Editorial Guidelines

• The first reference to Ringling College should always use the entire name, “Ringling College of Art and Design.” (Except for legal documents for which the legal name is Ringling College of Art and Design, Inc.)  
• Any subsequent references to the College can be “Ringling College” or “the College.”
• When followed by a descriptor, such as “students” or “faculty,” the College can be referred to as just “Ringling.” For example, “Ringling students” or “Ringling faculty.”
• In graphics and design elements, “Ringling College of Art + Design” is acceptable.

This rule also extends to Sarasota Art Museum

The first reference should always be: “Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College of Art and Design”

Any subsequent references to the Museum can be “Sarasota Art Museum” or “the Museum.”

OFFICIAL BOILERPLATE

Since 1931, Ringling College of Art and Design has cultivated the creative spirit in students from around the globe. The private, not-for-profit, fully accredited college offers both Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees and Bachelor of Arts degrees. The College’s rigorous curriculum employs the studio model of teaching and immediately engages students through a comprehensive program that is both specific to the major of study and focused on the liberal arts. The Ringling College teaching model ultimately shapes students into highly employable and globally aware artists and designers. For more information, visit www.ringling.edu and follow the College on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, and LinkedIn. 

Never Use:

• “Ringling” (without being followed by “students,” “faculty,” “graduates,” “alumni,” or some other word that indicates it is the College and not another Ringling entity such as The Ringling Museum)
• Ringling College of Art & Design (no ampersand)
• This applies to majors as well. For example: Business of Art and Design

+ vs. & vs. and

• The + sign should only be used in the logo
• The preference whenever possible and always in body copy, is to write out ‘and’ i.e.
• Business of Art and Design; Ringling College of Art and Design
• Exceptions have been made for design/space purposes, i.e. Photography & Imaging

• The first reference to Dr. Schneiderman should always be: “Dr. Davis Schneiderman, president of Ringling College” (or Ringling College of Art and Design if it has not been named previously). 
• Or “President of Ringling College of Art and Design, Dr. Davis Schneiderman”
• Subsequent references can then be “Dr. Schneiderman.”

• We generally capitalize departments on campus and the ‘Heads’ of each department, when used as their title before their name: 
• “Business of Art and Design Department Head Kathleen Sobr…”
• But if this comes AFTER their name: “Kathleen Sobr is the department head of the Business of Art and Design major at Ringling College.”
• Majors should always be capitalized.

The following are the official titles/spellings of campus facilities. Underneath each facility are the official names of the spaces that are housed in that facility:

• Alfred R. Goldstein Library (do not capitalize “the” before it)
  Shorthand: Goldstein Library
• (The word “the” should be lower case if added prior to any below.)
  • Brizdle-Schoenberg Special Collections Center
  • Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation Academic Resource Center (shorthand: Barancik Academic Resource Center)
  • Ringling College Library Association Research Collection
  • Jan Schmidt Terrace
  • Cheryl Loeffler Service Point
  • Dolores Steinecke and Thomas J. Savage Learning Commons
  • Annamae Houston Sandegren Lobby
  • Barbara & Sanford Orkin Lecture Hall (shorthand: Orkin Lecture Hall)
  • Robert and Emilie Kimbrough Terrace
  • The Harry Sudakoff Foundation Project Work Room
  • Herman & Sharon Frankel Quiet Seating
  • The Frank E. Duckwall Foundation, Inc. Terrace
  • Bob & Beverly Bartner Director of Library Services Office
  • Gulf Coast Community Foundation Plaza
• Larry R. Thompson Academic Center
  Shorthand: Thompson Academic Center
• Morganroth Auditorium in the Larry R. Thompson Academic Center
• Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Ringling College
  Shorthand: OLLI or OLLI at Ringling College
  *OLLI is located at Sarasota Art Museum on the Ringling College Museum Campus
• Richard and Barbara Basch Visual Arts Center
  Shorthand: Basch Visual Arts Center
      Lois and David Stulberg Gallery
      Shorthand: the Stulberg Gallery
• Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College of Art and Design
  Subsequent mentions:
  Sarasota Art Museum
  Shorthand: the Museum or SAM
• Center for Continuing and Professional Studies
  • Sub-organizations
    • PreCollege Program 
    • PreCollege Discovery
    • Teen Studios
    • nnovation Workshops
• Ringling College Studio Labs
  Shorthand: Ringling College Studio Labs
  Related: “post-production” is hyphenated (just like pre-production)
  Soundstage A / Soundstage B (soundstage is written as one word and capitalized if referring to a particular soundstage)

