Contxt 2023

SPRING 2023

ART FOR ALL,

EVERY DAY

Sarasota Art Museum delights and educates the community

INDEX

Hands-on projects where students gain real industry experience

CIRCA

Illustration

Forbes is painting the town

6 16 26 36

SPOTLIGHT ON: ENTERTAINMENT DESIGN

Ringling’s newest major creates experiences to remember

20

FORCE OF

CREATIVITY

The 2022-23 Trustee Scholars are a creative force to be reckoned with

28

CIRCA

in success

40

A DECADE OF SUCCESS

Meet Gregg Prigerson, Dean of Admissions

I: ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

alum Isabel

II: ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Game Art alum Melvin Rice is immersed

SPOTLIGHT ON: VIRTUAL REALITY

CENTER FOR CAREER

SERVICES

The link between graduation and career success 22

CUNNIFFE COMMONS

The much anticipated eatery is here… AT LAST!

Learn about the medium spanning entertainment to enterprise 30

CODE RED

The award-winning alumni film shining a light on period poverty

DESIGNER

ZERO TO SIXTY

Meet four alumni who landed their dream jobs within 60 days of graduation

44

THE ART OF GIVING

Meet some of Ringling’s generous donors

DESIGNER-ANIMATOR, TROIKA, LOS ANGELES

48 ALUMNI NEWS & NOTES

Hired: May 2022

NIKHITA BUDDHIRAJU Motion

ILLUSTRATION GRAD LANDS

FULBRIGHT AWARD

Learn more about DeAnna Boyer’s adventures in Ireland

62 ALUMNI CONNECTIONS & COLLABORATIONS

Graduated:

Nikita Buddhiraju ’22 is an alumni from College of Art and Design's Motion Design In a quirky twist, Buddhiraju was already Troika when she was recruited by a producer “I freelanced for Troika in April. I had January and a producer found me through website, not knowing that I was already by them,” Buddhiraju explains with about being in demand. Buddhiraju’s career preparation took her to the Hollywood Troika location, where she works on sports branding packages, and pitch decks, sits-in calls, and works on 2D and 3D designs.

Buddhiraju attributes her professional success the “amazing Motion Design department Ed Cheetham and Peter Alfano especially everything I know about 3D design. Ed brought

MADDY MCELWEE

ON THE COVER

Graphic Design

Hired: May 2022

Graphic Design major Maddy McElwee is another alumni who dove into career preparation early. She began her job search in December of her senior year, keeping track of applications on a detailed spreadsheet.

“I applied for over fifty jobs completely through LinkedIn, because it was so easy,” McElwee recounts. “Companies asked for

That sounds like a tremendous workload, McElwee laughs. “Life at Ringling getting to a job is kind of a break. I time now and the work itself is a little McElwee gives a shoutout to her Bleitz and Allen Harrison, whom every semester, for their teaching, recruiter sessions sponsored by the

This issue of CONTXT highlights the Sarasota Art Museum.

Photo by Ryan Gamma Photography

Committed to building community, together

This is such a special time for Ringling College of Art and Design. Over the past 23 years, as president, I have witnessed the incredible growth the College has experienced, as well as the dedication and innovation of our campus community.

My vision has always been to elevate Ringling College locally, nationally, and internationally and set the institution on a successful path to becoming the pre-eminent art and design college in the world. To accomplish that, we must provide the absolute best faculty, staff, technology, and facilities to ensure our students receive the world-class art and design education they expect. And I believe we are doing just that, and so much more.

After 16 years in the making and now three years on from its December 2019 opening, Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College of Art and Design is thriving. As the only teaching museum in the region dedicated exclusively to showcasing living artists and contemporary art, Sarasota Art Museum is a catalyst for appreciation and understanding of the art of our time. It is also a space that was built with the idea of community at its heart. With so many educational opportunities and public events available, it truly is a symbol of Ringling College’s commitment to, and investment in, this community especially.

Back on our Main Campus, we recently opened Cunniffe Commons — a state-of-the-art dining and event facility that has created such excitement and energy on campus, accommodating our growing student body of over

1,700 students, of which 75% reside on campus. Recently named a Top Producing Institution of Fulbright US Students, you’ll read about one of our current scholars and her adventures in Ireland. And, you will get an in-depth look into our two newest academic programs, Virtual Reality Development and Entertainment Design, and see how our students, faculty, and alumni are making huge impacts on those industries.

Our students and graduates continue to be recognized for their outstanding achievements. For example, many of our programs remain ranked among the top 5 in the world and others among the top in the country. INDEX — Industry Experience at Ringling College — opportunities are in full swing on campus with students gaining professional experiences spanning the film industry to the museum sector and beyond. Some of our most outstanding students — our 2022-2023 Trustee Scholars — said it best at their awards ceremony, Ringling College students truly are a “force of creativity!”

And there is so much more still to come, with exciting plans on the horizon. Thank you so much to those who have made an investment in Ringling College, our students, and all we believe in. Whether you support our students through scholarships, funding exhibitions and becoming members at Sarasota Art Museum, donating to a new building, or giving of your time — your support means everything to us and we are so grateful. Here’s to another great year of success stories, creativity, and building our future, together.

Larry R. Thompson President, Ringling College of Art and Design

Dr. Larry R. Thompson with Virginia Shearer, executive director of Sarasota Art Museum. Portrait by Matthew Holler ’11.

Art for all, every day.

Photo by Ryan Gamma

Sarasota Art Museum enriches culture and inspires community

Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College is an oasis of joy and discovery. Three years after officially opening to the public, the Museum has become an essential part of Sarasota’s rich cultural fabric.

On a recent visit, I witnessed this vibrant community museum in action. As soon as you step through Willis Smith Way, the energy shifts. The noise of Tamiami Trail’s bustling traffic fades away and you’re enveloped in a beautiful space. But it’s so much more than that. On any given day, you can encounter the laughter and chatter of friends sharing lunch, experience a quiet stillness in galleries filled with light, dig your hands into clay or pick up a brush to paint in a studio classroom. Young and old alike engaging with world-class contemporary art and artists. Students discovering the possibilities in visual arts. Sarasota Art Museum is a place of connection, expansion, and reflection for all in an iconic setting with deep historical roots.

“We’re at the heart of Sarasota and we’re making art a part of everyday life here,” says Virginia Shearer, executive director of Sarasota Art Museum. “We offer so many ways to get engaged, to keep coming back and finding joy and wonder and inspiration.”

By Roxanne Joffe Founder/President of MagnifyGood

Above: Artists and brothers Steven and William Ladd work with community partners during Scrollathon

Photography by Daniel Perales

Experiences that Expand

The Museum is a conduit connecting Ringling College of Art and Design students, alumni, and the Sarasota community to contemporary art from around the world. “We’re bringing art from around the globe right here to Sarasota, to the College’s student body, and to the faculty so that they can engage with it and better understand what’s going on in the contemporary art world,” says Shearer. “Sarasota will always have new contemporary art to look forward to and living artists to meet right here in our own community.”

With no permanent collection and expansive, cathedral-like spaces to host rotating exhibitions, the Museum provides contemporary artists with unique opportunities to launch new works, collaborate, and engage with audiences.

In 2022, Sarasota Art Museum hosted the first U.S. solo museum exhibition of Jamaica-based textile and fiber artist Katrina Coombs. Recently Janet Biggs and peter campus, two artists working in moving images from different generations, came together with curator Terrie Sultan to create Journeys to Places Known and Unknown, the first exhibition at the Museum dedicated to video and digital media.

Steven and William Ladd: Lead With a Laugh featured new, never-before-seen works by contemporary artists and brothers Steven and William Ladd, and a history of Scrollathon, a community engagement program they founded. Scrollathon transforms participants’ original works of art into public Collaborative Masterworks.

The Ladds kicked off National Scrollathon, an ambitious new endeavor to bring Scrollathon to 33,000 individuals from communities across the country, with the National Scrollathon: Florida at Sarasota Art Museum. More than 20 community partners and 500 community members from across the Sarasota area participated, connecting people together through contemporary art in new and exciting ways. The Sarasota Collaborative Masterwork, titled You and Me, Me and You, All of Us Together, will eventually be part of a national exhibition of works from 50 states, five territories, Washington, D.C., and 10 Native Regional Centers.

I spoke with Steven and William Ladd about their experience working with Sarasota Art Museum. “It is so rare to have this brand new, gorgeous institution in a building that has deep historical roots in the community,” said Steven.

“Steven and I had been dreaming for the past three years about what National Scrollathon would look like, and one of the ways was having an exhibition of our own personal artwork and tie that into Scrollathon,” said William. “We’ve never had an exhibition of the history of the Scrollathon, the timeline of that program, and this is the first time as artists that we’ve been able to go into that archive and pull all of that together.”

“That’s a testament to Virginia who offered us the platform and space to accomplish that,” said Steven. “Virginia is a dream to work with. She’s like ‘yes, and…’”

Detail of schism, 1987, by peter campus, from the exhibition, Journeys to Places Known and Unknown

Photo by Ryan Gamma

“We’re not bound by tradition because we are brand new. We get to set the standard for 21st century museums,” said Shearer. “We’re looking at diversity in many ways — diversity in artists, diversity in their approach to art. We also want to work with artists who are incredibly generous of spirit.”

Opportunities that Transform

Sarasota Art Museum offers unparalleled opportunities for Ringling College students and alumni, and students of all ages from the community to explore visual arts. Access and exposure to exceptional contemporary art by accomplished and emerging artists from across the country and around the world enriches the educational experience offered by Ringling College.

Ringling College Visual Studies student, Hannah Bowe ’23, and recent Fine Arts graduate, Lauren Lesley ’22, talk about the impact of the Museum and their experiences working there. “When Katrina Coombs’ exhibition I M(O)ther: Threads of the Maternal Figure was on view, I was telling everyone in my History of Garments and Textiles class ‘you need to come see this work, it’s exactly what we’re talking about in class,’” said Bowe. “It’s not just historical; these are artists who are active today. You experience in real-time what you’re learning.”

For the next generation of artists, art educators, and arts advocates, the Museum showcases the variety of career possibilities in visual arts. Experiential learning opportunities bring those possibilities to life.

“We’re committed to creating meaningful, relevant, and equitable arts experiences for all students,” says Shearer. In summer 2022, Sarasota Art Museum hosted its first Diversity in Arts Leadership (DIAL) intern. This national and competitive paid internship program, administered by Americans for the Arts and supported locally by the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, provides undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds who have a career interest in arts and cultural equity, a hands-on introduction to working in the arts sector. The SAM Teen Arts Council also launched in 2022 at the Museum, offering a paid year-long internship for local high school juniors and seniors. Made possible by generous support from the Kutya Major Foundation, the internship focuses on contemporary art, museum management, arts program development, and community engagement.

Studio arts classrooms and drop-in artmaking opportunities like Saturday Studios and Your Wednesday Playdate open up the world of visual arts to students of all ages. Sarasota Art Museum is home to a robust portfolio of education programs, including the Studios @ SAM, a vibrant studio arts program, and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Ringling College, which offers a variety of courses and events for adult learners.

There is deep value in the connections and dialogue made possible by the Museum. “I think one of the best things about being at the Museum, whether you’re on the visitor or employee side, is interacting with so many different kinds of people of different ages and interests,” said Lesley. “We’re all connected because we’re interested in the same things; we’re there because we like art. So you get to have these amazing conversations and come together in community.”

The opportunities to connect, not just with contemporary artists and their work, but also audiences from around the world has a tremendous impact on students working at the Museum. “When Daniel Lind-Ramos’ work was here, I was spending all day with these assemblage sculptures created from the wreckage of Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico,” said Bowe. “I had heard of Hurricane Maria, but I didn’t know anything about it. And then these three women came in — it was a mother, grandmother, and a daughter. Three generations taught me and shared with me their personal experiences in the hurricane.”

Bowe added, “Being a part of this Museum has helped me realize my intention is to create art that functions to entertain, inspire, connect, raise awareness, and promote equality.”

Lauren Lesley ’22

Hannah Bowe ’23

Textile and fiber artist Katrina Coombs installing her solo exhibition, I M(O)ther: Threads of the Maternal Figure.

OLLI class in session at the Museum Campus.

Encouraging art and education for youth at Your Wednesday Playdate.

Connecting to Community

At the core of every museum is a mission to be in “service of society,” “accessible and inclusive,” and “foster diversity and sustainability,” according to the definition of a museum from the International Council of Museums. A deep commitment to the educational legacy of Ringling College is woven into the fabric of Sarasota Art Museum. Working together with local nonprofit partners and generously supported by visionary funders like the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation, the Museum is building bridges into the greater Sarasota area and its communities to make contemporary art accessible to all.

If you visit the Museum on the second Sunday of the month, you’ll see this in action. Free Second Sundays @ SAM provides visitors free access to all exhibitions, live music, interactive storytelling and performances, and hands-on studio art activities for all ages that draw inspiration from the current exhibitions. If you haven’t been yet, it can’t be missed. Bowe and Lesley both remarked on the vibrancy of the Museum on Free Second Sundays. “It is just so ecstatic to see the Museum full and active with all ages, all groups of people,” Bowe said. “It’s the entire community.”

Sarasota Art Museum may be new, but it is rooted in the deep historical legacy of Sarasota High School and the 1926 three-story Collegiate Gothic Elliot building that is a landmark for generations of Sarasotans. Sarasota’s Scrollathon created opportunities for those community members to experience the space in new and transformational ways. “We knew it was a high school that was transformed into this new contemporary art museum,” said Steven Ladd. “It wasn’t until we were there working with community members who went to high school during pivotal times in our recent history like school integration, who were now having a whole new experience with this historical place in Sarasota that we fully understood the impact.”

Groups of individuals from organizations such as CreArte Latino Cultural Center, Alzheimer’s Association Florida Gulf Coast Chapter, Neuro Challenge Foundation for Parkinson’s, Southside School Foundation for the Arts, and Second Heart Homes came together in uplifting and empowering sessions with Steven and William Ladd to think about what they value in life while creating museum-quality art. The Ladds brought a session to incarcerated individuals in the Sarasota County Correctional Facility. The Sarasota Scrollathon is a catalyst for deeper connections with the community, as will be the lasting legacy of Sarasota Art Museum.

“We believe that the arts’ humanizing influence is essential for our community and Sarasota Art Museum exposes us to a variety of cultural and artistic influences, offering an opportunity to reflect and find a sense of peace and identity,” said Teri A Hansen, Barancik Foundation’s president and CEO. “Scrollathon is a great example of the kind of program that lets our neighbors not only peruse art, but take part in making it and then watch it travel off to a national audience.”

“It was so exciting to welcome the Sarasota community to be a part of this transformative experience that has engaged thousands,” said Shearer. “Scrollathon demonstrates how contemporary art can be a lens for personal and collective storytelling.”

Opposite

Top: Artists of all ages are welcome to visit the family friendly Free Second Sundays @ SAM.

Center Right: Inclusive community events bring all types of art lovers together.

Bottom Right: Installation view of the exhibition Journeys to Places Known and Unknown.

Bottom Left: High fives all around during the Scrollathon collaborative event.

Describe the experience of Sarasota Art Museum in one word:

“Through Free Second Sundays, we can reach community members who may have never stepped foot inside this or any museum and expand our role as a vital, necessary, essential community resource,” Shearer said.

The experiences and opportunities for artists, students, visitors, and our community would not be possible without the original vision and dedication of Sarasota Art Museum’s Founders, and the continued vision and generosity of our donors.

VIRTUAL REALITY

In the fall semester of 2018, Ringling College of Art and Design welcomed the inaugural class of Virtual Reality Development students. A brand new major in a burgeoning field, it was as exciting as it was daunting as the students and faculty forged a new academic pathway into the professional field of VR.

I sat down with Martin Murphy ’92, Computer Graphics, department head of the Virtual Reality Development program, so he could tell me more about the major, how students are learning and developing, and why the graduates of this program will find success in a rapidlydeveloping industry.

From Entertainment

to Enterprise

By Chelsea Garner-Ferris |

Photography by Karen Arango ’13

Martin Murphy, or “Marty” as he prefers to be called around campus, is officially the Joel and Gail Morganroth Endowed Department Head for Virtual Reality. This newly-endowed title carries significant weight and responsibility. As part of the largest single gift and first-ever eight-figure gift donated to the institution totaling $15 million by Drs. Joel and Gail Morganroth, the creation of the first endowed department head at the College for its newest major, Virtual Reality Development (VRD), was an integral part of the Morganroths’ vision and investment.

Murphy proved to be an excellent candidate for this role with his experience in computer graphics spanning over thirty years with a sustained focus on real-time applications. Among his many accomplishments, he has contributed to the creation of visual effects for feature films at Warner Brothers Digital Studio, broadcast graphics packages for the likes of CBS, FOX, and CNN, theme park attractions at Walt Disney World, and the creation of more than twenty video games for Activision, Midway Games, and SEGA. More recently, he began to put his skills and experience to use in virtual worlds and immersive media. For over a decade, he was faculty in Ringling’s Game Art program, officially transitioning full time to the VRD program in 2019.

SPOTLIGHT ON

The first question I asked Murphy was a big one:

What sets Ringling College’s BFA program apart from other VR programs? Ringling’s program was the first program of its kind at an art and design college but there are many other VR programs out there to choose from. Why choose to study VR at Ringling College?

“In Ringling’s VR program, we have devised a clear roadmap and focused curriculum plan that prepares graduates to be job-ready in immersive media. Virtual and augmented reality programs at other institutions are often buried in existing engineering and computer science majors, and they place little to no emphasis on aesthetics or basic design sensibilities. Other programs tend to be self-directed or independent studies. In Ringling’s program, 14 of the required courses have been specifically designed for the major with direct instruction. Our course assignments from day one to the final assignment are scaffolded together to build on a student’s knowledge and skills to be job-ready; we strive to make every assignment matter.”

What facilities, technology, and software are available to the VR students?

“Currently on campus we have a custom-built lab specifically for VR students. It is one of the largest classrooms on campus with ample space for students to create room-scale VR experiences. The lab has three bays to showcase students’ projects during in-class demos and client critiques. Each desk has a maxed out HP Z8 workstation class computer with one large monitor and a large interactive pen display, and there are desks wide enough for students to have their laptop and VR headset on it, simultaneously. The Z8s have high-end graphics cards which get upgraded almost every two years, and have a huge amount of ram to handle the heaviest and most demanding workloads. These PCs blow away the typical high-end gamer rigs. We have an ever expanding list of software we use but our mainstays are the Unreal Game Engine, Autodesk Maya, Marvelous Designer for creating clothes for avatars, and of course the Adobe Suite including the complete line of Substance Suite applications.”

