Ringling School of Art and Design
Encyclopedia
Ringling College of Art and Design is a private, four-year accredited college located in Sarasota, Florida
that was founded as an art school
in 1931 as a remote branch of Southern College
, which had been founded in Orlando during 1856.
The art school separated from Southern College and became an independent nonprofit institution in 1933 and has changed names several times. It qualified for full accreditation as a degree-granting institution by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
on December 11, 1979. Upon joining as a member, accreditation by the National Association of Schools of Art was granted in 1984.
in Lakeland
). Spivey sought financial support for this concept from the Sarasota circus magnate, John Ringling
. At that time, Spivey learned that Ringling was not interested in giving to Southern College and he was more interested in establishing his own art school at the museum founded with his first wife, Mable. The museum was constructed on their estate in the form of an Italian villa to house a vast collection of seventeenth century sculpture and paintings collected on their travels and at auctions. Most importantly, Ringling nearly was bankrupt. If Ringling could have, he would have opened his own art school that was drawn on his original plans for the museum, but not built because of a lack of funds.
Ringling's first wife died in June 1929, a few months before the crash of the stock market. Ringling's health began to fail as well. A year later, in 1930, he married Emily Haag Buck in Jersey City, New Jersey, a wealthy woman who turned out to have little interest in Florida. This marriage ended in divorce shortly before the death of John Ringling in 1936. He died just before losing his museum and residence to bankruptcy. His will left his residential property, including his home and the museum, to the state, otherwise they would have been sold for debts along with his other holdings. In retrospect, failure to involve Ringling in founding the school became a stroke of luck for its survival: if Ringling had founded the art school as requested, it would have been subjected to the same fate. After a ten-year struggle, his nephew was able to keep that deteriorating estate parcel intact and retained by the state.
Repeatedly Spivey's plan to found an art school was discussed and, after much negotiation, it was agreed that Southern College would open an art school in Sarasota as a branch. With much reluctance, Ringling agreed that it could be known as the School of Fine and Applied Art of the John and Mable Ringling Art Museum, lending his name and that of his former wife to the school, to associate the Florida Southern art school with the more famous name of the Ringlings and their museum.
In a portion of the Sarasota area that once had been the incorporated community of Bay Haven, the former Bay Haven Hotel, and several adjacent store buildings close to its downtown and railway station became the location for the new art school. The buildings were renovated at the cost of $45,000. John Ringling was approached again and agreed to raise the money necessary to underwrite those renovation needs. The work was completed and on October 2, 1931, the School of Fine and Applied Art of the John and Mable Ringling Art Museum was opened with an official ceremony by Southern College. John Ringling was invited to speak at its opening.
Shortly thereafter John Ringling became more severely affected by losses on the stock market and plummeted more rapidly toward bankruptcy; he was removed from management of the family circus by its board of directors
.
Within two years, on May 14, 1933, under the name of Ringling School of Art, a charter was obtained and the school became an independent, nonprofit institution, separating from Florida Southern College. Seventy-five students enrolled in the new school, which purported to “do more than develop artistic talent and to provide intellectual training: its purpose will include the fullest development of personality…in order to assist each student to a happy adjustment to the circumstances of the world in which he finds himself.” In the same year, the art school became a member of the Florida Association of Colleges and Universities and has remained an active member of that organization ever since.
In May 1935, written permission was received from John Ringling to build a new school on his property near the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art. Due to a lack of resources, however, a school never was built on the grounds. Ringling died in 1936 and the opportunity to use his property was never realized.
The school also was known as John and Mable Ringling Junior College and School of Art during these early years, functioning both as a junior college
and as an art school.
The building chosen as the site of the new school was originally the two-star Bay Haven Hotel, which was new at the time. It was bought and now is known as Keating Center, which is used to house the administrative services and also serves as dormitory and classroom space.
The first class had only seventy-five students and thirteen faculty members. Each student paid $783 per year for tuition
, board
, room, fees, and books. Each student also attended chapel services everyday and written permission had to be received by the school's president or dean
if a student wanted to leave the town.
A notable faculty
member was Laura Ganno-McNeill, Ph.D., the first woman in the United States to be awarded a doctorate
degree.
Late in 1933 the school became a member of the Florida Association of Colleges and Universities.
