

giving Seeing the Need Firsthand Don and Katy Brandes Don and Katy Brandes often compare notes on what they describe as an amazing assemblage of very gifted students at Ringling College. Don is a member of Ringling s Illustration faculty; Katy, also an artist, works in the College s library. For Don and Katy, getting to know the students also means learning about the financial challenges they face. Seeing them everyday, you pick up that some are really struggling. You see some who are so talented and so close to not being able to come back next year, Don said. The couple says they donate to the College to try and do what they can to make sure these talented artists can continue their education. It s just so rewarding to be able to do something to help them, Don said. As a faculty member you just fall in love with the students; you can t help it. Small Gifts, Great Measures Tom Stanley, Class of 1974 Tom Stanley makes it a point to give back to the College that enabled him to pursue a career in interior design. When I came to Ringling in the late 60s tuition was $500 or $600 a semester. I ve seen wonderful changes to the campus from when I went there but the cost of education is getting so expensive, he says. Stanley contributes every year to student scholarship funds, helping to ensure that students are able to meet those rising costs. He also spends countless hours volunteering at the College, most notably for Ringling s annual scholarship fundraiser, An Evening at the Avant-Garde. Stanley encourages other alumni to contribute, and stresses that how much one is able to give is not what s important. Small gifts combine and grow into bigger gifts, he says. It doesn t matter whether it s the money for a building or a check for $5 or $10 give something. www.ringling.edu Pervectives 17

community Designs of the Times Ringling College s Sarasota International Design Summit The conversation about why design is increasingly important for product differentiation, business problem solving, and global competitive advantage is a lively one weaving through the agendas of everything from international economic forums to design conferences. by dory lock photography by bill speer More than 350 people from disparate industries, locales, and backgrounds who attended the inaugural Sarasota International Design Summit this past fall agreed on one thing: design is extremely important. This dynamic three-day event, produced by Ringling College and held at the Ritz- Carlton in Sarasota, featured business and design professionals exploring the ways art and design influence our world. The Summit included keynote presentations by executives from top corporations. It also featured workshops, tours, and social events. Corporate strategies and operations, healthcare, urban- and industry-cluster planning, green technologies and sustainability, product design, and consumerexperience design were issues explored and discussed. The key ingredient for a global competitive advantage today is design, says Ringling College President Dr. Larry R. Thompson. This Summit explored the role design occupies in global business strategy, and examined how design thinking is transforming individuals, communities, and companies around the world. The goal of the Summit, explains President Thompson, was to get our business and public sectors to stop thinking about design purely in terms of aesthetics. We want them to understand that design matters to their bottom line and creates measurable value for their organizations. With such stellar speakers as Alec Bernstein of BMW Group, Ryan Armbruster of the Mayo Clinic, Ambra Medda of Design Miami/Basel, and John Remington, Vice President Events Marketing and Communications of the Target Corporation, the Design Summit showcased how emerging trends in design and science are being used to transform systems, spaces, environments, products, and processes. In short, it affects just about everything that touches our daily lives. The realm of the designer is no longer limited to the printed page, the building, the shape of the car we drive, or the cut of the clothes we wear, explained Ryan Armbruster. Designers are now exploring the wide variety of elements that connect with each of us, both tangibly and intangibly. The entire experience of the consumer from the layout of the reception area to how long a customer waits to be greeted and what questions are asked is the canvas for what is now called service design. In the case of the Mayo Clinic, Armbruster says that the patient s experience, as well as the thought process that results from that experience, can have a significant effect on clinical outcomes. For that reason, the equation begins with the patient, and choices are made that take into account a wide range of variables from socioeconomic issues to complex patterns of human behavior. Design Miami/Basel is where designers from around the world exhibit their innovations and sell their work to discriminating collectors. As Director of Design and co-founder of this biannual event, Ambra Medda has made a lasting impression on the design world. At this conference, she noted how design of such items as furniture and buildings has helped define our culture. The idea is the progression of a major civilization, she said, and designers are the radar. She went on to explain that 18 Pervectives spring 2007