• Office of Academic Affairs
• Office for Advancement
• Office of Admissions
• Office of Business Affairs
• Office of Human Resources
• Office of Marketing and Communications
• Office of the President
• Office of Student Life

In the first reference to an alum/graduate, we indicate the major and graduation year in this format: name ‘XX, major. For example, “Patrick Osborne ’03, Computer Animation”

• INDEX (Industry Experience at Ringling College)
  In references to the INDEX program/projects, always include the language: “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 learning opportunities the College has long offered.
• Sarasota Art Museum images and artists’ works: always check credits are written properly for all SAM images of galleries/exhibitions and/or of artists’ works.

Visit the webpage to view our resource guide.

• When written in sentence form, professional titles should be capitalized BEFORE someone’s name and written in lower case AFTER someone’s name. For example: Please welcome the President of Ringling College, Dr. Davis Schneiderman.
  • Please welcome Dr. Davis Schneiderman, president of Ringling College.
• Exception: when used in listed form, titles CAN be capitalized AFTER the name: Dr. Davis Schneiderman, President of Ringling College. Use an apostrophe in bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, etc., but there is no possessive in Bachelor of Arts or Master of Science.
• Use the abbreviation Ph.D. when introducing someone for the first time, following their full name; never after just their last name. In subsequent usages, discontinue inclusion of “Ph.D.” 
  • For example: Tiffany Holmes, Ph.D., on first reference; “Holmes” on second reference.
  • You wouldn’t say “Holmes, Ph.D.”

Writers should always use one space after punctuation, including colons.

The word “resume” should be written without any accents. 

DATES

We format dates with months spelled out. To express a time span, we use en dashes with no spaces around them.

For example: August 31, 2025–March 29, 2026

When referencing years, Ringling College uses full four-digit years whenever possible.

For example: The exhibition is on view from 2025 to 2026.

When referencing specific centuries, we use a lowercase “c” in century. 

For example: 20th century, 20th, and 21st centuries

When used as an adjective, add a hyphen between the number and the century. For example: 21st-century art

SEASONS

Lowercase the seasons (spring, fall, winter, summer) – UNLESS referring to a specific semester, such as Fall 2027 or Spring 2028.

TIMES

We format times with en dashes, using no spaces on either side. We also use a space before am or pm, which should always appear as lowercase. These time markers are always lowercase without punctuation. When a time is on the hour, we never include “:00.” For example:

1–2 pm

11 am–12 pm

11:30 am–12:30 pm

NUMBERS

• In general, spell out numbers one through nine.
• Use figures in almost all uses for 10 or above.
  • Exceptions: At the start of a sentence; in casual uses such as one in a million; in literary or special uses, such as four score and twenty years ago.
• Generally, spell out zero.
• Spell out “four-course dinner,” instead of “4-course dinner,” as per the institutional guidelines.

When in doubt, reference the AP style guide.

PHONE NUMBERS

In accordance with institutional guidelines, always use hyphens in both editorial copy and design pieces when listing phone numbers. We do not use periods in lieu of hyphens.

Acceptable Usage:

941-351-5100

Unacceptable Usage:

941.351.5100

COMMAS

As with all punctuation, clarity is the biggest rule. If a comma does not help make clear what is being said, it should not be there. If omitting a comma could lead to confusion or misinterpretation, then use the comma.