On October 2, 1949, the first building to be constructed by the school was put into use. It was an addition serving as a twenty room dormitory for forty men. The new dorms had east and west wings with a combination writing and study room in the center. Harold Fennyhough, known for his charcoal portraits taught at the school during the late 1940s.
By 1959 enrollment climbed to 450, approximately where it remained with minor fluctuations for decades. Expansion of the campus included purchase of the Brinkerhoff Motel and duplexes to the rear of the main building for use as dormitories.
In 1964 operation of the school shifted significantly, as all of the school's assets and the responsibility for its direction were turned over to a board of trustees.
During the 1970s considerable property was added to the campus, increasing the area of school holdings from just under 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) to over 24 acres (97,124.6 m²).
In May of 1971 an alumni association was formed. During the 1970s a considerable amount of property was acquired, more than doubling the school's land, increasing from less than 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) to more than 24 acres (97,124.6 m²).
In 1973 a new 3200 square feet (297.3 m²), completely air-conditioned painting studio was completed that was later used for sculpture.
By 1977 the school had built and completely equipped a modern dark room and laboratory for photography students. The pink look of the campus, prevalent for many years, disappeared when the all of the buildings were painted a light yellow.
Failing infrastructure meant that in 1978 the building known as the Riverside Dormitory was condemned for use as a dormitory. Two years later the main building was condemned subject to the installation of major renovations.
The board of the school adopted a statement in 1978 that assured the faculty appropriate freedom in teaching and research, a principle normally taken for granted in academia but not granted at Ringling until this time. The school received full accreditation as a degree-granting institution by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools on December 11, 1979. The next step toward proper recognition by other professional art schools was to gain accreditation from the National Association of Schools of Art and membership in the association was granted in 1984.
Throughout the 1970s slow, but steady progress was made toward full accreditation, obtained on December 11, 1979, when the school acquired the status of a degree-granting college by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS-COC).
Construction of a library-studio complex was completed in June of 1980. Security concerns were raised as women students suffered attacks by night prowlers and pistol shots alarmed students. Accreditation by the National Association of Schools of Art was granted in 1984.
In 1985 Arland "Chris" Christ-Janer, Ph.D., became the president of Ringling School and remained until 1996. In an article written by Mark Zaloudek that was published November 11, 2008 in the Sarasota Herald Tribune, it was stated that the school experienced unprecedented growth during his tenure. Frank Countryman, Ringling vice president was quoted as saying that "The school just took off and it was fun, because he was willing to try anything that might have a positive outcome... Some things worked and some didn't, but he changed the institution forever in a positive way." Larry Thompson, the college's new president was quoted as adding that "Christ-Janer, who came out of retirement to head the art school, drew upon his experience as president of four other colleges to broaden Ringling's three-year specialized program into an accredited, four-year institution. We're the most high-tech art and design college in the world because of his visionary leadership." In another article, former Herald-Tribune editor Waldo Proffitt, stated that he "transformed Ringling from an above average two-year art and design school to a four-year degree-granting college, generally thought to be the finest art and design school in the country".http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20081115/COLUMNIST/811150324?Title=Christ-Janer-s-vision-lives-on
As of 2010, the campus had expanded to 49 acres (198,296.1 m²) and 108 buildings and the student population had reached over 1,300 students attending from 46 states and 46 countries.
degrees in the following disciplines: advertising design
, computer animation
, digital film making
, fine arts, game art and design
, graphic
and interactive communication
, illustration
, interior design
, motion design, painting
, photography
and digital imaging
, printmaking
, and sculpture
.
The college also offers a BA
degree in business
of art and design.
Minors and concentrations are available in fine arts, photography and digital imaging, digital film making, computer animation, and business of art and design.
Other programs offered by the college include, college preparatory courses, continuing education studies, and participation at other art centers.
Sarasota, Florida
Sarasota is a city located in Sarasota County on the southwestern coast of the U.S. state of Florida. It is south of the Tampa Bay Area and north of Fort Myers...
that was founded as an art school
Art school
Art school is a general term for any educational institution with a primary focus on the visual arts, especially illustration, painting, photography, sculpture, and graphic design. The term applies to institutions with elementary, secondary, post-secondary or undergraduate, or graduate or...
in 1931 as a remote branch of Southern College
Florida Southern College
Florida Southern College is a private college located in Lakeland, Florida, United States. It was selected by U.S...
