Office of the President Archives - �Ļ�Ӱ�� of Art and Design

Dancing Through the Decades at Avant-Garde 2026

awalters — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 15:43:17 +0000

Now in its 30th year, �Ļ�Ӱ�� of Art and Design’s annual fundraising gala Avant-Garde returned this year for an unforgettable evening—one that broke records with over $1.5M raised for scholarship support and that honored the couple who have been at the heart of the Ringling community for nearly three decades.

The theme, Dancing Through the Decades, was a fitting tribute to Dr. Larry R. Thompson and his wife Pat, celebrating movement, momentum, and the timeless power of the arts to inspire, unite, and uplift. With Dr. Thompson set to retire at the end of the school year, this year’s gala carried an extra layer of meaning, as guests, donors, faculty, staff, students, and members of Sarasota’s arts community gathered to honor the couple’s indelible mark on �Ļ�Ӱ�� and student scholarships.

Since the gala’s founding in 1995 under then-President Dr. Arland Christ-Janer, Avant-Garde has grown from an intimate 200-person event at Michael’s On East into one of Sarasota’s most anticipated celebrations of creativity and community. For 25 of those years, the Thompsons have opened each gala with an iconic grand entrance, embodying elaborate personas ranging from Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson to Glinda the Good Witch and the Wizard of Oz.

The funds raised each year go directly toward student scholarships, helping to bridge the gap between the cost of a �Ļ�Ӱ�� education and the resources students need to pursue their creative futures. This year’s record-breaking total will make a meaningful difference for students across the college’s many programs.

Contact:
Office of Marketing and Communications
communications@ringling.edu
941-309-4008

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�Ļ�Ӱ�� Announces its Next President

awalters — Fri, 23 Jan 2026 15:50:00 +0000

The �Ļ�Ӱ�� of Art and Design Board of Trustees voted unanimously on January 15 to appoint Davis Schneiderman, Ph.D., as the College’s next and seventh president. He will assume office on June 1, 2026. The official announcement was made to the �Ļ�Ӱ�� campus community and the public at an on-campus and livestreamed event on January 23.

Dr. Schneiderman is a nationally recognized higher-education leader whose career spans art and design practice, institutional leadership, and the integration of emerging technologies into creative education. Over more than two decades at Lake Forest College, a nationally-ranked private liberal arts college in Lake Forest, Illinois, Schneiderman has helped guide the complex academic organization through periods of technological change, capital and enrollment growth, and curricular reinvention, consistently centering creative practice as a core institutional strength while contributing to sustained enrollment success and increased public recognition.

Working with Schneiderman for many years, Lake Forest College President Dr. Mike Sosulski said, “I have been privileged to know Davis for many years and have been consistently impressed by his innovative thinking and leadership at Lake Forest College and across higher education. Davis has helped move the College in bold and exciting directions, and his impact will be felt for years to come. While he will be greatly missed at Lake Forest, we congratulate him on this well-deserved appointment and wish him every success as president of �Ļ�Ӱ�� of Art and Design.”

For 10 years, Schneiderman served in senior leadership at Lake Forest College, including five years as Lake Forest’s Provost and Dean of the Faculty. In that role, he partnered closely with the Board of Trustees and other senior leaders to guide academic strategy, long-range planning, and resource allocation across all educational and co-curricular areas. His leadership emphasized flexibility and sustainability—building academic structures capable of evolving alongside changing disciplines, technologies, and student pathways.

Most recently, Schneiderman served as the founding Executive Director of the Krebs Center for the Humanities, which connects creative practice, technology, and public engagement. Anchored by a museum collection housed in an inspirational Italianate home, the Krebs Center operates as a public-facing cultural institution—integrating exhibitions, symposia, artist residencies, and community programs with regional, national, and international artists and writers. Through the Krebs Center and his leadership of three major Mellon Foundation grants, Schneiderman has built sustained partnerships with museums, libraries, schools, and civic organizations.

Of his new appointment to �Ļ�Ӱ��, Schneiderman said, “Ringling’s students will help shape our world to come, and this is an institution whose future is more than bright: it’s positively shining.”

The College’s presidential search process included a series of listening sessions for campus and community members, and a comprehensive survey was available to collect feedback and input. The Presidential Search Committee was assisted by the executive search firm Russell Reynolds and chaired by �Ļ�Ӱ�� of Art and Design Board of Trustees Vice Chair Ali Bahaj. The Committee was tasked with reviewing the applications, selecting candidates for consideration, and conducting several rounds of interviews before recommending Dr. Schneiderman to the Board to succeed Dr. Larry R. Thompson, who announced his retirement in April of last year.

