Fine Arts
Are you looking for a College for Fine Arts? Look no further. Be the next generation of avant-garde contemporary artists. Enhance your skills through Ringling College’s technical, conceptual, and professional study.
Discover the power of expression in this BFA program.
The Fine Arts major is an exclusive program that provides individual attention and the fostering of a tight-knit community of artists. Critical thinking, painting, drawing, sculpture, printmaking, and technology are the backbone of contemporary art and pillars of the Fine Arts curriculum. Our outstanding program prepares students for success in the $67 billion dollar international art industry. We provide students with their own studio spaces, state-of-the-art facilities, and a multitude of exhibition opportunities. Students will master technical and conceptual skills, explore innovative modes of expression, and develop an awareness of the historical and contemporary context of their work. Graduates of the program go on to become critically acclaimed artists, industry creatives, business owners, and entrepreneurs.
What's New
Fine Arts Senior Melvin Gomez Featured on PBS
Photo courtesy of WEDU PBS Ringling College of Art and Design senior Melvin Gomez was recently featured on WEDU Arts Plus, a weekly arts and culture segment on PBS devoted to highlighting artists and cultural organizations around Florida’s West Coast. Originally from El Salvador, Melvin...
Read More2021 Fine Arts High School Art Contest
Crossley Gallery
Crossley Gallery, a beautiful state of the art gallery, is exclusively administered by Fine Arts faculty in collaboration with our students, allowing them the opportunity to develop gallery programming and curate professional exhibitions. Crossley Gallery provides students first-hand experience in working within a professional gallery system.
Facilities
Studios North
Studios North is a creative hub exclusive to the Fine Arts students. Housed in a 10,000 square-foot facility, our students have access to their own studio spaces, a lounge area, and special projects and exhibition space allowing them room to experiment and create while also having the support of a communal environment.
Student Work
Freshmen Work
Upper Level Work
Get to know your major
Opportunities for students
At Ringling College studio and course work is supported by the galleries and exhibition spaces around campus and the community. With six on-campus galleries, you’ll always have an exciting new exhibition, artist talk, lecture, or event to attend. Crossley Gallery, a beautiful state-of-the-art gallery, is exclusively administered by Fine Arts faculty in collaboration with our students, allowing them the opportunity to develop gallery programming and curate professional exhibitions. Crossley Gallery provides students first-hand experience in working within a professional gallery system.
Fine Arts students have the exciting opportunity to study abroad and can apply for a semester or quarter at the The New School, Parsons Paris, the Willam de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam, Holland, and the Burren College of Art in Ballyvaughan, County Clare, Ireland. Additionally, every year, students from the Fine Arts program have a chance to participate in the Yale/Norfolk Summer School of Art in western Connecticut as well as the Pilchuck Summer Glass School in Seattle.
Richard and Barbara Basch Visual Arts Center
The brand new Richard & Barbara Basch Visual Arts Center sits at the center of campus, reminding everyone that irrespective of major, our students are artists first and foremost. Created with both our students and community in mind, the Visual Arts Center was designed and built to accommodate hands-on fabrication and art-making with its facilities for glass, woodworking, printmaking, photography, sculpture, and digital fabrication. While the exterior is visually stunning, the interior is designed for robust use— maximizing space, equipment, and collaboration.
Studios North
Studios North is a creative hub exclusive to the Fine Arts students. Housed in a 10,000 square-foot facility, our students have access to their own studio spaces, a lounge area, and special projects and exhibition space allowing them room to experiment and create while also having the support of a communal environment.
Local Museums and Galleries
The Sarasota Art Museum is the region’s first museum dedicated to contemporary art. Partnering with Ringling College of Art and Design, the Museum offers visitors a place to see thought-provoking, boundary-pushing exhibitions. Additionally, Ringling College is in close proximity to many major, internationally renowned museums and cultural institutions including: The Ringling Museum, Museum of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg, Salvador Dalí Museum, Tampa Museum of Art, and The James Museum. Each semester the Fine Arts department spends time in Miami attending the prestigious Art Basel: Miami Art Fair as well as museums, private collections and cultural institutions. These annual events offer students the opportunity to see thousands of art works from all over the world just outside your door.