, which had been founded in Orlando during 1856.
The art school separated from Southern College and became an independent nonprofit institution in 1933 and has changed names several times. It qualified for full accreditation as a degree-granting institution by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is one of the six regional accreditation organizations recognized by the United States Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation...
on December 11, 1979. Upon joining as a member, accreditation by the National Association of Schools of Art was granted in 1984.
History
The concept of founding this art school originated from Dr. Ludd M. Spivey, http://www.tblc.org/fsc/archives/lspivey.html then president of Southern College, which was founded in 1856 and now is called Florida Southern CollegeFlorida Southern College
Florida Southern College is a private college located in Lakeland, Florida, United States. It was selected by U.S...
in Lakeland
Lakeland, Florida
Lakeland is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States, located approximately midway between Tampa and Orlando along Interstate 4. According to the 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, the city had a population of 94,406...
). Spivey sought financial support for this concept from the Sarasota circus magnate, John Ringling
John Ringling
John Nicholas Ringling now is the most well-known of the seven Ringling brothers, five of whom merged the Barnum & Bailey Circus with their own Ringling Brothers Circus to create a virtual monopoly of traveling circuses and helped shape the circus into what it is today.-Early circus life:John was...
. At that time, Spivey learned that Ringling was not interested in giving to Southern College and he was more interested in establishing his own art school at the museum founded with his first wife, Mable. The museum was constructed on their estate in the form of an Italian villa to house a vast collection of seventeenth century sculpture and paintings collected on their travels and at auctions. Most importantly, Ringling nearly was bankrupt. If Ringling could have, he would have opened his own art school that was drawn on his original plans for the museum, but not built because of a lack of funds.
Ringling's first wife died in June 1929, a few months before the crash of the stock market. Ringling's health began to fail as well. A year later, in 1930, he married Emily Haag Buck in Jersey City, New Jersey, a wealthy woman who turned out to have little interest in Florida. This marriage ended in divorce shortly before the death of John Ringling in 1936. He died just before losing his museum and residence to bankruptcy. His will left his residential property, including his home and the museum, to the state, otherwise they would have been sold for debts along with his other holdings. In retrospect, failure to involve Ringling in founding the school became a stroke of luck for its survival: if Ringling had founded the art school as requested, it would have been subjected to the same fate. After a ten-year struggle, his nephew was able to keep that deteriorating estate parcel intact and retained by the state.
Repeatedly Spivey's plan to found an art school was discussed and, after much negotiation, it was agreed that Southern College would open an art school in Sarasota as a branch. With much reluctance, Ringling agreed that it could be known as the School of Fine and Applied Art of the John and Mable Ringling Art Museum, lending his name and that of his former wife to the school, to associate the Florida Southern art school with the more famous name of the Ringlings and their museum.
In a portion of the Sarasota area that once had been the incorporated community of Bay Haven, the former Bay Haven Hotel, and several adjacent store buildings close to its downtown and railway station became the location for the new art school. The buildings were renovated at the cost of $45,000. John Ringling was approached again and agreed to raise the money necessary to underwrite those renovation needs. The work was completed and on October 2, 1931, the School of Fine and Applied Art of the John and Mable Ringling Art Museum was opened with an official ceremony by Southern College. John Ringling was invited to speak at its opening.
- "If any educational institution is to progress, it must be administered intelligently... I know of no other school in America equipped as this one to educate in art…Here I hope a famous school of artists will rise, for though life is short, art is long."
-
- — John Ringling, October 2, 1931.
Shortly thereafter John Ringling became more severely affected by losses on the stock market and plummeted more rapidly toward bankruptcy; he was removed from management of the family circus by its board of directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
.
Within two years, on May 14, 1933, under the name of Ringling School of Art, a charter was obtained and the school became an independent, nonprofit institution, separating from Florida Southern College. Seventy-five students enrolled in the new school, which purported to “do more than develop artistic talent and to provide intellectual training: its purpose will include the fullest development of personality…in order to assist each student to a happy adjustment to the circumstances of the world in which he finds himself.” In the same year, the art school became a member of the Florida Association of Colleges and Universities and has remained an active member of that organization ever since.