Can you describe how VR has applications across multiple industries and sectors, such as entertainment, healthcare, automotive, architecture, education, gaming, etc.?

“For many students, their first experience in VR was likely a gaming experience. In the real world, immersive media is being used to solve real world problems as well as entertain people. The VRD major provides students with an in-depth knowledge of Unreal Engine, the most advanced, real-time 3D creation tool in the world, enabling them to create these immersive virtual environments and interactive experiences. In healthcare for example, VR is being used in so many applications; to train doctors, to improve clinical effectiveness, to combat health inequities, and to better engage patients with physical and distraction therapies.

Virtual production studios are another great example. These advanced studios are really taking off and revolutionizing the way films and TV shows are made by allowing filmmakers to create and manipulate realistic backgrounds and settings in real-time. This in turn is more efficient, reduces costs, and enhances storytelling. Our students have become highly employable at these studios due to their skillset.”

Let’s talk money: What is the average starting salary for work in the VR field?

“The starting salary of a VR artist is a moving target amid the current labor shortage, and the skills our students are developing are in high demand. I encourage our VR graduates to ask for $85,000 to start, and I share with them multiple data sources that support that claim. According to a labor market report from Burning Glass Technologies, the average starting salaries for new graduates rose 8.5% over the past two years nationwide, but the demand for real-time 3D computer graphics and hightech jobs are outpacing the market overall. These starting salaries are comparable to high technology fields.”

MARTIN MURPHY

Ringling’s VRD students and graduates are tackling projects and professional opportunities that span the spectrum of entertainment to the medical field and beyond. Virtual Reality Development alumni Joseph Janssen ’22 is a shining example. As a Ringling student, Janssen collaborated with Moffitt Cancer Center to develop a patient VR education and experience module designed to help reduce the stress and anxiety of treatment. Now, working as an Immersive Lab Engineer at General Motors, his team is responsible for developing VR simulations and experiential research. In a recent interview, Janssen said, “I never expected to kick off my professional career working for one of the world’s leading automotive companies as an art school graduate; it just goes to show how versatile and extensive the opportunities are in the industry. Ringling’s VR program really prepared me for working crossdepartmentally in a large company while at the same time, being able to offer my specialized areas of expertise.”

Following the successes of Ringling alumni in high-tech industries, Murphy explained that the VRD major naturally evolved at the College. “As this technology advances into a larger ecosystem and becomes more invisible, every step we take, every space we enter in our lives could be augmented in some fashion to help everyone live the best version of their life and achieve success on their own terms,” he said. “The growth and demand for immersive media and the skills we are teaching at Ringling College are the greatest that I have ever seen in my whole life as a creative professional.”

Joel and Gail Morganroth Endowed Department Head for Virtual Reality

Lance-Henterly Director of the Center for Career Services

RINGLING COLLEGE’S Center for Career Services:

The important link between graduation and career success

By Gayle Guynup | Photography by Karen Arango ’13

Alejandra

The Ringling College of Art and Design Center for Career Services is the direct link between Ringling students and alumni and their career success. Guiding the Center is Director Alejandra Lance-Henterly, who has now been with Ringling College for 10 years.

Alejandra was born and raised in Wisconsin, where her parents were both scientists, her father a senior research scientist and her mom a pharmacist.

“Growing up, I was interested in art more than science,” Alejandra said. “I especially loved art history, so I ended up going to Miami University in Ohio, where I earned my bachelor’s degree in the history of art and architecture. I graduated in the midst of the 2008-09 recession, when nobody could find a job,” she said.

She worked in the University’s career center, helping students who had a more direct career path. “I never really saw the art students, because back then there was no clear career path for them. It was then that I became very aware of the lack of career counseling for art majors,” she said. “I did a lot of odd jobs for a year. I was a teacher, and taught bilingual fourth grade. I became a vehicle loan refinancer. It was just a constant hustle of trying to make ends meet,” she said.

Alejandra went on to earn her master’s degree in arts administration at Indiana University. “I was working in a museum as a marketing assistant and also in the career center part-time as a mock interviewer. Then I got a full-time job as an employer relations coordinator. I was enjoying what I was doing but, in addition to the arts, I was also overseeing majors such as public finance and environmental management, things that were not as exciting or interesting for me,” she explained.

“I was on LinkedIn when this job at Ringling College of Art and Design popped up. I wasn’t really looking for it. It just popped up on my radar. It said they were looking for a career counselor at an arts college, and I applied and was hired.”

Though Florida was not on her list of places she wanted to live, 10 years later, she loves it. “I am married, we have a house, and a beautiful one and a half-year-old daughter,” she said. “Ringling College was a perfect fit for me,” Alejandra said. “All of our majors are geared toward specific careers and specific industries. And it’s so wonderful to provide our students with concrete career advice and help guide students toward making their dreams a reality.”

Alejandra started as the Center’s assistant director and took over on-campus recruitment, which involves bringing various companies to campus to recruit students from the different majors for different art-and-design related fields. It is another way for students to be directly connected to potential employers.

“It was not difficult to convince companies to come and visit the College. The quality of our students’ work over the years brought the companies to us. These businesses know the level of talent that they find here, year after year,” she said. Alejandra was then promoted to associate director, though she still oversaw the oncampus recruitment program. “I regularly stay in touch with between 400 and 500 companies, on a rolling basis. About 100-120 companies will visit the campus every year, either virtually or in-person. But I have to keep a constant flow of interaction and communication with all of them,” she said.

And now, she has recently been promoted to director. “Currently, we are a small but mighty team and we’re growing. We recently hired two more career counselors, one who will handle the coordination of the on-campus recruitment and career counseling and one who will primarily be a career counselor. Then we will be hiring an assistant director who will oversee oncampus recruitment. So, there will be a lot of positive changes in the coming year,” she said.

“I am excited to be the director because I have spent 10 years in on-campus recruitment, and while I love it, it’s nice to be in a role where I can help uplift others and pass on what I have learned to members of the team. This will be more of a supervisory role, though I will still be hands-on with the students and the companies we work with,” she explained.

Her favorite thing about her job is the amazingly talented students. “It is so rewarding to see them come back years later as recruiters or as panelists. I will remember seeing them in my office as students, when all they were worried about was finding a job. Seeing them come back and pass on everything they have learned to our current students is an incredibly rewarding feeling. So, witnessing the before and after is the best part of my job.”

There are three main services provided by Ringling’s Center for Career Services: one-on-one career counseling, events and workshops, and a vast array of online resources.

“Under those headings, we cover topics ranging from resumes, to cover letters, interviewing, assembling your portfolio, negotiating your freelance rates, starting a business, and the list goes on and on. Anything that is even remotely career oriented, we will help them with,” she said.

“Things are constantly changing in the arts world — just look at all the changes brought about by the pandemic. And we have to be on top of those changes, so our students are prepared for what is happening in the marketplace today. Our students depend on us for the very best and most current information available,” she said.

“We hear so often that Ringling students are poised to hit the ground running and will be promoted earlier on than their counterparts from other schools,” Alejandra said. “Over the years we have found that students who use the Center for Career Services are three times more likely to be employed in their field than those who don’t.”

“We also work with our alumni throughout the course of their careers. When a student graduates from Ringling College, the Center for Career Services is a resource that will be there for them for the duration of their career. I think the oldest alumna that I have met with was 68 years old and working as an assistant to an interior designer who was selling his business. She came to us ready for a new challenge and to assist her with her next career reinvention, which we did,” Alejandra said. “It proves that it is never too early or too late.” The Center really does support success and create life-long bonds between Ringling College and its graduates.

Industry Experience at Ringling College

Ringling College of Art and Design offers students a world-class art and design education and a preprofessional program. Through INDEX, we are committed to offering every student the opportunity to have handson industry experience before they graduate.

This is, after all, what employers are looking for and it helps to break the perpetual cycle that has haunted college graduates for years: “I can’t get a job without experience, but I can’t get experience without a job.”

Ringling College and The Patterson Foundation partnered in 2012 with the shared goal to strengthen the creative workforce of tomorrow. INDEX continues the legacy of this partnership by aggregating the myriad experiential opportunities the College has long offered.

“Creative confidence is forged in the crucible of deadlines, demands, and deliverables — the very foundation of INDEX.”

Dr. Larry R. Thompson President, Ringling College of Art and Design

Sarasota-Based Indie Thriller-Mystery Coming Soon!

By Vivian Owen

In August 2022, six Ringling College of Art and Design Film students and alumni joined the inaugural production crew for Occult Detective, a new feature-length film written by Film Department Coordinator Patrick Alexander and Executive Producer Vivian Owen, who also produced the Studio Labs alumni film Code Red. Having written the screenplay for this thrillermystery with our local community in mind, Alexander, Owen, and their team began their pitch video production at two unique Florida locations — Cassadaga, the “Psychic Capital of the World,” and Jewfish Key, an island off of Longboat Key only accessible by boat.

Students and alumni worked in departments like camera, lighting, and sound to pitch this story on screen in an effort to attract partners and investors to the future production of the feature film.

Occult Detective was inspired by Alexander’s love of hardboiled detective narratives and Owen’s love of horror movies. “Imagine the little boy from The Sixth Sense who can see dead people. What if he grew up, became a detective, and could find out what happened to missing and murdered people by communicating with ghosts,” Owen says of Occult Detective’s story, “And now imagine he’s a woman.”

On the surface, Occult Detective is about a psychic detective’s search for a missing person that leads her to a haunted island home, but beneath is the struggle of one woman to let go of the pain and guilt of a personal tragedy that still haunts her.

“Ghosts are a great representation of things that can’t be erased or forgotten, but they also provide unique moments to capture on film,” Alexander says. “As a director, I get so excited about the idea of entering into a room with detectives looking for clues, except there might be ghosts. There’s so much you can do as a filmmaker with tension, sound effects, and score.”

Later, nine additional students and alumni were brought on board with support from INDEX to work with faculty advisors and industry professionals to complete additional filming and finish post-production of the pitch video in the College’s Studio Labs’ Post-Production Facility.

In November 2022, the video was shown at a Studio Labs event at Ringling College and featured a Q&A with the filmmakers, including the team’s Los Angeles-based independent feature film producer, T. Justin Ross.

Ross produced the 2020 breakout hit, The Mortuary Collection, which became the number one Most Watched Movie of 2020 on AMC’s streaming channel Shudder. In 2021, he produced the thriller The Old Ways, which rose to become the number one Horror Movie in the World on Netflix.

“An amazing thing happens when filmmakers don’t have access to big budgets,” Ross says of indie filmmaking, “You have to tap into something much more raw and powerful. Creativity.” Ross emphasized that he’s never more excited than when he’s building coalitions and galvanizing communities, like those in Sarasota and at Ringling College, to participate in the magic of filmmaking.

While on campus, Ross held several masterclasses with students and guest lectured at a Career Services event focused on navigating Hollywood’s job market and pursuing a career in the entertainment industry.

“Thanks to the Greenlight Fund, Film Circle donors, and the INDEX program, we’re able to provide these professional experiences to both Ringling College students and faculty,” Alexander says of the support his project has received. “It’s my sincere hope that Occult Detective will be an amazing opportunity for students, faculty, and alumni of Ringling College to come together on the making of a feature film that highlights everything unique and wonderful about our incredible school and the picturesque city of Sarasota. Because let’s face it: they’re both gems.”

Production stills from the pitch video for Occult Detective.

Drawn to Art: Students work with the Smithsonian American Art Museum

By Megan Greenberg

The Smithsonian American Art Museum (SAAM) hardly needs an introduction as the esteemed institution has been educating and inspiring art lovers of all ages for almost two hundred years. However, its ongoing annual collaboration with Ringling College of Art and Design has its eye on a much younger crowd.

Last year, SAAM published its second series of 10 short digital comics in collaboration with Ringling students. Through the INDEX program, Drawn to Art: Tales of Inspiring Women Artists, is illustrated by students from Ringling’s Illustration department. The 10 students, Stephanie Bravo ’23, Rebe Chen ’23, Micah Eubanks ’24, Elisia Fernandez ’23, Aleyah Lyon ’24, Susie O’Connor ’24, Abigail Rajunov ’23, Oliver Stephenson ’22, Maddy Williams-Solberg ’23, and Madi Wong ’24, celebrated ten inspirational women: Judy Baca, Tiffany Chung, Sonya Clark, Sarah Goodridge, Ester Hernandez, Loïs Mailou Jones, Nellie Mae Rowe, Augusta Savage, Jaune Quick-To-See Smith (Confederated Salish and Kootenai Nation) and Kay WalkingStick (Cherokee Nation).

At its core, Drawn to Art: Tales of Inspiring Women Artists is an illustrative design project focused on highlighting the stories of female artists, many of whom did not receive their deserved recognition in their lifetimes. The hope is to attract middleschoolers who may be inspired to learn more or create art of their own.

Headed into its third consecutive year at Ringling College, Drawn to Art attracts many Illustration students who submit robust portfolios in the hopes of being selected as one of the 10 participants involved in this distinguished project with one of our nation’s most renowned establishments. This year, three Ringling faculty members will facilitate the project by acting in a mentorship capacity with the students. They will help guide their work and provide feedback throughout the iterative process. The entire group — students, faculty, and the team from SAAM — joins forces to create timeless art that is as beautiful as it is important and impactful.

SAAM offers an unparalleled record of the American experience by housing the nation’s first collection of American art and the essence of the American people throughout three centuries. The museum is home to one of the largest and most inclusive collections of American art in the world, which will now include the work of 30 Ringling College students. The College is accustomed to sending graduates onward to work on lofty projects with big-league companies, but the fact that current students can also rub elbows with illustrious organizations is a feather in Ringling College’s cap and a welcomed benefit for students aiming to build impressive resumes with a wide range of prominent projects.

“The partnership between Ringling College and the Smithsonian American Art Museum exemplifies the reason we began INDEX,” said Jeff Schwartz, associate vice president for Academic Affairs and dean of Undergraduate Studies at Ringling College. “The program allows us the platform to integrate experiential learning into academics and student life as one of the three pillars of collegiate and future success.”

’24 If You Stitch With Me, I’ll Tell You a Story: A Comic About Sonya Clark, by Abigail Rajunov ’23

A Comic About Tiffany Chung, by Rebe Chen ’23 The Big Picture: A Comic About Judy Baca, by Elisia Fernandez ’23 A Life in Miniatures: A Comic About Sarah Goodridge, by Susie O’Connor ’24

By partnering with INDEX (Industry Experience) at Ringling College, SAAM was able to mold a rich and detailed project that would utilize the talents of student illustrators. The students were asked to create short takes on each artist’s life by drawing mini-graphic novels in a comic-style layout. The digital-first series debuted on SAAM’s website in 2021 and continues to proudly display the finished work from each year’s immersive project with the future-facing plan of adding 10 more each summer.

Becoming an Artist: A Comic About Jaune Quick-To-See Smith, by Maddy WilliamsSolberg ’23

My Monument Will Be In Their Work: A Comic About Augusta Savage, by Oliver Stephenson ’22 Closer to the Cosmos: A Comic About Kay WalkingStick, by Madi Wong ’24

The Smithsonian’s goal for this project was “to give young people the opportunity to identify with the struggles and triumphs of visionaries and rule breakers, to see themselves reflected, and to draw strength from that visibility.”

Excerpts from Abigail Rajunov’s If You Stitch With Me, I’ll Tell You a Story.

FORCE OF CREATIVITY

RINGLING COLLEGE’S TRUSTEE SCHOLARS PREPARE TO TAKE THE CREATIVE WORLD BY STORM

By Jude Keifer ’23, Creative Writing Trustee Scholar |

Photography by Matthew Holler ’11

It’s a November evening, the atmosphere at Michael’s On East summons a bit of magic beneath a canopy of lush hanging vines and twinkling lights. A crowd buzzes with thousands of conversations — congratulations, reunions, first meetings. The sticky humidity of the afternoon has long since faded away, replaced by a cool anticipation that settles between lightning flashes of cameras. Keeping a watchful eye from towering screens, are the neo-noir portraits of Ringling College of Art and Design’s 2022-2023 Trustee Scholars. There is a definitive force surrounding these scholars’ faces and names, and everyone is caught in its thrall.

President Larry R. Thompson defines the energy binding these students together as, “The Force of Creativity: the relentless drive to redefine the creative industry and leave a positive impact on the world.” Each year, the heads of each academic department and the Office of Student Life choose two third-year students from their cohort who embody the best of their major, exceptional talent, and significant contributions to the College and community. I was chosen to represent Creative Writing as the Trustee Scholar after submitting an introductory video and written statement to the College’s Board of Trustees.

This immense honor has fueled me into pushing these last semesters to their fullest extent. I am so focused, in fact, I don’t believe the event is even real until I pass through the check-in and into a world of celebration.

I wade through the crowd, drawn towards the others in my cohort. I have known most of these students for my entire college career and all of us are excited to see each other “dressed in their best.” My initial, out-of-place feeling dissolves in hugs and laughter. I belong here with my insanely talented, beautiful peers.

Yael Bloom ’23, Motion Design’s Trustee Scholar, describes her evening as revelatory. “I’m really grateful I was able to celebrate my close friends who were nominated,” she says. “I haven’t always felt comfortable sharing my accomplishments, but this event proves how important it is to celebrate my growth as an artist. I’m really, really proud of all of our scholars. I’m also proud of myself.”

As Yael and I enter the ballroom for dinner, it strikes me how an event like this — an award like this — occurs not only because of our successes but because of the many students either in attendance to support their friends or cheering us on via the livestream from home. The force of creativity our scholars embody is not limited to just these few scholars alone, but the entire student body. It is an allencompassing, animating, and complicated network of support that holds us all steady as industries change alongside the world. This idea was repeated over and over again in each speech given by the fifteen scholars after dessert.

“I will carry the confidence, passion, and inspiration of my fellow scholars beyond this event,” Bella Cicci ’23, the very first Entertainment Design Trustee Scholar explains. “They have all given me the strength and motivation to continue in my studies and career path.”

CJ Callins ’23, the Trustee Scholar for Student Life, says his speech was never meant to be solely about his accomplishments. “I want to impact and uplift others,” he asserts. “To use my platform to encourage other students and let them know that we all have greatness inside of us. That’s why Ringling students are so great.”

At the end of the night, the overwhelming crowd vanishes, and only a string of students remains. None of us are ready to leave. Instead, we cling tightly to the energy tying us together.