Visiting Artists play an important role within the Fine Arts program and are an invaluable resource for our students. Visiting Artists promote a greater understanding of contemporary art and culture through lectures, one-on-one and group critiques, demonstrations, and on campus educational exhibitions providing students with direct access to world-renowned creatives, working across many disciplines.
Previous Visiting Artists have included:
Jackie Battenfield
Sanford Biggers
Sue Coe
Will Cotton
Inka Essenhigh
Alumni Lesley Flanigan
Alumni Chie Fueki
Kate Gilmore
Trenton Doyle Hancock
Julie Heffernan
Tony Matelli
Steve Mumford
Danica Phelps
William Powhida
James Rosenquist
Blane De St. Croix
James Siena
At Ringling College studio and course work is supported by the galleries and exhibition spaces around campus and the community. With six oncampus galleries, you’ll always have an exciting new exhibition, artist talk, lecture, or event to attend. Crossley Gallery, a beautiful state of the art gallery, is exclusively administered by Fine Arts faculty in collaboration with our students, allowing them the opportunity to develop gallery programming and curate professional exhibitions. Crossley Gallery provides students first-hand experience in working within a professional gallery system.
Fine Arts students have the exciting opportunity to study abroad and can apply for a semester or quarter at the The New School, Parsons Paris, the William de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam, Holland, and the Burren College of Art in Ballyvaughan, County Clare, Ireland. Additionally, every year, students from the Fine Arts program have a chance to participate in the Yale/Norfolk Summer School of Art in western Connecticut as well as the Pilchuck Summer Glass School in Seattle.
Richard and Barbara Basch Visual Arts Center
The brand new Richard & Barbara Basch Visual Arts Center sits at the center of campus, reminding everyone that irrespective of major, our students are artists first and foremost. Created with both our students and community in mind, the Visual Arts Center was designed and built to accommodate hands-on fabrication and art-making with its facilities for glass, woodworking, printmaking, photography, sculpture, and digital fabrication. While the exterior is visually stunning, the interior is designed for robust use— maximizing space, equipment, and collaboration.
Studios North
Studios North is a 10,000-square-foot facility exclusive for Fine Arts students’ use. It is located on the burgeoning, north expansion of campus. Seniors and Juniors have dedicated studio space, which allows them the security to work and create while having the support of a communal environment. The facility also houses painting studios, classrooms and soon another campus gallery for exhibitions and special projects.
Sarasota Art Museum
Sarasota and the surrounding community is a haven for arts enthusiasts with a rich culture that strongly supports the arts. We are in close proximity to many major, internationally renowned museums and cultural institutions such as: The Ringling Museum, Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg, Salvador Dalí Museum, Tampa Museum of Art, and the Sarasota Art Museum. Additionally, each semester the Fine Arts department spends time in Miami attending the prestigious Art Basel: Miami Art Fair as well as museums, private collections and cultural institutions. These annual events offer students the opportunity to see thousands of art works from all over the world just outside your door.
he arts community, spreading the word about both local talent and international artists and designers while gaining hands-on experience in TV production.Jackie Battenfield
Sue Coe
Will Cotton
Inka Essenhigh
Alumni Lesley Flanigan
Kate Gilmore
Trenton Doyle Hancock
Julie Heffernan
Tony Matelli
Danica Phelps
William Powhida
James Rosenquist
Blane De St. Croix
James Siena
Employment Opportunities
Fine Arts graduates will find opportunities across many different industries. Here are a few examples of jobs that are available for our grads:
Painter
Sculptor
Printmaker
Portrait Artist
Visual Artist
Entrepreneur
Educator / Professor
Art Historian
Art Investment Advisor
Conservationist
Writer
Programs Administrator
Arts & Culture Program Director
Ceramist
Computer Artist
Cultural Journalist
Director of Public Art
Exhibition Designer
Gallery Owner / Director / Manager
Muralist
Museum Curator / Director /
Manager
Fine Artist
Video Artist / Designer
Visual Culture Writer/Critic
