Ringling Raves

Ringling Raves

education by Loren Mayo | Contributing Writer

Ringling College breaks ground on two buildings and is raising $70 million for more construction and growth. Meanwhile, it's reputation has already gone global and Business Week ranks it one of the tops in the world.

Ringling College of Art and Design President Dr. Larry Thompson calls them "The fab five."

They are the co-chairs responsible for heading up the five components of Ringling College of Art and Design's $70 million comprehensive campaign, "Pathway to Preeminence," unveiled recently.

The five: Campaign Chair and Board of Trustee Diane Roskamp; Scholarships Chair Chuck Smith; Academic and Campus Enrichment Chair Diane Belk; Kimbrough Library Chair Isabel Norton; and Visual Arts Education Center/Sarasota Museum of Art Chair Wendy Surkis.

They'll be spearheading the school's efforts to raise $12 million for scholarships; $28 million for academic and campus enrichment; $8 million for the Kimbrough Library; and $22 million for the Visual Arts Education Center/Sarasota Museum of Art.

The school held the first ever "virtual groundbreaking" of two five-story, 80,000-square-foot buildings that will serve as an academic building and student residence hall as part of the campus enrichment program.

The buildings will be the first fully LEED-certified Ringling College buildings, adding a total of 170,000 square feet of space to the Ringling campus. The school expects to break ground in the fall of 2009.

Money for the library will be used, in part, to accommodate the school's 55,000 books and other forms of media resources, most of which sit in storage due to lack of space. The school plans to build a 40,000-square-foot library that will become a social paradigm by providing a cafe ambiance and allowing conversation between students.

The Visual Arts Education Center/Sarasota Museum of Art will involve converting Sarasota High School into a museum for modern and contemporary art.

"We're going to be the first and foremost preeminent design college in the world," Thompson says.

Of the $70 million, Campaign Chair Diane Roskamp, who, with her husband, made a seven-figure donation to the campaign, has raised $44,112,952 to date.

On top of their game

In 2006, BusinessWeek named Ringling College one of the top 60 design schools in the world. In March and November 2007, 3D World magazine ranked its computer animation program number one in North America. This year, the magazine listed the school in "Global Ivy League" as the number four college in the world.

As the college's reputation continues to expand, so does the distinction of its alumni in the art and design industry. Following the campaign announcement, three Ringling College alumni told personal stories from embarking on their college journey to landing their first job, and ultimately, how they made their mark on the design world with a Ringling education. Their accomplishments include a designer of the Aeron Chair (Mark Saffel '84)) lead animator for Spiderman and Lord of the Rings feature films (Tonya Noerr Tornberg '01) and designing the Altoids and Starbucks advertising campaigns (Noel Haan '90).

Mark Saffell, 45

Class of 1984, Interior Design

Owner, 5D Studio, Venice, Calif.

Claim to fame: Helped design the Aeron Chair, the swiveling office seat made famous by the 1995 dot.com boom.

Why Ringling College of Art and Design?

I chose Ringling through my parents' friend, an interior designer. She suggested I check out the campus, and I became interested in interior design. I had a love of furniture, and now I design one-of-a-kind art furniture. I got an opportunity to work for Don Chadwick and design and develop the Aeron chair. I subsequently met my current business partner, went on my own about 15 years ago, and now I have my own studio, 5D Studio.

What is 5D's specialty?

A multidiscipline design studio that specializes in communication and branding design, furniture and industrial design disciplines and environmental spaces.

Who is your professional role model?

Don Chadwick (creator of the Aeron chair) because he was a mentor/protege to us. I have a fondness for Sarasota architects like Paul Rudolph and Carl Abbott, some of the more modern masters.

From what and where do you draw your creativity?

My mom. Creativity is funny; we find inspiration in everything from clothes to furniture from other cultures.

What's the best career advice you've received?

It's only a chair; it's not rocket science. The context of keeping things in perspective ... It's a chair, and we'll get there, you'll make it happen.

Can you offer any guidance to freshmen at Ringling?

I would say that the path I went through (design program) created a foundation for me to use and allowed me to go on different roads and avenues of design. Make sure you go down these roads and make sure it's something you want to do. I love what I do. Work is such a big part of our lives, it's such a beautiful thing.

Have you designed a product that you haven't been proud of?

I've been fortunate. I've designed great pieces and products that have won awards. You can't design a winner every time. The beauty is you can always repaint it and rework it. You just keep moving forward. The best designs are always a good idea.