Jesse Clark ’23, Photography and Imaging Trustee Scholar, defines his force of creativity as, “recognizing how I use my talents to positively impact the world around me and how much stronger that impact is with a team of creatives with the same vision.” He ends his night in the arms of his friends, waving at me as I finally pry myself from a collective magnetic field to make my way home.

The 2022-23 Trustee Scholars are a force to be reckoned with. No matter what comes our way, we are powerful enough to transform it into something amazing. I feel that incredible power of everyone’s creativity long after the event. In the many hours I spend curled up, writing on the little couch in Goldstein Studio 105, the echoes of strength push me to keep going and make it to that next page, go back and make something better. Whatever I do, just don’t stop writing.

YAEL BLOOM Motion Design

CALVIN “CJ” CALLINS Student Life

BELLA CICCI Entertainment Design

LIZI BUDAGASHVILI Fine Arts

MAFER BENCOMO AREVALO Visual Studies

JESSE CLARK Photography and Imaging

PAYTON ODIERNO Game Art

ANA BRIGHTON Film

RYAN WIEN Virtual Reality Development

PAO CHUTIJIRAWONG Fine Arts

SHPRESA MEHMETI Business of Art and Design

JUDE KEIFER Creative Writing

ALE ORTEGA-ROMERO Illustration

HAILEY BAIR Computer Animation

SAM GRIMM Graphic Design

Cunniffe Commons HAS COME TO RINGLING COLLEGE… AT LAST!

By Ryan G. Van Cleave | Photography by Ryan Gamma

When Hammond Commons was built, Ringling College of Art and Design was still the Ringling School of Art and Design, and it only had 500 students. Now that the College has 1,700 students, the need for a more robust dining hall has never been more urgent. No one knows this better than the students, who have sometimes faced lunch rush traffic at Hammond Commons on weekdays that left them scrambling to find available seating — or places to stash their art gear.

Enter Cunniffe Commons, which opened at the end of January 2023.

Thanks to the generosity of Ringling College of Art and Design Board of Trustees member Maurice “Mo” Cunniffe and his wife Carolyn, this new facility is meeting the needs of the current campus community while also having been designed with a vision toward the future that can support the College for many, many years to come. Simply put, it’s a spectacular, welcome space that also meets the highest sustainability standards, which is the norm for all new Ringling College construction.

Designed by Ayers Saint Gross, built by Willis A. Smith Construction Inc., and run by Chartwells Dining Services, the two-story Cunniffe Commons building has 28,000 square feet of dining space with ample seating — 400 interior and 114 exterior seats. Those students who struggled to find somewhere to eat in Hammond Commons? That’ll never be a challenge in the high-ceilinged, spacious venue that is Cunniffe Commons.

In terms of food options, Cunniffe Commons offers students a wide range of cuisine stations that deliver pizza, pasta, sandwiches, vegetarian options, deli options, allergen-free choices, bakery items, and much more. A self-contained salad bar and expanded dessert station are sure to be popular choices, too.

There’s even a Teaching Kitchen that will be used to conduct private cooking classes and cooking demonstrations. Student organizations can reserve the space, too, to support events, and faculty can similarly use the space to support food-related activities for class.

Jack’s Donuts — which has its first Florida location just up the road on Tamiami Trail — has partnered with the College and intends to host monthly donut-decorating events for students in this space as well. Having a Teaching Kitchen allows fun events and delicious opportunities like this to happen with regularity.

Near the southside entrance to Cunniffe Commons is a convenient food market with many grab-and-go options like drinks, chips, sweets, and fruit. This means that the current food market, Outtakes Café, is no longer needed, along with Hammond Commons. Those spaces can now be repurposed for expanding academic needs.

The northside entrance has a series of gender-inclusive restrooms along with storage lockers and even large slots in which students can place oversized art portfolios. No more shoving them under a table, propping them up against a wall, or lugging them around while trying to get food!

Part of what gives Cunniffe Commons extra appeal is that it’s more than just a venue for dining. On the ground floor, there’s a small stage and sound system that can be used for live events in the evening and between meal sessions. On the second floor, there’s a conference room that can be reserved for lunch or dinner meetings, or simply as a terrific state-of-the-art meeting space. The second floor also features a terrace with outdoor seating that has an impressive view of campus and the grand oak tree in the center of the groundlevel outdoor seating.

“Cunniffe Commons will become a natural hub for further enhancing our sense of campus community,” notes Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students Dr. Tammy Walsh. “Throughout my career, I’ve seen a multitude of dining facilities and without a doubt, this is the best one I’ve ever seen.”

During the January 17, 2023 ribbon-cutting ceremony, Dr. Larry Thompson, president of Ringling College, thanked the Cunniffes for their generous contribution to the Ringling College community. “This new dining facility will bring real joy to our current students and help us to recruit the best and most talented students to our college. Thank you to the Cunniffes. You’re such wonderful people — we appreciate you so very much.”

In that same speech, Dr. Thompson noted how Dr. Walsh had been asking for a new dining hall since the day she was hired. “She might’ve even asked for it during the actual job interview, too,” he joked. At the end of the ceremony, Dr. Thompson turned to her and said, “Tammy? Your wish has finally come true. Enjoy it.”

As Dean of Students, Dr. Walsh surely enjoys having the long-awaited, world-class dining hall to support student health, wellness, and success. But the rest of us are going to enjoy it, too, simply because it’s the cool, exciting, and yummy new place to be.

The new Cunniffe Commons, named for Maurice “Mo” Cunniffe and his wife Carolyn.

DESIGNER ANIMATOR

DESIGNER-ANIMATOR, TROIKA, LOS ANGELES

Hired: May 2022

NIKHITA BUDDHIRAJU

Motion Design Graduated: May 2022

Nikita Buddhiraju ’22 is an alumni from Ringling College of Art and Design's Motion Design program. In a quirky twist, Buddhiraju was already working for Troika when she was recruited by a producer — again!

“I freelanced for Troika in April. I had applied in January and a producer found me through my website, not knowing that I was already employed by them,” Buddhiraju explains with a laugh. Talk about being in demand. Buddhiraju’s thorough career preparation took her to the Hollywood Hills Troika location, where she works on sports branding, branding packages, and pitch decks, sits in on client calls, and works on 2D and 3D designs.

Buddhiraju attributes her professional success to the “amazing Motion Design department and faculty. Ed Cheetham and Peter Alfano especially taught me everything I know about 3D design. Ed brought in

MADDY McELWEE Graphic Design Graduated: May 2022

Graphic Design major Maddy McElwee is another alumni who dove into career preparation early. She began her job search in December of her senior year, keeping track of applications on a detailed spreadsheet.

“I applied for over fifty jobs completely through LinkedIn, because it was so easy,” McElwee recounts. “Companies asked for a link to your portfolio and resume. That's also how I got my summer internship at Abercrombie and Fitch before senior year.”

That diligence paid off. McElwee started work at Vineyard Vines as an assistant graphic designer on May 31st, just three weeks after graduation. She works in the custom/personalization department, designing wholesale, and custom corporate and licensing products with another designer. She reports with pride that in six months her department has worked on close to 600 requests.

Each year we profile our newest alumni who, after four years of work and preparation, landed a dream first job within sixty days of graduation. These are their success stories.

Interviews and Stories

by Nicole Caron

industry professionals to network and connect with us, plus they [faculty] were from industry, so we were being taught by professionals who have connections.” She describes professional life as being very different from college. “It was a pretty big change because college is so structured with assignments and rules; once you graduate you're in the open world. I had a lot of time to figure out what I like to do, like get back to music — things I didn't have time for in college. You have to be your own schedule-maker, your own time-maker. Throughout school I worked jobs and did freelance work, and that prepared me for post-grad life.”

Buddhiraju advises current students to start early. She landed her first industry internship her freshman year at Ringling College. “Every summer and winter I sent out my resume, got my website ready, and I applied with that,” she explains. “Fine tune your work, and try to work in the industry as soon as possible. The earlier you start, the easier it will be for you in the long run.”

*Three weeks after this interview, Buddhiraju was hired as a designer and animator at Trollbäck + Company, a branding and design firm.

That sounds like a tremendous workload, but McElwee laughs. “Life at Ringling is so intense, that getting to a job is kind of a break. I have more free time now and the work itself is a little more laidback.”

McElwee gives a shoutout to her professors Jeff Bleitz and Allen Harrison, whom she had almost every semester, for their teaching, as well as the recruiter sessions sponsored by the Center for Career Services. “It was great to know exactly what companies wanted when I was applying for jobs,” she says. She also gained valuable experience working as a senior student graphic designer in the Design Center at Ringling College.

McElwee tells current students to prepare early and stay on top of their online presence. “Make sure your LinkedIn is prepped and polished because you never know who's looking at it (and I don't pay for Premium),” she advises. “Have links to all your current work and portfolio. Social media is a powerful tool for job hunting and freelance opportunities.”

ASSISTANT GRAPHIC DESIGNER, VINEYARD VINES, STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT

Hired: May 2022

Hired: June 2022

Graduated: May 2022

DreamWorks Animation Assistant David Guo points to the collaborative culture at Ringling College as a key component of his success in his new role, a job he earned after completing the DreamWorks Apprentice Program for Animators. After that he worked as a cycles animator, then in his current role as an assistant animator.

Guo’s workday includes meetings called “dailies,” where animators go through their work and show it to the animation head, as well as get-togethers with directors and supervisors, followed by work on animating shots and assignments. “Sometimes we have specific directors come and talk to us,” Guo says. “The new Pinocchio movie director came to talk with us the other day. It feels almost like a second university.” He then noted that he is working on an unannounced feature. “I didn’t think I would be able to get any big name movie credits right away. I’m very lucky.”

In Guo’s senior year he worked with his peers in the labs on their thesis films. He describes the collaborative spirit they fostered, “We were working together on separate things, asking each other for

help with a quick critique or rigging or modeling something — it was a very supportive atmosphere and very valuable for fostering a strong work culture,” he notes. “Working with other people helped me get further than I could get by myself.”

Guo credits Computer Animation professor Paul Downs with helping him learn how to interpret notes from other professors and focus after a big critique. He advises current students to be open to helping others and accepting help. “How do we continue improving this? How do we work with each other? Try not to take notes personally. Remove your ego,” he says. “Then, aside from all technical things, in order to be a great artist, you have to be a good person and be well-rounded in a lot of different things. We’re all students of life; we all accumulate knowledge and these things inform our art. Accumulate new experiences: watch a movie, fall in love — be a kaleidoscope of experiences that are relatable to all people.”

“At Ringling College you learn to fail fast, fail often, move forward, and improve.” David Guo, Assistant Animator, DreamWorks Animation

Illustration, Business of Art and Design Minor Graduated: May 2022

Illustration major Dana Nakata kick-started her job search using the resources from Ringling’s Center for Career Services to reach out to alumni about their journeys to full-time employment. “I went to the ‘alumni mentor network’ section of College Central, found a bunch of different alumni, and corresponded with them through email and Zoom,” Nakata recalls.

A long-time collector and lover of Funko, producer of pop culture action figures, toys, apparel, and other merchandise, Nakata was hunting for a packaging designer internship. When she saw the internship listed at Funko, she immediately applied.

“I was so happy when I got the email saying I got the position,” she says. “It really helped me transition to this job, to learn all aspects of how Funko creates their items. When a full-time position opened, I was approached to continue being a part of Funko.”

Nakata’s day to day is anything but routine. “Every day is different, depending on the items on my assignment list. We’re part of the concept

team helping with calling out colors, revising items, assisting designers, and supporting the progression of items, including concept ideas and overseeing final production. Designers do the drawings and we add color and apply different decorative items.”

Nakata gives kudos to Ringling Faculty Ken Spirduso and Rebecca Zomchek, whom she describes as “so invested in taking the time to make sure you learned and grew as an artist and prepared for the work world.” She praises Business of Art and Design Faculty Sarita René Guillory and Marilyn Garman for being “so motivating and giving assignments that made us think about where we wanted to go and how to get there,” and Liberal Arts Faculty Eleanor Eichenbaum for the writing classes that “helped me develop my tone of voice and describe my work, resume, and website.”

Nakata’s advice to current students is to “reach out to alumni and upperclassmen, talk with them, and see how they did it. Reach out to people who you think are interesting, whose work you like. Reach out to your professors and ask them about their experiences. Start asking these questions now so you’re not stressed at the end.”

ASSOCIATE UTILITIES ARTIST, FUNKO, ORLANDO

Hired: June 2022

DANA NAKATA

DAVID GUO Computer Animation

ASSISTANT ANIMATOR, DREAMWORKS ANIMATION, LOS ANGELES

ISABEL FORBES

“Having my own studio where I can paint and teach is a dream come true, it is my laboratory, my happy place, my sanctuary.”

Atomic Dog, 18” x 18”, Oil and Cold Wax on Panel.

Urban Geometry, 40” x 40”, Oil and Coldwax Medium on Linen.

Painting the town

Isabel Forbes memorializes her hometown of Spartanburg, SC

By Abby Weingarten

Isabel Forbes ’81, Illustration, grew up in a town with the word “art” right in its moniker: Spartanburg, South Carolina. Today, she runs Forbes Fine Art Studio in her hometown, where she inspires other budding artists through group classes, workshops, and creative events.

“Having my own studio where I can paint and teach is a dream come true,” Forbes says. “It is my laboratory, my happy place, my sanctuary.”

Forbes also exhibits her landscapes, portraits, and figure paintings throughout the country — many of which are centered on the beauty and mystique of Spartanburg. She was even profiled in Artists Among Us: 100 Faces of Art in Spartanburg by Stephen Stinson and Edward Emory (Hub City Press, November 2011).

From the time she was in high school in Spartanburg — taking art classes and participating in scholastic art competitions — she dreamt of becoming a successful artist. But it wasn’t until she saw a PBS documentary about Georgia O’Keeffe in 1977 that “planted a seed inside [her] heart,” Forbes says.

“This was the first time I had seen a woman painter who was able to support herself with her art,” Forbes says. “It was truly an ‘aha’ moment.”

During her time at Ringling College as an Illustration major, Forbes would often think of the expression, “find a job you love and you will never work a day in your life” as she contemplated her career path.

Mentors like Harry Habblitz, her first-year drawing instructor, would impact her further by introducing her to books like The Zen of Seeing: Seeing/Drawing as Meditation by Frederick Franck (Vintage, September 1973).

“Ringling College afforded me a rich collection of experiences: lots of drawing, typography, photography, color and design, and painting — all of which I was able to use in the many different careers I held,” Forbes says. “In fact, the last job I held before I took my leap of faith to paint fulltime, I remember thinking how everything had come together like single puzzle pieces to create a beautiful picture.”

Currently, Forbes is part of a committee that is organizing Spartanburg’s first studio tour, which will be held in April 2023.

“Our neighboring city organized its first studio tour with 50 artists 20 years ago; they now have 150 artists and have generated $4.96 million to date. We hope to do the same for our community,” Forbes says. “Spartanburg is rich in talent, so we are really excited about the great potential this will provide to the artists in this county for years to come.”

Forbes intends to spend the first quarter of 2023 creating a new body of work for the studio tour. Additionally, Forbes and her partner will soon be retiring to travel in their teardrop camper throughout the United States.

“I will be tackling on-the-spot plein air studies to use when I’m back in my studio to create larger paintings,” Forbes says. “I’m excited about filling up many a blank canvas with my love for drawing and painting as we explore America’s backroads.”

MAJOR Illustration, 1981 Graduate RESIDES

Grain Mill Sunset, 36” x 36”, Oil and Cold Wax on Panels.

MELVIN RICE III THOMAS

“Realizing that I was walking a path shared by so many others was always a grounding and inspiring experience for me.”

Still, Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands Announcement Trailer.

Still, NEP Virtual Studios & Trilith Studios Prysm Stage Showcase Environment.

Still, Judgement of Acius.

MELVIN THOMAS RICE III

Avatar, Environments, and Virtual Production

Melvin Rice is immersed in success

By Abby Weingarten

Working on the Avatar film sequels was an incredible feat for Melvin Thomas Rice III ’17, Game Art, whose years studying game art and design at Ringling College perfectly prepared him for the career milestone.

“Early on with Avatar, it felt like I got dropped into the big leagues and was sort of just expected to keep up,” Rice says. “My time at Ringling College really prepared me for the high work standards and longer hours that came with the production.”

It was undoubtedly a challenge for Rice, but his Ringling training had readied him — not only for the work itself but for an environment of constructive criticism.

“Oftentimes, critiques would come straight from the art directors or James Cameron himself. And we were regularly working around one of the world’s largest virtual stages,” Rice says. “It was a crazy mash of practical set building, digital art, and all types of movie-making magic. It created in me a desire to continue to work with new media and discover other spaces my art could be used in.”

Rice continues to expand his skills as a 3D artist, building environments for real-time stage productions and creating interactive experiences. He grew up in the southeastern United States and currently lives in Atlanta, Georgia, where he freelances in everything from app design to architectural visualization. He recently worked with LED stages under Halon Entertainment.

“Trilith Studios built the world’s largest LED volume, where our environments were set up to run to showcase its real-time capabilities,” Rice says. “To me, this experience represented a clear moment where I realized what I’d like to take my next steps toward.”

Before arriving at that moment, Rice was still refining his career trajectory — first wanting to work predominantly in games.

“I wanted to create the worlds. When I arrived at Ringling College, that was one of the first believable pathways I could see toward that goal,” Rice says. “As I continued learning and finding out what I enjoyed about my work, that desire for games grew into a love of digital environments and working with the many tools we have to immerse others in them.” Being at Ringling College not only expanded Rice’s desire for the craft, but it also helped him build an invaluable network of creatives.

“One of Ringling’s biggest strengths is the community of other artists there,” Rice says. “Realizing that I was walking a path shared by so many others was always a grounding and inspiring experience for me. In a way, it helped keep my dreamlike goals within reach.”

As for Rice’s future career goals?

“I absolutely want to continue to work in virtual production, with a particular interest in LED volumes and visual experiences outside of the usual media,” Rice says. “For example, I’d love to be a part of a concert or live stage production. I absolutely think that the demand for our type of work in those spaces will begin to rapidly expand in the coming years.”

Artwork shown on Trilith Studio’s LED screen, the largest of its kind.

By Vivian Owen

During her junior year screenwriting class at Ringling College of Art and Design, Jada Poon ’20, Film, found herself suffering from writer’s block. And then, to make matters worse, her monthly period hit.

She looked around her classroom and found herself in a room full of the opposite sex. All of her classmates were male. Her professor was male. And they would never understand exactly how she felt in that moment.