�Ļ�Ӱ�� Board of Trustees Chair, Dr. Joel Morganroth, opened the announcement event by first recognizing Thompson’s 27-year tenure. “Over the past 27 years, Dr. Thompson has built a remarkable foundation for creative excellence, championed our vision with unwavering commitment, and positioned �Ļ�Ӱ�� as a national leader in art and design education. Dr. Thompson, we are profoundly grateful for your many years of service and leadership. It is upon this strong foundation that we now look toward the next chapter in Ringling’s history.”

Board of Trustees Vice Chair and Chair of the Presidential Search Committee, Ali Bahaj, also gave remarks, extending thanks to the executive search firm, Russell Reynolds, the search committee, and the Board. “I want to extend special thanks to our search partners for their professionalism, insight, and deep understanding of higher education leadership. The Search Committee and the Board of Trustees are united in our confidence that the individual selected brings the leadership experience, strategic insight, and creative vision needed to guide �Ļ�Ӱ�� into its next chapter—while honoring the community and values that define this institution.”

President Thompson said, “I am excited to be passing the baton to such an inspiring and capable leader in creative education. I have every confidence that Dr. Schneiderman will steer �Ļ�Ӱ�� and our campus community steadily and confidently forward. I believe he is fully committed to upholding our institution’s mission and vision, and our dream of becoming the preeminent art and design college in the world. He will continue to have my full support.”

A published novelist, writer, and multimedia artist, Schneiderman is a frequent speaker on creativity, technology, and higher education, with appearances at national and international conferences and cultural venues.

Schneiderman’s family roots span several regions of the country. After completing graduate school, he moved to the Chicago area, where he has lived for the past 25 years. He and his wife, Kelly Haramis—an actor, writer, and former journalist with the Chicago Tribune—have two college-aged daughters. Kelly spent her adolescence in Deltona, Florida, and the family looks forward to making Sarasota their next home.

Contact:
Office of Marketing and Communications
communications@ringling.edu
941-309-4008

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Boys & Girls Clubs to honor Dr. Larry R. Thompson

awalters — Thu, 14 Aug 2025 10:00:00 +0000

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties will recognize Dr. Larry R. Thompson, president of �Ļ�Ӱ�� of Art and Design, for his work empowering future community leaders. Dr. Thompson will be one of just two honorees at this year’s 19^th annual IPG Leadership Breakfast on September 5. (Heather Kasten, president and CEO of the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, will also be recognized.)

The Leadership Breakfast annually recognizes dedication, leadership development, entrepreneurial education, and college and career prep. Dr. Thompson has long been committed to empowering future leaders and helping the next generation reach their full potential.

“At �Ļ�Ӱ�� of Art and Design, we believe in the power of creativity, mentorship, and opportunity,” Thompson told the Sarasota Herald-Tribune. “Supporting the Boys & Girls Clubs aligns with our institutional mission to uplift the next generation of creative leaders and invest in the future of our community. We are proud to stand beside such an impactful organization and look forward to the positive change we can continue to create together.”

Tickets for the event are available for $50 at . Proceeds benefit transformational teen programs at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Sarasota and DeSoto Counties.

Contact:
Office of Marketing and Communications
communications@ringling.edu
941-309-4008

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�Ļ�Ӱ�� of Art and Design Announces Retirement of President Dr. Larry R. Thompson

awalters — Thu, 17 Apr 2025 19:17:38 +0000

When you think about �Ļ�Ӱ�� of Art and Design, you might think about its president, Dr. Larry R. Thompson, as the two have basically become synonymous, especially in the surrounding artful community of Sarasota, Florida. Dr. Thompson has achieved so much during his 26-year tenure and is responsible for shaping the institution into what it is today—a world-renowned art college on the brink of becoming the preeminent college for art and design in the world. This is a vision Thompson has believed into existence since his first year at the helm.

Dr. Thompson is �Ļ�Ӱ�� of Art and Design’s sixth president, beginning his tenure in 1999.