- "When we opened in the Fall of 1933, we had one student in the dormitory, and thirteen day students. That was after a day and a half of registration."
- — Verman Kimbrough
In May 1935, written permission was received from John Ringling to build a new school on his property near the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art. Due to a lack of resources, however, a school never was built on the grounds. Ringling died in 1936 and the opportunity to use his property was never realized.
The school also was known as John and Mable Ringling Junior College and School of Art during these early years, functioning both as a junior college
Junior college
The term junior college refers to different educational institutions in different countries.-India:In India, most states provide schooling through 12th grade...
and as an art school.
The building chosen as the site of the new school was originally the two-star Bay Haven Hotel, which was new at the time. It was bought and now is known as Keating Center, which is used to house the administrative services and also serves as dormitory and classroom space.
The first class had only seventy-five students and thirteen faculty members. Each student paid $783 per year for tuition
Tuition
Tuition payments, known primarily as tuition in American English and as tuition fees in British English, Canadian English, Australian English, New Zealand English and Indian English, refers to a fee charged for educational instruction during higher education.Tuition payments are charged by...
, board
Boarding house
A boarding house, is a house in which lodgers rent one or more rooms for one or more nights, and sometimes for extended periods of weeks, months and years. The common parts of the house are maintained, and some services, such as laundry and cleaning, may be supplied. They normally provide "bed...
, room, fees, and books. Each student also attended chapel services everyday and written permission had to be received by the school's president or dean
Dean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
if a student wanted to leave the town.
A notable faculty
Faculty (university)
A faculty is a division within a university comprising one subject area, or a number of related subject areas...
member was Laura Ganno-McNeill, Ph.D., the first woman in the United States to be awarded a doctorate
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
degree.
Late in 1933 the school became a member of the Florida Association of Colleges and Universities.
first degree awarded 1937
Although not fully accredited, on April 17, 1937 the school awarded its first fine arts degree to Dora G. McCollister of Clarksburg, Ohio.1940 to 1970
During the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s the school matured, realizing a gradual development and consolidation. During World War II, enrollment declined to fifty or sixty students, mostly women. With the end of the war, the school welcomed veterans returning to school on the G.I. Bill. By 1949 enrollment reached 250.On October 2, 1949, the first building to be constructed by the school was put into use. It was an addition serving as a twenty room dormitory for forty men. The new dorms had east and west wings with a combination writing and study room in the center. Harold Fennyhough, known for his charcoal portraits taught at the school during the late 1940s.
By 1959 enrollment climbed to 450, approximately where it remained with minor fluctuations for decades. Expansion of the campus included purchase of the Brinkerhoff Motel and duplexes to the rear of the main building for use as dormitories.
In 1964 operation of the school shifted significantly, as all of the school's assets and the responsibility for its direction were turned over to a board of trustees.
1970 to 2007
In May of 1971 an alumni association was formed. During the 1970s a considerable amount of property was acquired, more than doubling the school's land, increasing from less than 10 acres (40,468.6 m²) to more than 24 acres (97,124.6 m²).
In 1973 a new 3200 square feet (297.3 m²), completely air-conditioned painting studio was completed that was later used for sculpture.
By 1977 the school had built and completely equipped a modern dark room and laboratory for photography students. The pink look of the campus, prevalent for many years, disappeared when the all of the buildings were painted a light yellow.
Failing infrastructure meant that in 1978 the building known as the Riverside Dormitory was condemned for use as a dormitory. Two years later the main building was condemned subject to the installation of major renovations.
The board of the school adopted a statement in 1978 that assured the faculty appropriate freedom in teaching and research, a principle normally taken for granted in academia but not granted at Ringling until this time. The school received full accreditation as a degree-granting institution by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools on December 11, 1979. The next step toward proper recognition by other professional art schools was to gain accreditation from the National Association of Schools of Art and membership in the association was granted in 1984.
Throughout the 1970s slow, but steady progress was made toward full accreditation, obtained on December 11, 1979, when the school acquired the status of a degree-granting college by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS-COC).