In the end, Karman must seek help from her school’s version of “mean girls,” a gang of intimidating eighth-graders who, in an uncharacteristic turn of events, end up rescuing Karman instead of embarrassing her.

I was first introduced to Code Red when Ringling College’s Film department faculty were reviewing scripts for senior thesis selection. I was instantly attracted to the story because periods haven’t historically been a big feature in film and television. Partly due to the associated shame and stigmas, but also because leadership within the media industry is male dominated.

We dove deeper into the issue, and found Always, a Proctor & Gamble brand, reported one in five girls in the US have missed school due to lack of period products. Because of that, Always was actively working to provide more puberty education, greater access to products, and drive societal change. We decided to exclusively feature Always pads, and their sister brand, Tampax tampons in the film.

So, she wrote the script that would become the short film Code Red. It’s a whimsical, comingof-age story about a sixth-grader named Karman who gets her period for the first time at school and skips class to go on a quest to find a pad.

Karman’s frantic search is intercut with playful, metaphorical sequences that illustrate what menstruation feels like. In one scene, an isolated hand squeezes a red tomato. In another, the hand pops a red water balloon with a pin.

As lead faculty for the Branded Entertainment track, I saw potential for the film to become what’s known in advertising as a public service announcement, or PSA; videos created to raise awareness of an issue in the public interest and change behavior.

I approached writer/director Poon and her producer Katerina Mullen ’20, Film, about turning the film into a PSA about period poverty, the inadequate access to menstrual products and menstrual health education that affects people around the world. They were 100% on board and I volunteered to executive produce it for their senior thesis.

Code Red was scheduled for production in March 2020. Before leaving for spring break, Poon and her crew had their locations locked, cast selected, and production paperwork completed. And then, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The College moved to virtual learning for the rest of the Spring 2020 semester. Production of Code Red was canceled.

When I broke the news to the team via Zoom, I could sense their devastation. Here we were trying to make a film about how girls miss out on educational opportunities due to their period, and this female-led team was missing out on their own educational opportunity due to the pandemic. The irony wasn’t lost on us. Before we ended that call, I vowed that we would produce Code Red somehow, some way, even if it was after they graduated.

Because, periods don’t stop for pandemics.

The multi-award-winning alumni film that’s shining a light on period poverty.

Still from Code Red, written and directed by Jada Poon ’20, Film.

That’s when inspiration struck. Poon thought, “I’ll write about my period. And I’ll make them feel as uncomfortable as I’m feeling right now.”

On

Tricia Mire from Ringling’s Office for Advancement quickly came to our aid. She assembled a group of Film Circle donors and organized a virtual pitch in September 2020. The goal was to raise money for the alumni team to travel back to Sarasota and shoot this important film. By the end of that one-hour Zoom call, the donors, led by Flora Major, pledged all funds necessary for production.

In August 2021, Poon returned to Sarasota from her new home in Toronto to finally film Code Red. She built a crew of Ringling alumni and students that was 60 percent female, and a talented young cast that was 80 percent female. An intentional choice, as it was important to Poon that this film emerge from the female experience and female perspective.

It was shot in five days at Girls Inc. of Sarasota County and on Soundstage A of the Ringling College Studio Labs. Code Red also held the honor of being the first film to be sound-designed in the state-of-the-art PostProduction Facility at Ringling College.

The donors and local media got a first look at the finished film in a private screening held at Ringling College’s Morganroth Auditorium in January 2022. From there, the film took off screening in multiple festivals across the country and internationally, and winning top honors and awards. OLLI at Ringling College screened the film and hosted a filmmaker Q&A as part of their Listening to Women series held at the Sarasota Art Museum. And Global Girl’s Initiative, a Tampa-based nonprofit whose mission is to provide free period products and education to underserved youth partnered with Code Red to host a screening at the University of Tampa.

Most recently, the film attracted the attention of national brands Always and Walmart, who selected Code Red as one of 50 Period Heroes across the US and donated 50,000 Always pads to the team to be distributed to schools across Florida. Always defines Period Heroes as people and organizations doing extraordinary work in their local communities to help end period poverty. Alumni producer, Mullen along with other members of the Code Red crew, including current Film students Celi Mitidieri ’24, Milena Montero ’24, and Darci Howell ’23, distributed products to Ballard Elementary School and Electa Lee Middle School in Bradenton and Global Girl’s Initiative in Tampa, FL.

The Code Red team also felt it important to reserve part of the donation for their own alma mater, Ringling College. Mitidieri, who is also the current SGA President, is working with Dr. Tammy Walsh, vice president for Student Life and dean of students, to install dispensers and stock these period products directly in the bathrooms on campus.

What’s next for Code Red? The film is now publicly available on YouTube and can be watched using the QR code included here. Poon and I are also in discussions with distribution companies who are interested in licensing the film for international TV and streaming audiences.

Would it be amazing for the film to end up on Amazon Prime or Netflix?

“Yes,” says Poon, “But ultimately, what I’m most proud of is the actual impact Code Red is making in the community. My hope is the film can continue to inspire change and be a starting point for these important conversations, period.”

Film Festival Acceptances

Through Women's Eyes International Film Festival (Sarasota, FL)

Venezia Shorts Film Festival (Italy)

Concordia Film Festival (Canada)

Sang Gene Film Festival (France)

Vero Beach Film Festival (Vero Beach, FL)

Seoul International Children's Film Festival (South Korea)

Hollywood Shorts Fest (Hollywood, CA)

International Youth Media Festival (Austria)

Orlando Film Festival (Orlando, FL)

Indie Shorts Awards Cannes (France)

Student World Impact Film Festival (NYC, NY)

Shockfest Film Festival (New York, Las Vegas, Hollywood)

Awards

Gold Student ADDY Award

Film, Video & Sound (AAF Suncoast)

Gold Student ADDY Award

Music & Sound Design (AAF Suncoast)

Student Best in Show (AAF Suncoast)

Gold Student ADDY Award

Film, Video & Sound (AAF District 4)

Gold Student ADDY Award

Music & Sound Design (AAF District 4)

Student Best in Show (AAF District 4)

Silver Student ADDY Award

Music & Sound Design (AAF National)

Best Student Dramatic Film

Vero Beach Film Festival

Best Female Student Director

Hollywood Shorts Fest

Best Student Short Award

Orlando Film Festival

On the set of Code Red, award-winning film written and directed by Ringling College alumna Jada Poon ’20, produced at Ringling College Studio Labs and Girl’s Inc., Sarasota, FL.

Still from Code Red.

Watch Code Red on Youtube

Your support brings creativity to life.

At Ringling College of Art and Design, creativity is the driving force of all that we do. It inspires every aspect of our daily lives, even beyond the artwork so beautifully created by our students. Creativity empowers us to re-imagine how the world works. It changes lives. And your support makes it possible.

The emerging artists and designers of Ringling College have talent beyond measure and a true passion for their craft. They are dedicated to achieving great things, but they can’t always do it alone. The generosity of donors helps alleviate financial hardships for students, provides cutting-edge resources for faculty, and fosters an entire community of creativity. We hope you will join us as we navigate a new world — one where creativity comes to life.

Timber Robert ’22, Virtual Reality Development

Lena Hyatt ’22, Illustration

Insun Park ’22 and Jin Pei Lua ’22, Computer Animation

Doug Alberts ’20, Motion Design

Alisa Hodzic ’19, Fine Arts

Emma Kim ’20 and Steven Clark ’20, Game Art

Marissa Scudder ’24, Graphic Design

Jesse Clark ’23, Photography and Imaging

Brendan Assaf ’23, Entertainment Design Emi Lamberski ’19, Visual Studies

Notes from Niger, West Africa: DeAnna Boyer’s Fulbright in Ireland

By Dr. Genevieve Hill-Thomas

Photos courtesy of DeAnna Boyer ’22

As I wait to connect to my Zoom meeting with DeAnna Boyer ’22, Illustration, I hope the data doesn’t run out on my little WiFi hotspot here in Niamey, Niger. Moments later, DeAnna appears on my screen — a familiar sight after teaching online courses during the COVID pandemic that took away her opportunity to study abroad during junior year. But tonight, she looks radiant and relaxed. The fall semester has just ended for both of us, and this is a social chat. As we start to talk, the muezzin outside begins the call to prayer. It’s loud enough for DeAnna to hear it all the way in Ireland, so I explain to her about my trip to teach a weaving workshop at the NGO DIMA art school, an offshoot of my Fulbright doctoral research in Burkina Faso years ago. Seeing her now, halfway through her Fulbright award, makes me a bit sentimental. I remember how my international exchange with the Fulbright program started me on a life-changing path.

It’s only been six months since DeAnna graduated, and in that time, she turned down a character design dream job with Disney so that she could pursue her Fulbright project, titled “The Art of Reconnecting to Our Irish Roots.” In addition to studying in the Burren College of Art’s (Ballyvaughan, County Clare, Ireland) one-year master’s program in art and ecology, she proposed to create a book linking current Irish culture and the environment to historical stories that could help the Irish diaspora connect with their heritage in a way that encourages them to care for the planet, no matter what corner of our earth they may be living in. Not only did she win a prestigious Fulbright award, but she was also one of five Fulbrighters chosen for the National Geographic Storytelling Fellowship. Before leaving for Ireland, she visited the NatGeo headquarters in Washington, D.C. for an intensive seminar and training about working with NatGeo for the duration of her Fulbright. Like any professor, at the start of fall semester I was a bit apprehensive about sending a student (albeit one of Ringling’s top students!) off to a foreign country to go to grad school, conduct independent research, create a book, and apprentice with NatGeo, but seeing DeAnna tonight makes me feel like this was exactly the challenge she needed after her Ringling career. I ask her how the first semester went, and she quickly replies, “It was amazing.”

DeAnna goes on to tell me how welcoming Ireland is, and how she already feels part of the community in the Burren. She’s amazed at the wealth of ecological information preserved in beautiful traditional stories, and how integrated that form of knowledge transmission is with Ireland’s culture. Her favorite part so far has been taking trips with her graduate class to visit historic sites, art museums, and nature preserves with historians and scientists who are eager to share their knowledge with a new generation. I’m also curious as to how Ringling College prepared her for these experiences, and she tells me that her skills in the digital arts are a complement to the analog focus of her graduate program. Just like she did as a Ringling student, she’s been helping other graduate students improve their digital skills. She also tells me that her liberal arts courses prepared her for the intense independent reading required in her classes, as well as the discussions with her professors and colleagues. A moment of pride and fulfillment washes over me as I feel like I’ve passed on what was given to me by my professors and the Fulbright. I’m glad to know that even during the pandemic, Ringling faculty succeeded in preparing her — quite literally — for the world.

I ask her what the future holds next semester, and she tells me that after a short break of traveling around Ireland and blogging for NatGeo, it’s back to working on her MA solo show. She’s interested in exploring her new theory of how the loss of oral poetry and folklore has coincided with the loss of biodiversity. Listening to her talk about her current work, it’s clear as day that DeAnna has grown so much in a short six months. I don’t know what successes this path will lead her to, but she stressed the fact that she continues to experiment and be playful with her art — something she hopes all Ringling students take advantage of during their time in Sarasota. She’s still connected with the Ringling community, advising students who are interested in applying for their own Fulbright opportunity. And with that, we briefly wrap up our conversation with optimism for the future, and it warms my heart to hear her say, “The world’s a big place!”

Genevieve Hill-Thomas holds a PhD in the history of art from Indiana University, Bloomington. Her dissertation, Faso Dan Fani: Marka Textiles in Burkina Faso, was supported by a Fulbright fellowship. An article based on this work, “Silk in the Sahel: Tuntun and Marka Faso Dan Fani in Northwestern Burkina Faso,” was published in the journal African Arts, and her latest essay on Burkinabè fashion and politics will be included in the forthcoming book Pathé’O. She is currently an art history professor in Ringling College’s Liberal Arts Department as well as the College’s Fulbright Program Advisor. Her most recent work with NGO DIMA art school in Niger (www.ngodima.org) combines her love of African art history with her background in nonprofit development, K-12 art education, and textile arts.

Sketchbook collage works by DeAnna Boyer during her studies at Burren College of Art.

DeAnna Boyer ’22, Illustration.

Read more about DeAnna Boyer’s Fulbright adventure in her National Geographic Field Notes.

Dr. Genevieve Hill-Thomas

Experiences to Remember ENTERTAINMENT DESIGN

By Rick Dakan

Ringling College of Art and Design’s newest major, Entertainment Design, graduates its first senior class this May. They will leave our campus having not only completed an innovative and rigorous course of study, but with a host of practical, hands-on experience. Entertainment Design is the art of creating compelling and engaging experiences that translate a narrative, concept, or theme into real-world immersive experiences that resonate, envelop, and transport.

“The Entertainment Design program has provided an exceptional pathway for our students into the professional world of designing themed environments and experiences,” said Jamie DeRuyter ’97, Computer Animation, faculty for Entertainment Design.

“Industry experts and recruiters know they can come directly to Ringling College to hire graduates who have the skills and resumes to jump right in and be key contributors to their projects and teams. The inaugural class of Entertainment Design, the class of 2023 have been brave, brilliant, inspirational, dedicated, motivated, and curious. They are true Rockstars!”

Meet five seniors whose unique project-based experiences exemplify the diverse opportunities for Entertainment Design students.

Elijah Adams ’23 and Tiffany Beckler ’23, collaborate on a class assignment.

Opposite: Hand-constructed backdrop created by Entertainment Design students for Avant-Garde: Let Us Entertain You.

Invitation Design Invitation Design

SUSAN SAULNIER AVANT-GARDE

Susan Saulnier was one of a select group of students from a variety of majors to work with Debra Wren of Wrenhouse Design on Ringling’s Avant-Garde 2022 gala fundraising event. “I was part of the creative team and we used blue sky thinking as our form of brainstorming,” Susan said. That year’s theme was Café des Artistes, “I really liked paying homage to the first ever Avant-Garde. We created a ‘living painting,’ and built a big multi-level, gilded picture frame. In front of the crowd, Dr. Larry Thompson, president of Ringling College and his wife Pat stepped out of the frame to greet everyone to classic Parisian café music to open the event.”

The gala was a smash success with over $600,000 raised for student scholarships, and Susan feels strongly that the experience is something she will definitely carry with her into her future. “I like getting my hands dirty, making stuff and figuring out how things could be made by a third party. Tracking the evolution of our original ideas to third-party fabrication, and seeing the differences.” She has her sights set on working in the healthcare industry. “I want to re-design healthcare and what that whole system and field looks like. A lot of what I did with Avant-Garde, developing the theme, what’s too far and what works, how to work and collaborate with fabricators, will all apply there as well.”

ELIJAH ADAMS NIGHTS OF FRIGHT

Elijah Adams was the project manager for Nights of Fright, a two-night haunted house and costume contest at Ringling College for Halloween, 2022. The team of 12 students began work in March of that year, brainstorming story ideas and scare concepts, and ultimately deciding to run with Terror in Tinseltown, a tour of a haunted film studio.

“From there it was breaking it down into tasks: costume design, script, and then a lot of work coordinating with our Student Government Association, Student Life, and volunteers,” Elijah explained.

“Then the hurricane came, which forced us to pivot from three nights to two nights, and scale down the house.” They started fabrication after the storm, installing the haunt in the Roskamp Exhibition Hall. “It was a week and a half working weekends morning to night and weekdays until 9 or 10 pm.” Although the experience was stressful, Elijah and his teammates were happy seeing people going through the haunted house and screaming in terrified delight at all the different elements. Those kinds of immersive, emotional experiences are what he hopes to continue to help create in his future career.

Concepts for Avant-Garde: Café des Artistes.

Living painting inside the larger-than-life frame for the opening act of Avant-Garde.

The Nights of Fright haunted house at Ringling College.

SOPHIE RUIZ

HISTORIC LEONARD REID HOUSE

Sophie Ruiz worked for over a year on a series of Ringling’s Industry Experience (INDEX) projects for the Sarasota African American Cultural Coalition’s (SAACC) transformation of a historic African American home into a history and cultural center. Vickie Oldham, president and CEO of SAACC, worked tirelessly with her team to secure the home and have it moved by the City from its previous location in the Rosemary District (formerly known as Overtown) to a lot on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way, just down the street from Ringling’s Main Campus.

Starting in the spring of 2022 and working through summer and fall, Sophie’s role on the student team included working on concept development, spatial design, graphic design, layout, and overall guest experience. “Working with Vickie has been wonderful and the project means a lot to her and the SAACC board. Our team has been very passionate about it. We understand how big this is for the community,” said Sophie. She and Will Mauricette ’24, Film, presented their team’s proposal to Vickie and the SAACC board, who were moved by not only their work but their presentation and how passionate the students were. “I feel very lucky to be part of a project like this that means so much to so many people and has fired a passion for working community and nonprofit organizations.”

TIFFANY BECKLER

THE RESOURCE FACTORY

Tiffany Beckler interned at The Resource Factory here in Sarasota, a worldwide leader in 3D foam and fiberglass sculptures and scenic design. As part of her Fine Arts minor, Tiffany took classes at Ringling College in both mold making and welding, which were a big help alongside her core Entertainment Design courses during her internship. “We were reading plans, design intent packages (which students learn to create in the Entertainment Design program). Seeing the connection of the design and fabrication come together made

me a better communicator and observing how the roles play out in the real world work setting was key. Most people don’t realize how many different people touch one object or project area at different points throughout the process.

Although a non-disclosure agreement prohibits her sharing exactly what she worked on, she can say that design elements she contributed to ended up in one of the Disney Parks. She hopes that’s just the first of many creations she can work on, the bigger the better. “I want to be an installation artist, and the big elements of wonder in a themed environment almost always come back to fiberglass, those big objects, something people point at and say, ‘whoa, that’s cool!’ Themed environments push all those things to the limit.”

BRENDAN ASSAF SCENARIO

Brendan Assaf interned at Scenario, a technical design and fabrication company with offices all over the world that designs and constructs scenic elements for the themed entertainment and hospitality industries. Brendan helped with sheet set making. A sheet set is essentially the schematics for creating props, normally

with different views of an element and detailed dimensions and other information fabricators need to build it. Also under a non-disclosure agreement, Brendan can’t reveal the project he specifically worked on, but it’s work that will come to life in a major theme park in the Orlando area.

“In Entertainment Design, we’re one of the only schools learning both the technical and creative sides of design,” Brendan explained. “We’re really prepared for that. I learned a lot about technical design and the ways as a creative designer so much of it pours over into the technical side.”