What's your opinion of Sarasota?

It's unheard of for a city of this size to have the opera, museums ... Sarasota is so fortunate to have the arts. It's an attractive community.

Noel Hann, 41

Class of 1990, Graphic Design

Sr. vice president and group creative director, Cramer-Krasselt, Chicago

Claim to fame: Helped develop the famously suggestive Altoids' "Curiously Strong Mint" advertising campaign.

How did Ringling get it right?

In overall experiences, it's a culture of people who care and are driven to do something new and different.

What kind of work did you do for Starbucks?

I worked on the holiday campaign and the promotion for the red cup. I did simple posters; one was three cups lined up to look like a snowman. I also worked on other brands like Reebok, Coca-Cola, Cadillac, Johnny Walker and AirTran.

Do you have a favorite campaign?

I think the "Got Milk" stuff is still my favorite. I still love that campaign.

Is there an ad campaign that irritates you?

Oh my God, like 90% of them. One in particular - the Verizon "Can you hear me now?" guy. He needs to be punished.

Is there a company you absolutely will not design advertising for?

Everybody asks that question. It's weird. My grandfather died of lung cancer from smoking cigarettes, so I'd say no to somebody for cigarettes. I don't mind beer, I run Corona right now, but the dark liquors or the clear, it could be a problem for me.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

A cartoonist. My first mentor was the guy who did the animation for Hamm's beer commercials. In some way, I waned to do something with art, but more caricatures and cartooning.

Do you have a hero in your profession?

I kind of attribute my mom for getting me into art. Paul Rand is a hero of mine because of his simple approach to typography and imagery, and I think just his sensibility to take you on a project visually. Bill Bernbach because of the respect I have for him for his brands and ideas. Both men are masters at simplicity.

How cutthroat is your industry?

It's political. There's a lot of one-upmanships. People in my industry can get jaded and kind of give up. It becomes more about the bottom line and money. A good creator is always going to go back to making something good out of nothing. The people who make it cutthroat are the ones who are jaded.

How do you get your creativity?

There's not one place, unfortunately. I like going to bookstores and anywhere that's not work. When I actually need to be creative, it's when I'm alone or in transit. On a train, plane or car.

Do you buy Altoids and drink Starbucks?

Not as much Altoids anymore because they were purchased by Wrigley. I drink Starbucks every day, a couple times a day. I order a grande skim latte triple shot. It's cold in Chicago.

Would you ever relocate back to Sarasota?

Oh yeah, in a heartbeat, if I could.

Tonya Noerr Tornberg, 29

Class of 2001, Computer Animation

Senior animator, Sony Pictures Imageworks, Los Angeles

Claim to fame: Animated three Academy Award winning features -"Happy Feet," "Spider Man 2" and "The Lord of The Rings: The Return of the King."

Your first job was Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones. How did you get yourself a job on this film?

I say I graduated from Ringling.

What's the number one film you've worked on so far?

Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King was the most fun because I got to relocate to New Zealand and live there during the duration of the project, nine months. I took a month off between New Zealand and working at Sony Pictures Imageworks to travel all around New Zealand, Australia and Fiji.

What's your advice to college students interested in an animation career?

Enroll in a program that trains you in animation and work really, really, really hard.

When you talk about your college days to people who've never lived in Sarasota, how do you describe this town?

When I say I went to Ringling, everyone says, "Wow!" The school is very well known in the industry by all companies. Everyone thinks it's very impressive.

Is your work schedule demanding?

Sometimes productions can be as grueling as 100 hours a week for several weeks without any time off. I've realized I'm not performing brain surgery, and while meeting deadlines is important, I try to do the best I can and not stress out about it too much. I love to travel, and during my time off, my husband and I go out of the country and go see a venue at any international countries that we can.

What's one unique factor about your profession?

My current company employs over 12 Ringling alumni and has a good relationship with the college.

INFORMATION

Longtime donors give more to Ringling College

The $70 million fundraising drive recently announced by the Ringling College of Art and Design has some familiar donors: Sarasota real estate developer Bob Roskamp and his wife, Diane Roskamp.

The Roskamps recently announced a $1 million pledge to the campaign, known as the Pathway to Preeminence, of which Diane Roskamp is the chair. With this latest financial commitment, the Roskamps have now donated more than $2 million to the college over the past decade. Both Roskamps have also served on Ringling's board of trustees. Diane Roskamp has been on the board since 2003, while Bob Roskamp, whose development company focuses on senior living and retirement homes, is a past trustee.