Thompson announced today that the 2025-2026 academic year will be his last year as president, ending his tenure in May of 2026. Serving as the institution’s sixth president, Thompson has brought the College through an incredible period of growth and change. “When I arrived in 1999, I was so impressed with the students and the faculty and the passion they shared for art and design. I became committed to the vision of setting students on a path that would be not only incredibly fulfilling but financially rewarding as well. I set out to ‘shatter the myth of the starving artist.’”

Dr. Thompson set out to “shatter the myth of the starving artist.” His vision is for �Ļ�Ӱ�� to become the preeminent art and design college in the world.

The changes that emanated from that initial impulse are immense. Under Thompson’s leadership, the College has constructed 14 new buildings on the 48-acre Main Campus, grown enrollment from 800 students to a record high of 1,722, and increased the academic offerings from the six original majors provided in 1999 to the 13 unique degree programs offered today. He embraced the idea when he started that the computer would likely become the next paintbrush. And that’s what happened. As a result, the art college became world-renowned for its technological prowess in addition to its reputation for providing exceptional art and design education. The vibrant campus is home to nearly 500 full-time faculty and staff, providing a major economic and cultural engine for the city of Sarasota.

Thompson’s engagement with the wider community has been extensive. In 2003, he engaged with local donors who were passionate about contemporary art, leading to a massive renovation and repurposing of the iconic Sarasota High School, designed by M. Leo Elliott, and the adjacent mid-century Paul Rudolph structure to create a Museum Campus. This campus now houses the Sarasota Art Museum (the region’s only contemporary art museum) and �Ļ�Ӱ��’s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI). The Museum Campus provides world-class exhibitions and community programming to almost 75,000 visitors each year.

Dr. Larry R. Thompson at the Alfred R. Goldstein Library on �Ļ�Ӱ��’s campus. The ‘library of the future’ opened in 2017 with support from the �Ļ�Ӱ�� Library Association.

He has also served on the boards of numerous organizations, including as Chair of the Sarasota Chamber of Commerce, President of the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County, Chairman of Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida, and more. Thompson is the recipient of numerous academic and humanitarian honors and awards for his service as a visionary leader and educator.

Thompson often gives credit for the success of the College to the community and in particular, the �Ļ�Ӱ�� Board of Trustees. “I truly believe I have the best Board anywhere,” Thompson explains; one he has carefully cultivated to include dedicated and passionate advocates for the College.

The feeling is mutual. Board of Trustees Chair Dr. Joel Morganroth confirms, “Dr. Thompson’s legacy at �Ļ�Ӱ�� is indelible. His vision to create a successful education-to-career pipeline has led to Ringling students being an employer’s first choice in the industry. And his ability to connect with people and share his passion for the College is unparalleled.”

Thompson sees no reason to stop pushing forward. “We launched an ambitious, comprehensive capital campaign in November 2023 with a goal of $175 million. As of the end of March, the College has raised 89% of that goal. Thompson noted, “I’m committed to seeing the College get to the finish line in my last year. We’ve seen such incredible support from the community, not just for this campaign, but throughout the time I’ve served as president. For example, our endowment has increased from under $4 million in 1999 to $73 million at the end of our last fiscal year, but there is still work to be done.”

Thompson credits Ringling’s creative community for his energy and resiliency in an era where the average college presidency is 5.7 years. “The creative community of faculty, staff, and students works collaboratively to tackle whatever challenges present themselves. They are active participants in reimagining the future on a daily basis. We’ve worked together to refine our mission, declare our vision to be the preeminent college of art and design in the world, and develop a new strategic plan to get us there. I am so grateful to all of our students, faculty, and staff for the contributions they make to the College’s success every day.”

Dr. Thompson celebrated his 25th anniversary as �Ļ�Ӱ��’s president in 2024.

Thompson thanked his wife and his family for being true partners on his journey. “I also thank my wife, Pat, who has supported me and the institution in so many ways. Pat even followed her own passion for fine art and added a BFA degree from �Ļ�Ӱ�� to her business degree from The Ohio State University, becoming a �Ļ�Ӱ�� alumna during my tenure. My son, Hunter, is also a proud alumnus of the College, having graduated in 2014.”

The �Ļ�Ӱ�� community sincerely thanks Dr. Thompson for his leadership and service these past 26 years. The College will begin a nationwide search for a new president with Board Chair Dr. Joel Morganroth serving as chair of the Search Committee. A national search firm with expertise in higher education presidential searches will guide the process.

Contact:
Office of Marketing and Communications
communications@ringling.edu
941-309-4008

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