Brendan hopes to work in creative show set design after he graduates. “This internship helped me understand the material and spatial design part of it, which I can apply to making the creative process easier and make my creative designs more technical-design-friendly and informed. That’s something creative designers don’t always have to think about.”

The historic Leonard Reid House will become the new history and cultural center in Newtown.

A Decade of Success

By Amanda Walters

Each year Ringling College of Art and Design receives hundreds, if not thousands of families of prospective students to visit the campus. Of those students, many will see the face of Dean of Admissions Gregg Prigerson at some point in the process. Gregg estimates, “Just this week alone, and it was a slow week, I met with about 25-30 families.” He said, “Around spring break (Feb. and March) that 25 per week expands to probably 75-100 families a week. I am not the only one who meets families, but I do meet many in the information sessions, open houses, accepted student days, etc.”

Gregg is celebrating his 10th anniversary at Ringling College this year, and 25 years in admissions for higher ed. He was born and raised in New York City. He first attended college at Tulane University in New Orleans, and soon after transferred to Clemson University in South Carolina, where he received his undergraduate and graduate degrees. While in graduate school, Gregg worked in the admissions office and loved it. Working in that department sparked a thought that would stick with him for the rest of his career.

“Wow, recruiting students to check out and visit an institution you already love, what a wonderful job to have. It was amazing to recruit in so many geographic areas that I had not visited before.”

DEAN OF ADMISSIONS

Gregg Prigerson

Portrait by Elan Photography

Ringling’s Dean of Admissions shares his love of higher ed and what makes Ringling College so special

57 countries

Gregg has traveled to 40 countries and about 30 of those countries he visited while working as an admissions representative. In terms of Ringling College’s international recruitment successes, currently China is the country that sends us the most applications, followed by South Korea, Canada, India, and Turkey. He said, “Our international enrollment is roughly 22 percent of our total enrollment, which I am thrilled to see.” When he started at Ringling College in 2013, the student body numbered approximately 1350 — today that number is up to 1705, an all-time high, and things are continuing to look up. “We are experiencing a nice rise in applications, we are up 15 percent from this time last year. We are currently up in our applications in-state, out-of-state, and internationally.”

Before his decade tenure in Ringling’s Admissions Department, Gregg had already worked in admissions at four other colleges: The University of Miami-Coral Gables, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, and Stanford University, in Palo Alto, CA. Somewhere in the middle of that list he took a two year detour as the Director of College Counseling at a prep school in Lake Mary, FL. It was during his time in Lake Mary that he was first drawn to Ringling College. Each year a handful of Gregg’s students would apply to the College, which prompted him to make a day trip to check it out. He was immediately enamored.

1705 degree-seeking students

Gregg’s approach to admissions includes engaging the whole family. “I absolutely love getting a family excited about what we have to offer in terms of our rankings, facilities, majors, technology, etc.” He addresses the fears of parents who may be reluctant to see their kids off to college, “I see the spark in their eyes when they realize that Ringling College is residential as many of our competitor art schools are not.”

The biggest concerns that families bring with them on campus visits involve life after college. “Most of the families that I've encountered here in almost ten years, all come in and say the same thing. My child is passionate about art and I know nothing about art. I'm an engineer, I'm a business person, I'm a doctor.” Gregg explains that “the first question they always want to know is, will they have a viable career? Are they going to be able to support themselves comfortably?” A large part of his job consists of assuring parents that an art education is “is more than just viable — it can lead to an extremely lucrative career.” He really educates the parents about all of Ringling College’s connections to different industries. He shows them what is offered by the Center for Career Services, and tells them about the 100 plus companies that recruit here, like Google, Microsoft, Pixar, and even General Motors.

Gregg has seen a lot of changes on campus over the last 10 years: “The opening of Goldstein Library, the Basch Visual Arts Center, Greensboro Hall, Bridge Apartments, our new dining hall Cunniffe Commons, and the amazing film facility with its myriad soundstages and post-production spaces come to mind in terms of on-campus buildings, and of course there’s the Museum campus downtown.” Big changes have occurred within the walls of those buildings, too.

The addition of new majors has also been a great thing. We became the first art and design college to launch a major in Virtual Reality which I feel has endless possibilities for the future in areas such as the medical, architectural, military defense industries, and many more.”

Gregg’s overall favorite part of the job is hearing directly from prospective students that Ringling College is their first-choice school, and when they enroll hearing them mention that he helped them in their journey. He also takes a lot of joy in signing their acceptance letters.

“I came away with a very positive perspective and knew this was a gem of an institution. The technology I saw, the conversations I had, the facilities that I walked through all convinced me that this was a super choice and one that I would highly recommend. Oh, and Sarasota was not too shabby either.”

Leading the way

Ringling College recognized as Top Producing Institution of Fulbright US Students 2022-23

Business student campaign pitch selected by Pencilish Animation Founder Tom Bancroft

Top employers for Game Art grads include Blizzard, Naughty Dog, and Riot Games

Fine Arts student awarded the Outstanding Student Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Award by the International Sculpture Center Fashion show fundraiser conceptualized and produced by Business of Art and Design student

Two Graphic Design students named “Students to Watch” in 2023 by GDUSA

Ringling students sweep 2023 Women in Animation Awards

Computer Animation students have won 17 Student Academy Awards since 1998

Computer Animation student won Rookie of the Year with animated short The End

Creative Writing student featured in The New York Times

14 Creative Writing students attended Association of Writers & Writers Programs (AWP) conference in Seattle

Film students win ADDY Awards: Gold and Silver for Television Advertising and Silver for Cinematography

Graphic Design students win ADDY Awards: 4 Silver, 1 Judge’s Choice, and 6 Palm Awards

Motion Design student wins Rookie of the Year for Motion Graphics

Illustration student wins Illustrators of the Future contest

Ringling student and alum win Emerging Filmmakers Scholarship

Visual Studies student wins bronze Telly Award, and Gold and Silver ADDY Awards

Virtual Reality Development students highlighted in PBS documentary film

Fine Arts alum awarded the 2022 Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship

Virtual Reality Development seniors helped design and develop an immersive promotional experience for Gismo Power, a mobile carport solar system

Motion Design students win ADDY Awards: 7 Gold, 9 Silver, and 31 Palm Awards, 4 Special Judge’s Awards, and 1 Best in Show

Photography and Imaging student named in Creative Quarterly

Motion Design students have won 6 Promax Student Spark Awards

Visual Studies alum illustrates for NY Times Best Seller book and wins NAACP Image Award

Photography and Imaging students secured prominent internships across the country

Visual Studies senior had film selected for underground and independent film festivals

The Art of Giving

Dear Friends,

There is no doubt that Ringling College of Art and Design is a truly special place. One where dedicated people come together and are connected by a common thread — supporting our creative community. Reflecting on the last few years, I am grateful and amazed by how many students, alumni, parents, faculty, staff, and friends want to make a difference for our incredible institution.

As I gaze across campus from the second floor of Cunniffe Commons, I see growth in every direction. From the Studio Labs complex and Bridge Apartments to the Richard and Barbara Basch Visual Arts Center and Greensboro Hall — there are so many magnificent learning and living spaces for our students. And with the recent opening of our new dining facility, Cunniffe Commons, there is a palpable change in the air. A vibrant energy radiates throughout campus as students, faculty, and staff have a remarkable location to gather, collaborate, work, relax, laugh, or just be together. It is a space that encourages community, and that is what we are all about.

I hope that as you turn through the pages of CONTXT, you feel both connected to and inspired by this creative community. I hope you feel excitement as you read about the new exhibitions and educational opportunities at Sarasota Art Museum; discover more about our two newest academic programs, Entertainment Design and Virtual Reality Development; and learn how so many of our alumni are making their mark on the world. These amazing accomplishments and so many more are possible thanks to the hard work and dedication of friends and supporters like you.

The generosity of so many has helped set the stage for what comes next at Ringling College. Whether giving of time through mentorship, supporting a new initiative, or creating a legacy gift through an estate plan, what happens now has a significant impact on what happens in the future for our institution.

While there is no question that tremendous growth is taking place, such growth is only possible when we all work together. If you are interested in how you can be a part of this new chapter, please contact us. Our Advancement team is happy to help you connect, in whatever way is most meaningful to you.

Thank you for being a part of our present and our future.

Sincerely,

Lora Wey

Interim Vice President for Advancement giving@ringling.edu |

Lora Wey on the balcony of Ringling College’s new, state-of-the-art dining and event facility, Cunniffe Commons. Portrait by Karen Arango ’13.

Gary Ficht

Designing a legacy

By Gayle Guynup | Portrait by Matthew Holler ’11

Gary Ficht ’65, Interior Design, was raised in Los Alamos, New Mexico, where the atomic bomb was developed as part of the Manhattan Project at Los Alamos National Laboratory during World War II.

“My father worked at the laboratory,” Gary said. “I finished school and joined the Air Force, where I served for just over three years. It was an incredible experience,” he said. Gary then returned home and worked at the Los Alamos Laboratory for about two years, working on experimental rocket engines, he explained.

“When in high school, I had art class for two hours a day, and one of those hours was spent with the town’s interior designer. It was part of my education,” he said. Gary had planned to work in the automobile industry, but then found he was dyslexic — a significant problem for a would-be engineer.

“Interior design was my alternative,” he said.

“One of the fellows I worked with at the laboratory had a family home on Siesta Key. He checked out what was then known as the Ringling School of Art for me, and thought it would be a good fit,” Gary said.

“Ringling School was very different back then from the Ringling College of Art and Design that we all know today,” he said. “When I was there, my tuition per semester was $395. In September of 1962, there were 360 students in the entire school and there were 63 of us in our first year together,” he said. “Interior Design was the largest class at that time.” He graduated with his certificate and his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1965.

Gary’s first job in design was working after school for the Yankee Traveler on St. Armands Circle. “I got to know the elite of Sarasota by working there,” he said. “My Sarasota clients included many of those who made America great, including large stockholders of major corporations. It was pretty amazing,” he said.

Yankee Travel started out as a patio shop, then added a casual clothing line, a high-end dress shop and finally, interior design. In the 1970s, Jacobson’s purchased Yankee Traveler and Gary became a buyer for their interior design department. “At that time, what you found on St. Armands could also be found on Worth Avenue, Fifth Avenue, and Rodeo Drive,” he said.

“In 1973, the bookkeeper for Yankee Traveler, came to me and said he would like to go into business together. I came back several days later and told him I would meet the clients, do the design work and installation, if he would do everything else.” They rented a building on Osprey Avenue, building out the interior and turning it into a model apartment that was our showroom.

He was there with his company, Pedlar’s Village Interior Design, for almost 40 years. “I always loved the design side of the business,” he said. Sadly, as he was out shopping one day in 2010, a store mannequin fell on Gary, leaving him partially disabled. “I would still be designing today, were it not for that,” he said. Three years ago, Gary retired.

“Initially, over the years, my partner and I would support the school by going to events. More recently, I became part of the Christ-Janer Legacy Society,” Gary explained. He decided that what remained of his art and other collectibles would be bequeathed to Ringling College for scholarships.

“This wasn’t something I did lightly,” he said. “I wanted to help future students with their tuition costs and I wanted to make sure that these pieces would be treated properly when I am gone,” he said. “Ringling College was able to meet both of those criteria,” he said.

“Today the school is just phenomenal,” he said. “I think that it is just marvelous, everything that Larry Thompson and the Board have accomplished. Today, the school is everything I hoped it would be when I was a student there.”

Gary Ficht and the views through his kaleidoscope collection.

Bev Harms

The joy of lifelong learning

By Gayle Guynup | Portrait by Matthew Holler ’11

A pioneer in the cable television industry, Bev Harms now dedicates herself to enriching her life and the lives of others at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Ringling College.

Bev grew up in Kane, a small town in Pennsylvania, where she developed an interest in broadcasting. The editor of her high school newspaper, she also hosted a student talk show on Saturday afternoons at a small AM station in a nearby community, fostering her interest in communications.

She moved to Buffalo, NY in 1955, and was hired as an assistant to the program director at an experimental NBC UHF television station. A few years later, they married and decided to break out on their own. They purchased AM and FM radio stations in the suburbs of Syracuse and built and operated similar stations in New Hampshire. It was the era of talk radio, and their AM stations became a voice for the communities they served. “My job was to secure the original financing; my husband was on-air talent; we both sold advertising and wrote commercials; I did the scheduling, and we took turns commuting back and forth to New Hampshire while raising our family.”

In the 1970s, cable television licenses were being awarded by communities to competitive franchisees. “I went out looking for financing when interest rates were well above 12 percent, and Upstate Cablevision came into being in the days before cable was cool,” she said.

The tragic death of their son led to the divestiture of their broadcast and cable properties and a move to Tampa, FL. “My husband retired, and I began working for Communications Equity Associates (CEA), an investment banking and brokerage firm in broadcasting, media, and telecommunications.” Her first assignment was as interim president of Gulfstream Cablevision, owned by a CEA investment group, to increase the subscriber count in anticipation of a pending sale.

She returned to the CEA office as senior vice president of New Business Ventures, researched and raised venture capital for start-up and earlystage broadcast, media, and entertainment companies, and served on the advisory boards of private and publicly-traded companies. She was elected president of the organization of Women in Cable and, in 1987, was awarded the National Cable Television Association Distinguished Leadership Award. “I was very fortunate not to have a glass ceiling holding me back; I did many things that most women didn’t have the opportunity to do at the time,” she said.

When she retired at 65, she moved to Sarasota and began actively traveling with her new partner. They biked, hiked, trekked, and sailed in Europe and the US in the summer, and Bev began looking for a way to stay engaged in Sarasota during the winter. “Quite by accident,” she said, she saw a flier at the Sarasota public library advertising the early beginning of the Lifelong Learning Academy.

“I love being involved in the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Ringling College. We began as the Lifelong Learning Academy at USF Sarasota-Manatee, became part of Ringling College in 2016, and moved into the repurposed Sarasota High School building, now Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College’s Museum Campus, in 2020.” During that time, Bev initiated and produced Einstein’s Circle, a weekly conversational series led by a facilitator to discuss important issues from an unbiased perspective. During the 12 years of existence, over 6,000 attendees participated.

Today OLLI at Ringling College offers more than 150 classes on topics of current and historical interest, memoir writing, books, and film discussion series. “We have state-of-the-art classrooms in a beautiful facility with dedicated instructors. It’s a place to make new friends and continue to learn new things,” she said. Bev serves on the OLLI Advisory Council.

“Lifetime learning is an important offering in our community. Many people come here for the richness of our cultural calendar. Lifelong learning is essential to a sense of well-being. OLLI is all about learning — simply for the joy of learning; it’s personal, extremely satisfying, and very nourishing,” she said.

Ali and Gloria Bahaj

Finding their place in the sun

By Gayle Guynup | Portrait by Matthew Holler ’11

“For somebody like me, looking to see how much of a difference I can make — not only in the community in which we live, but across the globe — Ringling College became of great interest to us.”

Born and raised in Ethiopia, Ali Bahaj came to the United States to attend college at the University of North Dakota where he met his future wife, Gloria. Ali earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees, and with ongoing political unrest and a military coup in his home country, Ali decided to stay in the United States. Later on, he and Glorida married. Ali also earned his MBA at Thunderbird School of International Management in Arizona, with a degree in finance.

He was recruited to join Caterpillar, the world’s leading manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, off-highway diesel and natural gas engines, and industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric locomotives.

“I worked for Caterpillar for 32 years,” Ali said. “While we started in Peoria, we moved around the globe. Initially, we were moved to Santiago, Chile, then back to the U.S., then on to Geneva, Switzerland, Brazil, back to the U.S., and finally on to Tokyo, Japan.”

While Gloria worked prior to having the couple’s son and daughter, once their first child was born and Ali was transferred overseas, Gloria had to coordinate their many moves over the years, while trying to keep family life as normal as possible for their children.

“The reality is — moving from country to country — Gloria had to coordinate everything: the schools, where we would live, the hospitals, the doctors, all of those complexities fell on her. It was a huge, huge task. All I had to do was focus on the business side.” he said. “We made a great team.”

After a long 32 years of traversing the globe, they decided it was time to find a place to settle down and make their home. Ali retired as chairman and CEO of Caterpillar Japan in Tokyo and vice president of Caterpillar, Inc.

“When I retired, I had a couple of objectives,” Ali said. “I wanted a place by the water and where it was warm in the winter. Also, a vibrant community with access to the arts, culture, and education were very important to both of us. We really didn’t know where we were going to land, but we started in Sarasota. After looking around Florida and in North Carolina, we looked at each other and decided that the most beautiful and vibrant place that seemed to be most suited to our interests in life was Sarasota.”

“Our first introduction to Ringling College of Art and Design was attending the Ringling College Library Association lecture series,” Ali said, adding that they were incredibly impressed by the breadth and depth of the topics covered, the quality of the speakers, and learning about the mission of the College itself.

“Having attended school here in the United States on scholarship, it really resonated with me, so from then on, we actively participated in events at Ringling College,” he said.

Ali became involved initially as the College worked to establish a Creative Writing program. He has remained involved in a variety of other ways, including as the previous Chair of the Academic and Student Affairs Committee, and is currently Treasurer of the Ringling College Board of Trustees.

“We got to know the President of Ringling College, Dr. Larry Thompson, and his vision for the future, and it certainly captured my imagination. I came to recognize that the College is a crown jewel in Sarasota. The quality and caliber of the faculty, and the classes that they teach are remarkable,” he said. “Add to that Larry’s vision to be the pre-eminent art and design college in the world, and it is just very impressive,” he said.

“Ringling College is having such a huge impact on the next generation of artists and designers, creative thinkers, and global business leaders,” Ali said. “The more I learned the more I became convinced that this was a wonderful way for us to contribute and give something back to this wonderful community that we now call home.”

In addition to supporting Ringling College, Ali has been involved in a variety of organizations in Sarasota, including the Van Wezel Foundation and Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe.

News+ Notes

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Send notes about new jobs and promotions, accolades, awards, exhibitions, film screenings, even life milestones like marriages, babies, and retirements – whatever you would like to share!

Send your notes to: alumni@ringling.edu

1956

Carol Herzog, Fine Arts, was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Conservation Alliance of St. Lucie County on April 21, 2021. She was recognized for her environmental leadership, including saving the Savannas State Preserve, and a lifetime of educating and mentoring area newcomers and Americorps volunteers about the native flora and fauna. Carol was a medical illustrator for 20 years and also worked in occupational rehab with art. A student of landscape artist A.E. “Beanie” Backus, Carol continues to paint in her Jensen Beach studio in Florida.