Construction of a library-studio complex was completed in June of 1980. Security concerns were raised as women students suffered attacks by night prowlers and pistol shots alarmed students. Accreditation by the National Association of Schools of Art was granted in 1984.
In 1985 Arland "Chris" Christ-Janer, Ph.D., became the president of Ringling School and remained until 1996. In an article written by Mark Zaloudek that was published November 11, 2008 in the Sarasota Herald Tribune, it was stated that the school experienced unprecedented growth during his tenure. Frank Countryman, Ringling vice president was quoted as saying that "The school just took off and it was fun, because he was willing to try anything that might have a positive outcome... Some things worked and some didn't, but he changed the institution forever in a positive way." Larry Thompson, the college's new president was quoted as adding that "Christ-Janer, who came out of retirement to head the art school, drew upon his experience as president of four other colleges to broaden Ringling's three-year specialized program into an accredited, four-year institution. We're the most high-tech art and design college in the world because of his visionary leadership." In another article, former Herald-Tribune editor Waldo Proffitt, stated that he "transformed Ringling from an above average two-year art and design school to a four-year degree-granting college, generally thought to be the finest art and design school in the country".http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20081115/COLUMNIST/811150324?Title=Christ-Janer-s-vision-lives-on
2007 to present
On April 14, 2007, the art school was renamed the Ringling College of Art and Design. The announcement was made by its new president, Larry R. Thompson, J.D., to more than 500 guests at “An Evening at the Avant-Garde: Anything Goes,” a private, ticketed fund raising event on the campus to support the student scholarship fund.As of 2010, the campus had expanded to 49 acres (198,296.1 m²) and 108 buildings and the student population had reached over 1,300 students attending from 46 states and 46 countries.
Curricula
The college offers accredited BFABachelor of Fine Arts
In the United States and Canada, the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, usually abbreviated BFA, is the standard undergraduate degree for students seeking a professional education in the visual or performing arts. In some countries such a degree is called a Bachelor of Creative Arts or BCA...
degrees in the following disciplines: advertising design
Advertising
Advertising is a form of communication used to persuade an audience to take some action with respect to products, ideas, or services. Most commonly, the desired result is to drive consumer behavior with respect to a commercial offering, although political and ideological advertising is also common...
, computer animation
Computer animation
Computer animation is the process used for generating animated images by using computer graphics. The more general term computer generated imagery encompasses both static scenes and dynamic images, while computer animation only refers to moving images....
, digital film making
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
, fine arts, game art and design
Game design
Game design, a subset of game development, is the process of designing the content and rules of a game in the pre-production stage and design of gameplay, environment, storyline, and characters during production stage. The term is also used to describe both the game design embodied in a game as...
, graphic
Graphic design
Graphic design is a creative process – most often involving a client and a designer and usually completed in conjunction with producers of form – undertaken in order to convey a specific message to a targeted audience...
and interactive communication
Interactivity
In the fields of information science, communication, and industrial design, there is debate over the meaning of interactivity. In the "contingency view" of interactivity, there are three levels:...
, illustration
Illustration
An illustration is a displayed visualization form presented as a drawing, painting, photograph or other work of art that is created to elucidate or dictate sensual information by providing a visual representation graphically.- Early history :The earliest forms of illustration were prehistoric...
, interior design
Interior design
Interior design describes a group of various yet related projects that involve turning an interior space into an effective setting for the range of human activities are to take place there. An interior designer is someone who conducts such projects...
, motion design, painting
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, photography
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
and digital imaging
Digital imaging
Digital imaging or digital image acquisition is the creation of digital images, typically from a physical scene. The term is often assumed to imply or include the processing, compression, storage, printing, and display of such images...
, printmaking
Printmaking
Printmaking is the process of making artworks by printing, normally on paper. Printmaking normally covers only the process of creating prints with an element of originality, rather than just being a photographic reproduction of a painting. Except in the case of monotyping, the process is capable...
, and sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
.
The college also offers a BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in business
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
of art and design.
Minors and concentrations are available in fine arts, photography and digital imaging, digital film making, computer animation, and business of art and design.
Other programs offered by the college include, college preparatory courses, continuing education studies, and participation at other art centers.
Notable alumni
- Shawn BarberShawn BarberSteven William "Shawn" Barber is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in the fourth round of the 1998 NFL Draft. He played college football at Richmond. He also played for the Philadelphia Eagles, Kansas City Chiefs and...