1966

Wendell Minor, Commercial Design, exhibited in the group show, Illustrators in the Northwest Corner at Sharon Historical Society & Museum in Connecticut, from January-March 2023. If You Were A Penguin, illustrated by Wendell and written by spouse Florence Minor, was recognized as New York Family Magazine’s “Best Winter Reading for Kids of All Ages 2023” in January 2023. Abrams Books for Young Children will release Ice Bears at Ice Edge in 2023, while Little, Brown and Company will release The Great Zombie Pumpkin Parade and Winter Magic in 2024. minorart.com

John C. Williams, III, Painting, exhibited in John’s Last Gig, a posthumous exhibition in celebration of his art at the Galería del Impresionismo in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, in January 2023.

1967

John Hirsch, Fashion Design, exhibited in Magical Thinking: Superstitions and Other Persistent Notions at the Dr. Bernard Heller Museum at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, New York City, from May-December 2022. John’s studio is in North Hills, NY.

1969

Diana Hollingsworth, Commercial Design, lives in The Villages, FL, and continues to work as an author/illustrator, graphic designer, and product designer. Her books focus on travel, children, and corporation histories — all created in watercolor with her handwritten font. Dinkle Design is Diana’s cute and colorful gift store on Zazzle. dianagessler.com and zazzle.com/store/dinkle_design

1970

Sharyn (Misenheimer) Fogel, Fine Arts, exhibited scenic North Carolina mountain watercolors at Bracken Mountain Bakery in Brevard, NC, in 2022. A member and past president of Transylvania Art Guild, Sharyn regularly exhibits at Number 7 Artist Co-Op in Brevard, Mountain Made Gallery in Asheville’s Grove Arcade, and Frame It Gallery, Asheville. Her murals may be found at Falls Landing Restaurant, Bracken Mountain Bakery, and Acordius Health in Brevard. sharynfogelfineart.com

Linda Hunsaker, Fashion Design, exhibited her 3D print titled Dolphins in Paper Boats 2022 at the SG Gallery at Scuola Internazionale di Grafica in Venice, Italy, from May-June 2022. The exhibit was sponsored by the Los Angeles Printmaking Society. Linda’s linocut Bonjour joined the permanent collection of the Casa de las Americas Museum in Havana, Cuba in January 2022. lindahunsaker.com

1971

Dennis Stuart, Commercial Design, had a solo exhibition of his landscapes at the Howard Whittemore Memorial Library in Naugatuck, CT, as part of their Featured Artist Program in May 2022. After a career in illustrating educational materials, children’s books, and film, Dennis and his spouse, artist Carolyn Currie now have studios in New Milford, CT and Sebring, FL, and exhibit at festivals throughout Connecticut, Virginia, and Florida. dennisstuartartist.com

1982

Sharon Broutzas, Illustration, retired with her spouse, photographer Henry Nepomuceno to Tucson, AZ, in January 2020, where they specialize in landscape, botanical, and bird photography, and fine art painting, along with kayaking, cycling, hiking, and RV travel.

sharonhenryphoto.smugmug.com

1985

Tom Chambers, Graphic Design, was awarded New York Center for Photographic Art’s Grand Prize for the Human Body Photography category for his work, Forever in a Day, in April 2022. Darren Ching of Klompching Gallery, NY was a juror. Tom is represented by Merritt Galleries, with locations in Chevy Chase, MD and Haverford, PA; Photo-eye Gallery, Santa Fe, NM; Renaissance Fine Arts, Baltimore; and Gilman Contemporary, Sun Valley, ID. His studio is in Richmond, VA. tomchambersphoto.com

1972

Lee (Beach) Mayer, Advertising Design, exhibited Lost Summer, a solo show exploring Canadian summers, in Ringling College’s Patricia Thompson Alumni and Skylight Galleries from November 2022-March 2023.

1974

Debbie Keller, Interior Design, sold her Big Orange Sports Bar & Grill in Fall Branch, TN, in March 2022. In retirement, Debbie renovates historic homes, most recently completing a 1867 Victorian in the Tree Streets Historic District of Johnson City, TN. Her oil painting studio is in nearby Fall Branch.

Jerome Tarpley, Advertising Design, exhibited in the juried exhibition, Metro Montage XXII, at the Marietta Cobb Museum of Art, GA, from July-September 2022. Jerome’s studio is located in Kennesaw, GA. fineartmarketplace.com/jerometarpley and jtarpley.wixsite.com/jerome

1975

Leoma Lovegrove, Advertising Design, was honored for her community leadership by American Red Cross of Central Florida at a ceremony in December 2022, hosted by Marietta Museum of Art & Whimsy owned by Marietta Lee ’91, Fine Arts. Leoma’s creative leadership was noted as integral to the Southwest Florida community’s post-Hurricane Ian recovery effort. leomalovegrove.com

Christopher Skura, Fine Arts, exhibited in the group shows, Largeness Writ Small, curated by Buzz Spector at Woodstock Art Association and Museum, NY, in August 2022, and Double Take, curated by Rachael Seligman, at Barnett Art Center @ The Trolley Barn Gallery, Poughkeepsie, NY, from November-December 2022. Christopher exhibited, The Beginner’s Mind, a solo show curated by Catherine Bergmann and Nathan Beard at the Dunedin Fine Arts Center, FL, from January-February 2023. Christopher and his spouse Julie Knight ’90, Fine Arts, have JAKPOT Studio in New York City and Woodstock. christopherskura.com

1988

Robert Joseph, Interior Design, is a supervising art director, most recently on The Terminal List, a new Chris Pratt action series streaming on Amazon that began in Fall 2022. He worked on Season 2 of Blindspotting for Starz, streaming in 2023, and just wrapped working on Beverly Hills Cop: Axel Foley, starring Eddie Murphy, for Netflix (2024). Robert is based in Los Angeles.

1989

Vicki Chelf, Fine Arts, exhibited Women of Resistance, her visual artwork, combined with a music composition, narration, and live dance to recreate the inspiring and little known stories of these women of the resistance, at Art Avenue, Sarasota, in February 2023. womenofresistance.org

A Dreamer’s Heart by Jerome Tarpley ’74.

1991

Marc Hedges, Graphic Design, was honored with a Silver Pencil from One Club San Diego for the 2021 Gratitude Is Essential campaign designed for Neyenesch Printers. Marc also received an honorable mention for his 2022 AIGA San Diego Tijuana Poster Project entry titled, Palisades ’35 Coupe, which also earned placement in the 2023 Graphis Poster Annual Marc was featured as San Diego Voyager’s “Daily Inspiration” in August 2022. His design studio Marc Hedges Creative is based in San Diego. marchedgescreative.com

1992

Courtney Porter, Interior Design, and her firm Courtney L Porter Design in Sarasota, celebrated its 30th anniversary in July 2022. The firm specializes in residential and commercial work such as auto dealerships, Aveda salons and schools across Florida, and restaurants including local Screaming Goat locations and Grand Cru Wine Bar. Courtney sells her fine art at Ebb & Flo, Ltd. ebbnfloltd.com and clporterdesign.net

Brent Sharkey, Illustration, rejoined Hardinge, a global machine tool company, in October 2022 as their marketing manager-Americas. He also freelances through SharkeyDesigns, and owns a turkey call company, Keystone Calls. Brent lives in Horseheads, NY, with his spouse, Jamie, and volunteers his time talking to local schools about careers in art. sharkeydesigns.com and keystonecalls.com

1994

Brenda Kato, Illustration, married Robert Rase in October 2022 in her hometown of Jacksonville, FL. She illustrated the children’s books I’m A Secret Superhero, A Soccer Summer Dream, and Mom’s Big Catch for author Marla McKenna. She also runs Kato Marketing, specializing in UX design and digital marketing for global brands. brendakato.com and katocreative.com

1995

Limbert Fabian, Illustration, and Brandon Oldenburg ’95, Illustration, were recognized with Blooloop’s Innovation Award for Storytelling at their Festival of Innovation Awards in December 2022, for their latest collaboration, Department of Wonder. You can experience Department of Wonder, a mixedreality fantasy that blurs the boundaries between physical and digital reality, in Sugar Land, TX. Limbert also delivered the new VR project, Now Is The Time, an immersive virtual experience bringing the words of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s most famous speech to new audiences via Meta Quest headsets, for TIME Magazine deptofwonder.com and nowisthetime.time.com

Joe Smith, Illustration, relocated to Coplay, PA, in March 2020. Joe is a USA Hockey-certified ice hockey official and trainer, an AHL hockey office official, and a play-by-play broadcaster for HockeyTV.

1996

Chie Fueki, Fine Arts, was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in April 2022. Chie is represented by DC Moore Gallery, New York City, and Shoshana Wayne Gallery, Los Angeles. dcmooregallery.com and shoshanawayne.com

Heather (Bushman) Holmer, Computer Animation, celebrated her 15th anniversary with Macomb Intermediate School District working with children who have autism in 2022. She also owns Upcycle Alice, which creates wind chimes and jewelry from upcycled silverware, in the greater Detroit area. etsy.com/shop/upcyclealice

Viviana Palacios, Computer Animation, joined Flying Bark Productions in January 2023 as freelance senior recruiter to recruit for AvatarThe Last Airbender movie. She is also the Women in Animation mentorship lead for the Vancouver Chapter and an active board member. Viv is based in Vancouver, BC. shadoukat.com

1997

Mark D’Andrea, Graphic Design, joined AccuWeather as their chief revenue officer in September 2022, after building global-leading products at Amazon, RocketFuel, and other martech industry leaders. Mark has enjoyed leading product and design, marketing, and sales over the last 20 plus years. Mark and his family reside in the greater NYC area.

Rebecca Perez Stodolny, Computer Animation, was promoted to director at Walt Disney TV Animation in January 2023. rebville.com

Department of Wonder immersive experience by Limbert Fabian ’95 and Brandon Oldenburg ’95.

1998

Brian Gall, Illustration, and spouse Melody celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary in April 2022. Brian joined Electronic Arts as a 2D artist/animator in May 2022.

Rhonda (Anstett) Leiberick, Graphic Design, was appointed executive director to Meals on Wheels of Sarasota in February 2023. Rhonda earned an Accredited Public Relations professional recognition in 2016 and has received numerous awards of distinction from the Florida Public Relations Association. She is a board member at the Friends of the Lakewood Ranch Library.

Alberto Mier, Illustration, released his first children’s book, THE HUNT!, in January 2023, available on Amazon. Alberto’s fine art is represented by dk Gallery, Marietta, GA, and he will celebrate his 25th year with CNN in May 2023, currently as a senior designer. dkgallery.us and albertomierart.com

Julissa Mora, Illustration, had art featured on greeting cards as part of Target’s 2022 Latino Heritage Month Celebration. Julissa released her first author/illustrated beginner-reading book, Baking With Mi Abuelita, through Random House Publishing in March 2023. She also teaches children’s art classes at the Art Barn ATX in Austin, TX. Julissa is represented by Claire Morance at Painted Words. julissamora.com

Misty (Bell) Stiers, Illustration, lives in Hell’s Kitchen New York City. Apollo Publishers released Misty’s second book, Light, Fire, and Abundance: Harness the Power of Food and Mindful Cooking to Nourish the Body and Soul, a cookbook, in April 2023. mistybellstiers.com

1999

Christine Austin, Photography and Digital Imaging, married Neil Sucheck in June 2022. They reside in the San Francisco Bay area where Christine runs Christine Austin Art Therapy and Psychotherapy and continues shooting photography for personal work. christineaustin.com

Omarr Otero, Photography and Digital Imaging, was honored by the Hagerty High School (HHS) Administrative Team and the HHS Teacher of the Year Committee with a nomination for the 2023 HHS Teacher of the Year Award. In 2022, Omarr developed and led HHS’ Chalk Art team in competing in the National Art Honor Society’s Chalk Art Challenge, winning two awards in their first competition. omarrotero.com

K. Dawson Wang, Illustration, joined Netflix Animation Post Production Management in June 2021. Currently, Dawson is delivering a slate of animated titles including Sonic Prime, The Cuphead Show, The Dragon Prince, and My Dad the Bounty Hunter. She is located in West Los Angeles.

Frederick Weiss, Photography and Digital Imaging, joined S-NET Communications as vice president of marketing in November 2022. S-NET simplifies business communications to provide companies with a full suite of cloud-based business solutions, from Cloud Phone Systems and Cloud Call Centers to SD-WAN, SharePoint Cloud Migration, Fiber Optic Connectivity and beyond. Frederick also serves on the Board of Directors of Ringling College Library Association. frederickweiss.com

Jacques-Patrice “J.P.” White, Illustration, is a product toy designer on the Fortnite Team at Jazwares, LLC, a toy company in Sunrise, FL. He is responsible for identifying the coolest characters, illustrating those designs, working with sculptures to create the 3D models, and finally, with the production teams to produce those toys and get them onto the retailers’ shelves.

The Hunt, a children’s book by Alberto Mier ’98.

Baking with mi Abuelita, written and illustrated by Julissa Mora ’98.

2000

Julie (Miller) Kanapaux, Fine Arts, was inducted into the National League of American Pen Women in March 2022. In addition to her studio practice in Osprey, FL, Julie teaches as visiting full-time faculty for the First Year Studio Art Program at Ringling College. She completed a large exterior commission (over 100 feet!) for a commercial care facility on Sarasota Bay in March 2023. kankanstudios.com

Chrissy (Selesky) White, Graphic and Interactive Communication, was promoted to creative production manager at Jazwares, LLC, the #4 toy company in the world, in January 2023. She leads and inspires her photo and video teams to create artistic content for social media, lifestyle shoots for marketing, and product images for all their ecom, social, and media platforms.

2001

Erick Rodenberg, Illustration, joined Hillsdale College as a video producer within their marketing department editing commercials, testimonials, and online courses in August 2022. Erick’s accolades in teaching New Media at the Wilson Talent Center in Mason, MI, include the Michigan Association of School Boards’ award for curriculum development and a State of Michigan Special Tribute for improving student achievement. Erick, his spouse Amber, and their four children reside in south-central Michigan.

Abby Phillips, Illustration, joined Infinity Ward in Austin, TX, as a senior producer for Call of Duty Modern Warfare II & Warzone in December 2022.

Brock Stearn, Computer Animation, was the post visualization lead at Lightstorm Entertainment on James Cameron’s Avatar: The Way of Water, the 3rd highest-grossing movie ever worldwide as of February 2023. He has already been working away on the third Avatar film, set to release in December 2024. Brock and his wife Aline reside in the greater Los Angeles area. myanimator.com

2002

Andrea Jacobson, Fine Arts, earned her Master of Fine Arts in painting from the University of New Hampshire in 2004. She exhibited in Lore Degenstein Gallery’s 13th Annual Figurative Drawing and Painting Exhibition at Susquehanna University in Selinsgrove, PA, from NovemberDecember 2022. Andrea’s studio is in Nashville, TN. andreamckayjacobson.com

Daniel Miyares, Illustration, was recognized by The Wall Street Journal for his illustrations in Big and Small and In-between, written by Carter Higgins, with selection as one of their best children’s books of 2022. Balzer + Bray released Nell Plants a Tree, written by Anne Wynter with Daniel’s illustrations, in January 2023. Levine Querido released The Many Assassinations of Samir, The Seller of Dreams, written by Daniel Nayeri with Daniel’s illustrations, in March 2023. His studio is in the greater Kansas City area and he is represented by Studio Goodwin Sturges. danielmiyares.com

Ambo Hendon Tassinare, Illustration, and Matt Helmer ’05, Illustration, were featured in “A Look at Some of Sarasota’s Most Striking Body Art,” in the September-October issue of Sarasota Magazine. Both are artists at Oddity Tattoo in Sarasota.

2004

Jonathan Aller, Illustration, earned a Master of Fine Arts in drawing and painting from Minneapolis College of Art and Design, in 2018. Jonathan also holds an Atelier Completion from Angel Academy of Florence, Italy, from 2007. He has been teaching at the University of Minnesota as a liberal arts professor and Foundation studios professor, since 2020. jonathanaller.com

Laura (Bucklew) Bucholtz, Graphic and Interactive Communication, graduated magna cum laude earning her Master of Science in marketing from Florida International University in July 2022. Laura is a graphic and UX designer for the Ringling College Design Center, where she works closely with students to design a host of creative materials for the college, including CONTXT magazine. laurabucholtz.com

Jorge Lacera, Illustration, illustrated PRUETT AND SOO, written by Nancy Viau, released by Two Lions publishing in March 2022. Both Jorge and his spouse Megan Lacera are represented by John Cusick at Folio Jr. Studio Lacera is located in Montreal. studiolacera.com

Meredith Merchant, Fine Arts, relocated to the greater Chicago area and earned her Master of Science in marriage and family therapy from Northwestern University in 2022. She then joined The Family Institute at Northwestern University as a Post-Graduate Mindfulness & Behavior Therapies Fellow in September 2022. Meredith earned a Master of Education from Antioch University in 2020. Meredith married Miguel Garcia in August 2019.

Laura Zimmermann-Dávila, Illustration, married Alán Dávila in 2016. They have 3 children; Zoe and identical twins Teagan and Leila. She relocated with her family to El Paso, TX in March of 2022, continuing to work remotely as an art director for Certain Affinity. At CA, she has shipped game titles for Halo, Call of Duty, Doom, World of Tanks, and Crackdown 3. artstation.com/laurazimmermann

Tattoos by Ambo Hendon Tassinare ’02.

2006

Patrick “Pucky” Lewis, Computer Animation, recently left ConnectWise in Tampa and moved to Chicago to join JPMorgan Chase & Co. as a vice president, UX design lead.

Kaylene (Simmons) Rudd, Illustration, was promoted to managing director of KIPP Texas High Schools. In this role, Kaylene helps to ensure students are empowered to become change-makers, live joyfully, and break down inequities and educational barriers. Kaylene and spouse Matthew Rudd ’07, Illustration, live in the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area where Matt is a voice actor, audio engineer, and visual artist working in animation, film, and videogames, and is represented by Dean Panaro Talent. sonofrudd.com

Elle (Lile) Travis, Photography and Digital Imaging, became executive director of Yes Arts in Frankfort, KY, in July 2021. Yes Arts is an arts center offering therapeutic art-based opioid prevention programs for youth and recovery programs for adults. Their mission is to mobilize the power of community and the arts to disrupt the cycle of addiction.

Steven Walker, Computer Animation, celebrated his 10th anniversary as art director at Wacky World Studios, a PlayCore company in Tampa, in June 2022. His most recent installation includes a 26-foot treehouse playground for the West Chicago Park District in Chicago.

2007

Ian Dean, Photography and Digital Imaging, exhibited Nostalgicons at Sarasota Orchestra’s Harmony Gallery from September-October 2022. iandeanphoto.com

Ben Taylor, Illustration, Dawn Rivers ’09, Computer Animation, and son Winter welcomed twins Rex and Lynx in March 2022. The family resides in the Greater Tokyo area, where Ben is the technical director of XR Initiatives for Square Enix, and Dawn is a lighting designer for Luminous Productions.

Kristi Wisner, Graphic and Interactive Communication, was promoted to principal UX designer at Amazon in New York City in October 2022. kristiwisner.com

2008

Jenna Ohnemus-Peffley, Photography and Digital Imaging, photographed the cover and article images for the June 2022 issue of Architectural Digest, for the feature story, “Step Inside Justina Blakeney’s Vibrant Southern California Home.” jennapeffley.com

2009

Sandra Lucia (Builes) Diaz, Illustration, was awarded a 2022-2023 American Express & Luminary Entrepreneur Fellowship in November 2022. With collaborations with brands such as Korbel, Tiffany & Co., CHANEL, Carolina Herrera, Marciano, and Estee Lauder, Lucia is set to launch her own brand, “Lucia Diaz,” which will focus on the art of representation. byluciadiaz.com

Hamilton Lewis, Computer Animation, was promoted to the head of creative of The Third Floor, London, in September 2022.

Samantha MacLeod, Interior Design, was promoted to head of interior design of WeightWatchers in their New York City headquarters in October 2022.

Cover of Architectural Digest with photography by Jenna Ohnemus-Peffley ’08.

Mi Familia da Color a Mi Vida, 2018, 36” x 24”, Oil, Acrylic, Latex Paint, Color Pencil on Canvas, by Jonathan Aller ’04.

2010

Jenna Grabowski, Illustration, celebrated her 10th year as a creative sculptor with General Motors in Detroit, in June 2022. Jenna was recently promoted to a clay lead position and, in this role, she has been responsible for the surface development and creative theming of the 2024 Chevrolet Trax, Equinox, and Silverado EVs interiors. jennagrabowski.carbonmade.com

Nikki Krebs, Interior Design, married Scott Baber in February 2023. They reside with stepson Noah and pup Cora in St. Petersburg, FL. Nikki was promoted to associate lighting designer II at Power Design, Inc. in January 2023, designing as part of the new St. Regis Hotel & Residences on Longboat Key team, as well as the new SCAD campus buildings in Atlanta and Savannah. Nikki also works with the Illuminating Engineering Society organizing the annual vendor showcase at Armature Works in Tampa.

Nicholas Madrid, Illustration, was featured in the July 2022 issue of The Phoblographer Nicholas is a portrait photographer located in Crown Point, IN. nicholasjmadrid.com

JP Putnam, Computer Animation, was promoted to principal tech artist on the Research & Development team at Riot Games in March 2022. jeremyputnam.com

2011

Stephanie Adams, Photography and Digital Imaging, was featured in the February 2023 issue of Femtech Insider, “Ask the Expert: Lightmatter’s Stephanie Adams Answers YOUR Questions about Building & Scaling Digital Health Solutions.” Stephanie joined Lightmatter in June 2020 and was promoted to head of product in November 2022. Stephanie’s studio is in Brooklyn, NY. stephanieadams.com

Emmy Kline, Illustration, joined Jerry’s Artarama as Resident Artist in December 2020. Emmy was featured in 27587 Magazine’s “Portrait of an Artist” in Summer 2020. She attended an artist residency in October 2022 at Chateau d’Orquevaux in France. misscakesart.com

Jocelynn Kubus, Illustration, earned her Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from Stetson University in 2022. Her thesis, The Salvation of Satan, explores the transformation of evil with prose and “quantitative” portions. The text begins with the death of an old exorcist, in tandem with Lucifer’s fall. It ends with his cosmic choice and evidence titled: Breaking the Rules with The Mandelbrot Set, Biblical Numerology, and Relativity Reimagined

Gable Marynell, Computer Animation, married Rylee Bunton in October 2022. They reside in Atlanta where Gable is a storyboard artist for film and TV. Credits include SZA Kill Bill music video, The Resident on Fox, and Raising Dion on Netflix. atlantastoryboards.com

Lillian Mucci, Illustration, joined Cepia LLC, in St. Louis, as a toy designer in October 2021. Lily had relocated from Connecticut where she designed for toymakers such as Melissa and Doug and Cuddle Barn since graduation. lilymucci.com

Robert Showalter, Computer Animation, joined Lost Boys Interactive as a lighting artist in March 2023. vimeo.com/robshow

Jay Van Dam, Photography and Digital Imaging, earned his Bachelor of Science in computer science from Grand Valley State University in May 2022. A multidisciplinary technologist with a creative backbone, Jay bridges the gap between art and technology from his studio in Grand Rapids, MI. jayvandam.net

Gabby Zapata, Computer Animation, joined Paramount Animation, Los Angeles, as a visual development artist in February 2023. Gabby is represented by Kelly Sonnack at Andrea Brown Literary Agency for book publishing. gabbyzapata.com

Artwork by Jenna Grabowski ’10.

Digital illustrations by Gabby Zapata ’11.

2012

Richie Blitz, Computer Animation, joined Raven Software, the developer of numerous award-winning games, including significant contributions to the blockbuster Call of Duty series, as an AI animator in June 2022. Richie is based in Los Angeles. richieblitz.com

Paul Gonzalez, Graphic and Interactive Communication, married Nataliia Tarasenko in Sarasota in June 2022. They reside in Brooklyn, NY, where Paul is principal & creative director of Alt-Black, a future-focused design agency for startups that impact the world. In addition, Paul is part owner of Cucula Dance Company, a Latin dance school located in Queens, NY, that elevates the way people experience dance through multicultural classes, events, and social gatherings that promote creative expression. alt-black.nyc and cucaladance.com

Kez Laczin, Game Art, joined Demiurge Studios as a senior concept artist in January 2022. Her first AAA game credit, Demon’s Souls, was released in 2020 with Bluepoint Games. Kez bought a home near Austin, TX in October 2021. kezrek.com

Matt Sullivan, Computer Animation, joined the layout team at Dreamworks Animation in spring 2020. Matt continues to stay inspired through live music, travel, and a deep connection to the natural world. Notable credits include Avatar: The Way of Water, Frozen, Star Wars: The Mandalorian, and 2021 short animated film, Black Slide. sullivanimation.com

2013

Lari Alejandro, Illustration, joined forces with a high school classmate to raise over $30,000 to support Uvalde, TX, the location of the May 24, 2022, Robb Elementary school shooting in which 19 students and two teachers died. Lari and longtime friend Krissy Estrada created “Uvalde Strong” designs that were available on three apparel items available for purchase, the proceeds of which were donated to the Robb School Memorial Fund for Families of Robb Elementary, as well as a t-shirt fundraiser collaboration with the San Antonio Spurs that raised money for the “Sport for Healing Fund.” Lari resides in Los Angeles and works as a freelance illustrator and full-time graphic designer for Insomniac Events. Instagram: lari_alejandro

Irene Cordero, Computer Animation, participated in her first exhibition. Her piece, Left Phone, Right Phone was in the group show, The 21st International ART Exchange Exhibition, at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum in April 2022. Irene also relocated to the Tampa area, where she’s continuing to work as a developer for Los Angeles-based company, The Third Floor Inc. icordero.artstation.com

Mike Cotopolis, Illustration, joined Halon Entertainment, Los Angeles, as a compositor for the video game Fortnite in April 2022. mikecotopolisart.com

Nick DeHart, Illustration, joined Ringling College as a case manager on the Student Access Services team in September 2022. Nick also earned a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of South Florida in 2017, and worked in art therapy in the Washington, D.C. area before relocating to Sarasota.

Randi Etienne, Advertising Design, joined R/GA as an associate director/talent acquisition, New York City, in April 2022, where she is lead for art direction, copy, brand, and verbal design for all of R/GA’s US offices. After much of her career in Atlanta, Randi relocated to Hampton Roads, VA in December 2022.

Rachael Hopkins, Digital Filmmaking, joined The Third Floor as a recruiter in October 2021, hiring visualization artists for Marvel, Lucasfilm, Disney and more. Rachael’s casting credits include an array of reality TV shows including HGTV’s Design Star: Next Gen, Disney+’s Family Reboot, Velocity’s Car Crazy and TruTv’s Backyard Bar Wars.

Esther Love, Game Art, joined Blizzard Entertainment’s World of Warcraft team as a senior world artist in October 2022. Esther creates memorable experiences through environmental storytelling, from Oregon. estherlove.com

Stephen A. Phillips, Computer Animation, joined Halon Entertainment, Santa Monica, CA, as a senior animator in July 2022. stephenphillipscg.com

Danny Samuels, Illustration, earned his Master of Fine Arts in digital arts from Digipen Institute of Technology in April 2022. He subsequently joined Digipen’s Open World program as director of curriculum and instruction. Danny also serves as art director at Trans Atlantis Games, a new tabletop game company. dannysamuelsart.com

Tyrell Waiters, Illustration, released his graphic novel, Vern, Custodian of the Universe, through NOBROW Publishing, UK, in February 2023. Tyrell’s studio is in Bedford, NH. tartwurk.com

Excerpts from Vern: Custodian of the Universe, a graphic novel by Tyrell Waiters ’13.

Honored Alumni By Chelsea Garner-Ferris

On Friday, January 27, 2023, the sixth annual Ringling College of Art and Design Alumni Wall of Honor was revealed during the first fully in-person ceremony since the pandemic. Twelve alumni received the honor, including two from legacy majors. The celebration, held in the Keating Center where the Wall of Honor is on permanent display, is a special one to alumni, faculty, and staff.

“We know that all of our graduates are successful in their careers,” said President of Ringling College Dr. Larry R. Thompson as he opened the ceremony. “So it really is an honor for these alumni to stand out for their achievements amongst an already highly accomplished group of their peers. We’re very proud of them.”

The Alumni Wall of Honor was created to recognize and showcase selected alumni who have excelled in their professional careers, while serving as a source of inspiration for current Ringling students.

This year’s honorees have made significant contributions and achievements in a wide range of creative industries.

Bill Mayer ’72, Advertising Design is a highly experienced professional illustrator. His work is repeatedly commissioned by the world’s most significant and respected publications, institutions, and Fortune 500 corporations, and he has been the recipient of 500+ National and International awards, and 21 Gold Medals from the Society of Illustrators New York and Los Angeles.

Alicia “Ally” Sage ’16, Business of Art and Design is a production coordinator for Walt Disney Animation in Burbank. She has worked for top animation studios including DreamWorks, Netflix, and Marvel, and is working toward the goal of opening her own animation studio.

Tim Harrington ’94, Computer Animation is a senior animator at Sony Bluepoint Games with over 25 years of experience in film and games. His credits include the acclaimed PS5 game, God of War Ragnarök, and contributions to high profile films for Lucasfilm, Marvel, and Disney.

Sean Keller ’11, Film is a writer, producer, and director currently working with Accidental Jacket Entertainment. He directed various works for clients such as Sony, HP, Post Foods, SyFy, and Riot Games, and recently served as an associate producer on the album for The Music Man and co-produced the album for Funny Girl

Nicole Mauser ’06, Fine Arts is a fine artist and lecturer at The University of Chicago. Her works have been featured in numerous exhibitions in New York, Chicago, Indiana, and Berlin, and she is co-founder/director at Space & Time, a Chicago-based contemporary art gallery.

Katelyn Johnson ’19, Game Art is an environment texture artist at Naughty Dog, working on titles such as The Last of Us Part: I Remake, The Last of Us: Part II, and God of War Ragnarök. Katelyn is passionate about uplifting more women, people of color, the LGBTQI+ community, and all marginalized groups within the tech industry.

Amalia Fredericksen ’15, Graphic Design currently leads product design for Stories at Instagram. Her career has taken her all over the world, from Tokyo to San Francisco to New York as she worked for Fortune 500 clients including Nike, Google, Amazon, and BMW.

Niko Guardia ’11, Illustration is a Venezuelan/Colombian-American art director. Niko is currently an art director for Titmouse. He also teaches at School of Visual Arts in New York and is a thesis film advisor. He has colored comics for Image, BOOM!, and Blackmask Studios, and he has a passion for mentoring artists.

Chitra Patel ’13, Interior Design works for Starbucks Coffee Company as their design manager. As a natural creative who sees potential in all things, she designs to foster an uplifting and positive energy in hospitality and retail environments.

Alexis Copeland ’14, Motion Design is a hands-on designer and principal creative director at Microsoft working on elevating the aesthetics of art and design for Microsoft’s Fluent design language. She believes that with a little intention and motivation, designers can create a more playful and inspiring world.

Anastasia Garcia ’09, Photography and Imaging is a commercial photographer and body positive activist. She is most known for her use of photography to challenge beauty norms by using a range of diverse models. Her work has been featured by numerous leading brands and publications including Vogue Italia, Harper’s Bazaar, Glamour, Elle, and Cosmopolitan.

Gretchen Leffler ’19, Visual Studies is a VFX artist at LAIKA Studios. She previously worked for the Disney Creative Group as a 3D character modeler digitally sculpting park merchandise, and as a digital fabrication artist on LAIKA’s film Wildwood.

2016

Kyle Beckett, Illustration, and spouse Lauren (Sobczak) Beckett ’16, Film, welcomed their first child, Arlo Jeffrey “AJ” Beckett in July 2022. They reside in Atlanta where Kyle is represented by The Bright Agency and Lauren is in production for film and television.

kbeckett393.wixsite.com/illustration

2014

Lisa Dolny, Photography and Digital Imaging, married Paul Johnson in November 2022 and they reside near Woodstock, GA. Lisa started her own photography business in 2018, which specializes in equine fine art and portraiture photography for clientele around the southeast. lisadolnyphotography.com

Emanuel Gonzalez, Illustration, relocated to Orlando in October 2022. Emanuel is a senior character artist with Intrepid Studios, San Diego. artstation.com/emanuelgonzalez

E Sweat, Graphic Design, was promoted to manager, brand design of the Baby Einstein brand team at Kids2 in Atlanta in September 2021. Most recently she was the art director of Baby Einstein Ocean Explorers™, a new edutainment TV series launched globally in February 2023. esweatart.com

2015

Ferenc Beleznay, Photography and Digital Imaging, and spouse Irene Rofail ’15, Illustration, launched Studio 1415 in June 2020. Their commercial photography studio serves the Sarasota, Tampa, and St. Pete markets and they were featured in the September 2022 issue of Sarasota Scene magazine. studio1415.com

Ethan Berger, Photography and Digital Imaging, was promoted to senior manager of photography, creative, and content studio at Foot Locker in February 2023. ethanjberger.com

Paige Carter, Computer Animation, joined Bungie as a character artist in October 2022. Paige specializes in dungeon boss character art for Destiny 2, and is based in San Diego. artstation.com/artpaiges

AJ Castiglia, Graphic and Interactive Communications, relocated to Miami to join Betr, a sports tech and media startup, as a senior project designer in September 2022. AJ is also the creator and co-founder of Blue York, a sports apparel company created for New York hockey fans. iamblueyork.com

Taylor Brooke Evans, Photography and Digital Imaging, and Alain-Alexandre Vinson Laurent Grangé ’15, Digital Filmmaking, married in February 2022. The couple resides in Orlando where Alain-Alexandre is head designer for The Playa Collection hotel club and Taylor runs Core Marketing’s magazine, Community Association Today.

Parker-Nia Gordon, Illustration, illustrated rapper Ludacris’ first children’s book, Daddy and Me and the Rhyme to Be, released by Scholastic in June 2022. Parker-Nia also illustrated American Girl: Melody Lifts Her Voice, by Bria Alston, released by Penguin Random House in February 2022. artofmodernmagic.com

Nancy Nystrom, Graphic and Interactive Communication, joined Barbarian, New York City, as an associate creative director in May 2022. nancynystrom.com

Chris Powell, Computer Animation, joined DreamWorks Animation TV in May 2022 as a lighting/compositing artist on an unannounced series, set to be released for 2023. He is based in Houston. Instagram: krizpy64

Kenny Routt, Illustration, relocated to Sarasota in January 2023, after creative journeys through New York and Los Angeles. Specializing in illustration, design, ad, visual development, and art direction, Kenny is working remotely with Cashmere Agency, LA, on pitches and campaigns. He was notably the senior designer and art director for the SVEDKA Vodka rebrand. kennyroutt.com

Kevin Temmer, Computer Animation, joined Glitch Productions as a lead animator in January 2023. kevintemmer.com

Jane Miser, Illustration, joined the full-service advertising and design firm 500 Design Studio, Columbus, OH, as an art director in October 2022. Jane blends a diverse range of concepts, designs, and illustrations for commercial and private clients, all with a simple and elegant aesthetic. janekat.com

Kade O’Casey, Illustration, joined Gearbox Entertainment as a UI artist in June 2022. kadeocasey.com

Illustration by Parker-Nia Gordon ’15.

Illustration by Kyle Beckett ’16.

2017

Kelly Denski, Illustration, eloped with Andrew Waite in the snowy Colorado Mountains in 2021. Kelly was promoted to a senior admissions counselor at Ringling College in 2022, where she is the lead coordinator of admission events, and the liaison for Ringling’s newest major, Entertainment Design. Kelly is currently working on a personal series of large-scale oil paintings focused on equestrian beauty. linktr.ee/kdenski

Mac Meggison, Business of Art and Design, joined Wunderkind, New York, as a strategic marketing consultant in December 2021. Mac helps retail brands achieve their business goals and grow their customer base by identifying user profiles and developing data driven strategies that engage consumers with the brand, its products, and services.

David Villa, Motion Design, is a Sarasota native and recently joined American Express as senior motion designer. He resides in Atlanta where he has worked in the areas of TV series animation, broadcast design, sports, music visualization, and advertising. davidmvilla.com

2018

Mayank Babbar, Game Art, recently joined Unity Technologies as QA analyst in Montreal. His most recent accomplishments are assisting in the release of Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla. Mayank credits Ringling College and his experience as an environment/tech artist for giving him the edge to excel in the field in the games, VFX, and software development industries. orion.artstation.com

Tahoe Bautista, Game Art, earned his Master of Fine Arts in 3D character art for games and animation from the Academy of Art University, San Francisco, in December 2022. He is currently doing remote 3D freelance work for a variety of companies from his Fairfield, CA, studio. tahoe2b.artstation.com

Keishen Lloyd, Film, completed his first season of television work as assistant editor on This Old House Productions’ Idea House: Mountain Modern, released on Roku, in December 2022. In his spare time, Keishen makes content for The Mexcellence, a Mexican culture podcast, and cartoons for his own YouTube channel. keishenlloyd.com

Artwork by Kelly Denski ’17.