- fine artist, illustrator - David BromstadDavid BromstadDavid Reed Bromstad is an American designer and television personality. In 2006, he became the winner of the debut season of HGTV Design Star...
- designer, television personality - Elsa Chaves - graphic designer
- Fiore Custode - fine art painter, teacher
- Carl Dobsky - fine artist
- Kasey Lou Lindley - fine artist, multimedia
- Regan Dunnick - illustrator
- Lauren Gregg - illustrator
- Virginia Hoffman - sculptor
- Bret IwanBret IwanBret Iwan is an American voice actor and an illustrator and the fourth and current voice of Mickey Mouse, a role he assumed from the late Wayne Allwine. He graduated from the Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida, USA in 2004...
- voice actor - Andrew JonesAndrew Jones (Artist)Andrew Jones is a U.S. visual artist working in the fields of concept art for movies and video-games, fashion design, body painting, illustration and digital performances...
- concept artist - Peter Kuttner - visual artist
- Tyler Lang - graphic designer
- Leslie Lerner - fine art painter, sculptor, teacher
- Kevin LlewellynKevin LlewellynKevin Llewellyn is an American painter known for his dark ultra realistic life size full body or life inspired oil paintings. His art hangs in museums and prestigious collections. He is a Ringling College of Art and Design alumni and currently resides in Los Angeles California.-Biography:Kevin...
- fine art painter, illustrator - Jason Manley - entrepreneur
- Francis Marquez - fine, video, multimedia artist, performer
- John MarshallJohn Marshall (cartoonist)John Marshall is an American cartoonist, best known as the artist of the Blondie comic strip since 2005. He works closely with scripter Dean Young, son of the strip's creator, Chic Young....
- cartoonist of the BlondieBlondie (comic strip)Blondie is an American comic strip created by cartoonist Chic Young. Distributed by King Features Syndicate, the strip has been published in newspapers since September 8, 1930...
comic stripComic stripA comic strip is a sequence of drawings arranged in interrelated panels to display brief humor or form a narrative, often serialized, with text in balloons and captions.... - Wendell Minor - illustrator, artist
- Gene Johnson - painter
- Jim Moore - video game artist
- Dax NormanDax NormanDax Norman is a contemporary artist who primarily works in painting and animation. He has a degree in advertising from the University of Texas at Austin and a degree in computer animation from Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida.-Filmography:Animated ShortsThe Last Temptation...
- painter, animator - Paul PavlovichPaul PavlovichPaul Pavlovich is an American artist, graphic designer, and musician. Currently living in St. Petersburg, Florida, he is best known as the first lead singer for the legendary anarchist grindcore band Assück which he co-founded in 1987...
- illustrator, graphic designer - Michelle PhanMichelle PhanMichelle Phan is a Vietnamese-American make-up artist who posts make-up and beauty tutorials on YouTube, sometimes under the online alias ricebunny. Phan attended Ringling College of Art and Design and Massachusetts College of Art and Design, but did not graduate.-Early life:Michelle Ann Phan was...
- artist, professional make-up artist - George Pierson - entrepreneur
- Tim RogersonTim RogersonTim Rogerson is an American painter of Disney Fine Art who was an official artist of the 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin, Italy.- Biography :Born in Kissimmee, Florida, Tim grew up very close to Walt Disney World...
- painter - Nick Pitera - animator, singer
Notable teachers past and present (not listed above)
- Thomas B. AllenThomas B. AllenThomas B. Allen was an American painter and illustrator known for a moody and expressionist style that pushed the boundaries of commercial art in the 1950s and 60s...
- illustrator - Doug Chayka - illustrator
- Mary GrandPréMary GrandPréMary GrandPré is an American illustrator and writer, best known for her cover and chapter illustrations for the American editions of the Harry Potter books, published by Scholastic...
- illustrator - Billy Merritt - animator
- Mario Naves - fine artist
- George PrattGeorge Pratt (artist)George Pratt is an American painter and illustrator known for his work in the comic book field.-Biography:...
- illustrator - Frank Rampolla - graphic artist, painter
- Loran Wilford - painter
- Bradley Wester - fine artist, teacher