2019

Elise Fedoroff, Computer Animation, was selected to join Nickelodeon’s annual Writing and Artist Program in February 2023. Elise is based in Los Angeles where she specializes in 3D modeling and texturing.

Katie Heady, Computer Animation, joined OnChain Studios as a full-time junior animator in October 2022 and is based in the greater Baltimore area. Katie was featured in ShoutOutLA’s “Meet Katie Heady | 3D Animator” in November 2022. ktheady.wixsite.com/animation

Suyoung Jang, Computer Animation, worked on Santa Monica Studio’s award-winning game, God of War: Ragnarök, as a cinematic animator from 2019 -2022, and joined Respawn Entertainment’s Jedi: Survivor team as a gameplay animator in March 2022. Suyong’s senior thesis film, Shattered, has opened the Through Women’s Eyes Film Festival in Sarasota annually since 2019.

Emily Lamberski, Visual Studies, joined the international record label, 5A Label MGMT, in December 2022 as executive assistant, working in artist management, A&R, booking, live event, and tour management, while also working freelance in content writing and production. Based in Los Angeles, Emi returned from two years in Seoul where she was a 4-8 ESL teacher at Kings Kids Academy.

Jamiel Law, Illustration and Jennifer (Medina) Law ’19, Illustration, welcomed their first child, Aila Mina Law, in June 2022. The Laws were featured in Sarasota Scene Magazine in September 2022, while Jamiel was featured in Sarasota Magazine in January 2023. Most recently Jamiel was noted in The New York Times Most Memorable Illustrations from 20202022 and Jennifer started her own photography studio. jmedinaillustration.com and jamiellaw.com

Jess Pope, Visual Studies, joined Sarasota Art Museum as public programs coordinator in June 2022. Her role includes partnering with local organizations to coordinate events such as concerts, performances, residencies, films, and artist talks, while managing Museum volunteers and developing programs to engage with Ringling College students, staff, and faculty. jpopedesign.com

Allison Rossi, Computer Animation, joined ZeniMax Online Studios as an associate animator in February 2021. Allison specializes in character animation and concept art and resides in Baltimore.

Alexandria Siah, Computer Animation, joined Electronic Arts as a narrative and cinematics animator in June 2022 on their Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order sequel, Jedi: Survivor. Most recently, Alexandria has moved on to her newest project as an animator for The Sims franchise. She was featured in ShoutOut LA, “Meet Alexandria Siah | 3D Animator and Filmmaker” in July 2022. piplupcola.wixsite. com/alexandriasiah

Matthew Vargas, Illustration, joined 160over90, a creative agency in Atlanta, in August 2021. His artistic journey includes working as a muralist for Starbucks and as an apparel designer for Carter’s. matthewvargasart.com

Zifeng Zhuo, Film, relocated to Brooklyn, NY, in April 2022, where she joined Harbor Picture Company as a post-production coordinator. She’s worked on big name titles in collaboration with industry giants such as A24, Hulu, HBO, Netflix, AppleTV, and more.

Illustration by Jamiel Law ’19, included in The New York Times Most Memorable Illustrations from 2020-2022.

Advertising campaign by David Villa ’17.

2020

Andrew Benson, Computer Animation, was promoted to technical animator at Firaxis Games, outside Baltimore, in June 2022. Andrew’s first professional credit was with Marvel’s Midnight Suns released in December 2022. bensonsart.portfoliobox.net

Tyler Bivins, Game Art, joined Iron Galaxy as a fulltime environment artist in October 2022. artstation.com/tylerbivins

Selina Bostic, Graphic Design, joined the AAF Suncoast board in June 2022, where she serves as co-chair for social media. Selina was featured in the September 2022 issue of Sarasota Scene Magazine, and is a graphic designer in the creative services department at Feld Entertainment. studio97.graphics

Franki Colett, Interior Design, joined Angela Rodriguez Interiors, in Sarasota, as an interior design associate in October 2021. Franki earned her Master of Science in construction management technology with a paired Graduate Certificate in executive construction management from the Purdue Graduate School in August 2022. frankicolett.com

Carlos Martinez, Computer Animation, joined Rockstar Games in San Diego, as a cinematic animator in July 2022.

Kate Namowicz, Computer Animation, joined WildBrain, Vancouver, BC, as an animator in November 2022, where she is currently working on the Netflix series Sonic Prime katenamo.com

Martin Pohlmann, Graphic Design, joined AKQA as a senior designer in April 2022. Leslie Carol ’19, Graphic Design, and he relocated from Chicago to Atlanta in May 2022. Leslie is a designer with VSA Partners. pohlmann.design and lesliecarol.design

2021

Sofie Martin, Business of Art and Design, relocated to Columbia, SC, in October 2022. She joined the Hilton Columbia Center as a sales coordinator in November, 2022. Sofie specializes in sales and event coordination, banquet management, project management, administration, and hospitality and tourism industries.

Rebecca Miranda, Graphic Design, was promoted to designer at GUT, a full-service, independent advertising agency in Miami, in October 2022. Recent notable projects include the successful rebrand launch of “SIXT rent THE car!” in December 2022.

Christian Lyle Montiveros, Illustration, was promoted to assistant lead graphic apparel and product designer for the Gilly Hicks line at Abercrombie & Fitch, Columbus, OH, in April 2022. christianmontiveros.com

Bianca Urbanowicz, Visual Studies, was featured in Jupiter Magazine’s “A Stroke of Whimsy with Bianca Urbanowicz,” in January 2023. Her artwork was selected for the Artigras Fine Art Festival of the Palm Beaches in 2022. biancaurbanowicz.com

Dave Wilson, III, Computer Animation, relocated to Portland, OR in August 2022 to join Laika as a pre-visualization artist. davewilsonanimation.com

2022

Lauryn Anthony, Computer Animation, and Anushka Nair ’22, Computer Animation, were awarded Best Student Project at 2022 SIGGRAPH Asia Computer Animation Festival in December 2022 for their thesis film, Period Drama. They were interviewed by Autodesk’s feature “Meet the Student Duo Behind Award-Winning Short, Period Drama” in February 2023. Anushka joined Blizzard as an associate modeling artist in May 2022, while Lauryn joined ICON Creative Studio as a lighting/ compositing artist in June 2022.

Sean Clancy, Graphic Design, joined Saatchi & Saatchi X, Columbus, OH, as a junior art director in June 2022.

Joseph Janssen, Virtual Reality Development, joined General Motors as an immersive lab engineer in May 2022. Joseph was also part of the Ringling College VR partnership with the Moffitt Cancer Center team that was awarded 13 Telly Awards in May 2022. artstation.com/josephjanssen

Cullen Nettleton, Visual Studies, joined Jazwares, LLC, Sunrise, FL, on their innovations team, BlueJ, as an illustrator in October 2022. He currently conceptualizes toy design and contributes to pitches for new and existing IP. cullennettleton.com

Annabel Philp, Illustration, joined American Greetings in Cleveland, OH, as an associate product designer in June 2022. annabelphilpart.weebly.com

Gaby Soto, Computer Animation, joined ICON Creative Studio, Vancouver, BC, as a junior lighting and compositing artist in June 2022. In this role, her current titles include Disney Junior’s Alice’s Wonderland Bakery. gsoto783.wixsite.com/soto

Julianne Wu, Illustration, joined AEXLAB, Inc. in Miami, as a concept artist in May 2022.

Advertising campaign by Martin Pohlmann ’20.

In Memoriam

Dorothy Ann (Cook McComas) Matthews ’48

Fine Arts

March 26, 2019, York, Pennsylvania

Henrietta “Hank” (Copeland) Christenbury ’50

Fashion Design

March 5, 2022, Concord, North Carolina

John Winniford “Winn” Morton ’50

Commercial Design

April 22, 2022, Lancaster, Texas

Anna (Bennett) Culton ’52

Fine Arts

April 12, 2022, Maitland, Florida

Durward Dudley “D.D.” Rhem, III ’53

Commercial Design

November 21, 2020, Winter Springs, Florida

Ronald McDuffie Ragland ’56

Commercial Design

June 8, 2022, Raleigh, North Carolina

Barbara Louise (Virgin) Stickell ’56

Interior Design

December 20, 2022, Alexandria, Virginia

Wayland David Moore ’57

Commercial Design

November 7, 2022, Decatur, Georgia

Sue Jacqueline Nave ’58

Fashion Design

February 6, 2023, Sarasota, Florida

Ruth (Thompson Van Valkenburg) Nienhaus ’58

Fine Arts

February 9, 2023, Tampa, Florida

John Franklin Black, Jr. ’59

Commercial Design

May 5, 2018, Salem, Virginia

Sandra Ann “Sandy” (Neher) Hardt ’59

Commercial Design

December 31, 2018, Huntsville, Alabama

Molly (Barefoot Mullan) Wroth ’59

Commercial Design

March 4, 2022, White Stone, Virginia

Beatrice “Bea” Wiesner ’60

Fine Arts

November 30, 2021, Sterling, Virginia

Anna Mary “Ann” (Priebe) Ashmore ’61

Commercial Design

November 7, 2022, West Chester, Pennsylvania

Robert Fletcher Maxwell “Bob” Grimes ’61

Fine Arts

July 28, 2020, Crestwood, Kentucky

Martin O. “Toby” Hufham ’62

Commercial Design

March 30, 2022, Peachtree Corners, Georgia

Ernest Nicholas “Ernie” Roubos ’62

Fine Arts

March 30, 2022, Haines City, Florida

Donald R. “Don” Biehn ’63

Commercial Design

June 15, 2022, St. Paul, Minnesota

David G. Cottrell ’65

Fine Arts

October 27, 2022, Oak Ridge, Tennessee

Clara Jane (Gibson) Hughes ’66

Commercial Design

December 26, 2022, Thomasville, Georgia

Peter D. Nelson ’66

Commercial Design

May 26, 2022, Castle Rock, Colorado

John C. Williams, III ’66

Painting

December 23, 2022, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

Georgia Pauline (Tomazin) Lockwood ’67

Commercial Design

June 29, 2022, New Smyrna Beach, Florida

John Robert “Buster” Cherry, III ’69

Commercial Design

May 8, 2022, Nashville, Tennessee

William Franklin Dowdle ’69

Commercial Design

March 6, 2021, Clayton, Georgia

Heidi Louise (Swartzwelder) Edgar ’70

Commercial Design

January 26, 2023, Meredith, New Hampshire

Randall McKissick ’70

Fine Arts

December 28, 2022, Columbia, South Carolina

Tyrone Patrick Chin ’72

Fine Arts

August 19, 2022, Woodstock, Ontario

Judith Blair “Judy” Foster ’73

Advertising Design

March 26, 2022, Tampa, Florida

Nancy Pauline “Polly” Furr ’73

Advertising Design

October 17, 2022, Albemarle, North Carolina

Patricia Madeline “Patti” Lucas ’74

Advertising Design

October 4, 2022, Kansas City, Missouri

Michael Lee Martin ’74

Painting

July 22, 2022, Newport News, Virginia

Edward Sander Gibson ’75

Painting

January 8, 2023, Boone, North Carolina

Patricia Ann “Pat” Tapp ’75

Advertising Design

July 22, 2022, Evansville, Indiana

Lorene Patricia Covey ’78

Painting

October 13, 2020, Hendersonville, North Carolina

Tina L. (Altorfer) Johnson ’78

Painting

January 18, 2019, Sarasota, Florida

Scott Frederick Schneider ’78

Graphic Design

July 12, 2022, Houston, Texas

Charles G. “Chuck” Bowdish, Jr. ’80

Graphic Design and Illustration

June 26, 2022, Hendersonville, North Carolina

Marie A. (Roth) Gibson ’81

Graphic Design and Illustration

January 6, 2023, Knoxville, Tennessee

Jeffrey Alan “Jeff” France ’82

Illustration

December 20, 2017, Pacific, Missouri

David Lawrence Conrey ’84

Interior Design

August 26, 2022, Prescott Valley, Arizona

Jennifer Lynn “Tink” Barnes ’85

Interior Design

March 5, 2022, Baltimore, Maryland

David Grant Daughtry ’87

Interior Design

December 10, 2021, Longwood, Florida

Dennis Joel Lehmann, Jr. ’88

Fine Arts

May 30, 2022, Palatka, Florida

Laurie Susan Warlick ’88

Graphic Design

October 20, 2022, Lawrenceville, Georgia

Roch J. Herrick ’90

Computer Graphics

November 11, 2021, Overland Park, Kansas

Robert Todd Bricker ’91

Graphic Design

September 2, 2018, Richboro, Pennsylvania

Noel Gene Haan ’91

Graphic Design

August 19, 2022, Lincoln, Massachusetts

Susan Marie Tooker ’00

Illustration

June 15, 2022, Bradenton, Florida

Nicholas Dwayne “Nick” Rich ’09

Illustration

January 10, 2017, Tallahassee, Florida

Noah Wesley Weaver ’14

Illustration

May 7, 2015, Austin, Texas

Camille Galejs ’17

Motion Design

May 4, 2022, Charlotte, North Carolina

Margaret Marie Alaina Fisher ’21

Illustration

October 24, 2022, Florence, Italy

Nathan Robert Paisie ’21

Film

November 26, 2022, Sarasota, Florida

Artwork by Wayland Moore ’57.

Take a look at how some of our alumni are connecting, collaborating, and finding success by working together.

Tom Stephens, Fine Art

Tom Stephens ’97, Fine Arts, is an abstract painter based in Sarasota, FL. Stephens is supported by business manager Beth Noble ’97, Computer Animation. His paintings have been featured in solo and group exhibitions throughout the United States, and live in corporate, and public collections including those of the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Morgan Stanley, Ringling College of Art and Design, and PNC Bank.

Curtis Anderson, Jr. and Stefan Jennings

Batista, Wonder in the Wild Wonder in the Wild is an exhibition of photographic works by Sarasota, Florida-based Curtis Anderson, Jr. ’12, Advertising Design and Albuquerque, New Mexico-based Stefan Jennings Batista ’11, Photography and Digital Imaging, at the Morean Art Center in St. Petersburg, FL. The exhibition touched on themes of identity, mental health, and a sense of meaning and belonging within the unknown.

Anderson Design Group

Anderson Design Group was founded in 1993 by Joel Anderson ’86, Illustration, in Nashville, TN. Anderson is the acting owner and creative director, alongside spouse Patty Anderson ’85, Interior Design, and ADG’s CFO and bookkeeper. The two met while attending Ringling College. ADG creates custom designs for clients like National Park Service, Coors, DreamWorks Pictures, HarleyDavidson, National Geographic, Time Warner Books, and Williams Sonoma.

Affinity Insight Pictures

In May 2020, award-winning screenwriter and director Paige Irene Bruns, a 2020 graduate of the Film program, founded the film production company, Affinity Insight Pictures in Whitehall, Michigan. Bruns is joined by Kai Lendzion ’20, Film, as director of photography, and Producer Parker Alexander Meyers ’20, Film. They have created and directed projects including Fent, a drama series; That Ain’t No Joke, a documentary; and short films Anchor and Void. Their work has been featured at festivals including Sunset Grove Film Festival, Indie Short Fest, Dumbo Film Festival, Cannes International Independent Film Festival, and San Francisco International New Concept Film Festival.

RINGLING COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN

Board of Trustees Officers

Chair Michael Klein

Vice Chair Dr. Joel Morganroth

Treasurer Ali Bahaj

Secretary Teri A Hansen

President Dr. Larry R. Thompson

Ringling College Senior Officers

President Dr. Larry R. Thompson

Executive V.P. Dr. Tracy A. Wagner

V.P. for Academic Affairs Dr. Peter A. McAllister

V.P. for Student Life & Dean of Students Dr. Tammy S. Walsh

V.P. for Enrollment Management & Marketing Dr. Jason L. Good

V.P. for Finance & Administration Jennifer Price

Interim V.P. for Advancement Lora Wey Interim Director of IT & Chief Academic Technology Officer Karissa Miller

Executive Director of Sarasota Art Museum Virginia Shearer

CONTXT Team

Publisher Dr. Larry R. Thompson

Executive Editor Dr. Jason L. Good

Creative Director Jennifer Mumford Brady

Editors Chelsea Garner-Ferris and Amanda Walters

Designers / Art Directors Laura Bucholtz ’04 and Vanessa Landin

Student Designers Nickela Winfield ’23, Graphic Design (pages 26-29 and 62) and Anngeles Sanchez ’23, Graphic Design (pages 20-12)

Production Manager Bianca Benson

Writing Susan Borozan, Nicole Caron, Rick Dakan, Chelsea Garner-Ferris, Megan Greenberg, Gayle Guynup, Dr. Genevieve Hill-Thomas, Roxanne Joffe, Jude Keifer ’23, Vivian Owen, Ryan G. Van Cleave, Amanda Walters, Abby Weingarten, Lora Wey

Photography Karen Arango ’13, Elan Photography, Ryan Gamma, Matthew Holler ’11, Daniel Perales

CONTXT is designed and produced in-house by the Ringling College Design Center. It is published by the Office of the President of Ringling College of Art and Design.

The information presented in this issue of CONTXT is correct to the best of our knowledge. We hope you will alert us to any inaccuracies. We apologize for any concern they may cause.

Alumni, keep in touch!

Update your contact information and let us know what’s new in your life. Email us at alumni@ringling.edu

If you want email updates and/or to discontinue receiving printed copies of CONTXT magazine, contact us at contxt@ringling.edu.

We encourage comments and questions about CONTXT

CONTXT Magazine

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Center for Career Services www.ringling.edu/talent or talent@ringling.edu

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President officeofpres@ringling.edu

Sarasota Art Museum museum@ringling.edu

For more information, call 941-351-5100 or visit www.ringling.edu

To learn more about the Design Center and to keep up with what we are doing, visit our Facebook page at Facebook.com/RinglingCollegeDesignCenter

Production Notes

The inks, coatings, and varnishes used in this issue of CONTXT are formulated with significant amounts of bio-derived, renewable resources, including vegetable oils such as linseed oil, resin-based on tall oil or gum rosin, and alkyds derived from vegetable oils.

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Detail of materials used for the National Scrollathon: Florida at Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College.