COMMON COMMA USAGE

• Use commas to separate elements in a list or series
  • Use semicolons to separate elements in a list or series that contains internal commas (i.e. The artist has exhibited previously in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Sarasota, Florida; and Austin, Texas)
• Use Oxford comma when writing copy for anything other than media releases and alerts (For example: use Oxford comma on Ringling College website, eblasts, exhibition writing, promotional, and marketing materials).
  • Per AP style guide, we do not use the Oxford comma in press releases or media alerts.
• A nonessential clause must be set off by commas.
  • For example: When visiting Cuniffe Commons, Ringling College’s cafeteria, be sure to save room for frozen yogurt.

EXCLAMATION POINTS

• In general, avoid overuse of the exclamation point.

HYPHENS AND DASHES

• Hyphen “-”: joins compound words or forms a single idea using two or more words. Use when helpful, don’t use when it adds to confusion. Do not add space on either side.
• Em dash “—” or dash: signal abrupt change; set off a series within a phrase. Add a space on either side.
• En dash “–”: (the one in between hyphen and em dash) do not use.

DASHES

• We use em dashes (—), en dashes (–), and hyphens (-)
• What is that dash?
  • What is an em dash?
    • An em dash is approximately the width of a capital letter M in the typeface being used.
    • Example: (—)
  • What is an en dash?
    • An en dash is approximately the width of a capital letter N in the typeface being used.
    • Example: (–)
  • What is a hyphen?
    • A hyphen is a short horizontal line.
    • Example: (-)
• When to use:
  • When to use an em dash:
    • Em dashes are used to signal an abrupt change.
      • Example: “At its core, the exhibition highlights Echelman’s use of softness as a powerful tool—not only in material but as a philosophy.”
    • Em dashes can also be used to set off a series within a phrase.
      • Example: “For Claire Ashley, the inflatable form in its two states—inflated and deflated—offers a compelling metaphor for the human body, echoing its processes of tension and release.”
    • Em dashes are used for dramatic effect. In general, avoid overuse of em dashes, or they lose their intended effectiveness.
  • When to use an en dash:
    • En dashes are used to describe a range in time or space, such as dates, times, or destinations.
      • Example: November 12–March 12; 10 am–2 pm; Paris–Berlin
    • Exception: Do not use an en dash in a press release. En dashes are not used in AP style.
  • When to use a hyphen:
    • Use hyphens between sections in phone numbers
    • Use hyphens as joiners, such as for compound modifiers
      • Example: “small-business owner,” “full-time artist”
  • Formatting:
    • Do not add spaces to either side of a dash, whether an em dash, en dash, or hyphen.
    • Exception: For media releases and media alerts, AP style calls for a space on both sides of a dash in all uses.

POSSESSIVE APOSTROPHE

• Singular common nouns ending in S: Add ’s; the virus’s reach, the witness’s answer.
• Plural common nouns ending in S: Add s’; students’, the parents’
• Singular proper names ending in S: Use only an apostrophe; Achilles’ heel, Dickens’ novels, Kansas’ schools.

PUNCTUATION AND QUOTES

• The period and the comma always go within the quotation marks.
  • Example: “This exhibition is truly special to the Sarasota community,” shared Virginia Shearer, executive director of Sarasota Art Museum.
• The dash, semicolon, colon, question mark, and exclamation point go within the quotation marks when they apply to the quoted matter only. They go outside when they apply to the whole sentence.
  • Example: “This exhibition is remarkable!” shared one visitor.
  • Example: “Where better to spend a rainy day than a Museum?” ask Shearer.
  • Example: Will the tour explore why Joe Fig enjoys “capturing the historical nature of exhibitions”?

PUNCTUATION AND ABBREVIATIONS

• Two-letter abbreviations use periods. Anything longer uses no periods.
  • For Example:
    • “The United States” should be abbreviated to “the U.S.”
      • Although you should spell out “United States” as often as possible
    • “In other words” should be abbreviated to “i.e.”
    • “For example” should be abbreviated to “e.g.”
    • “Sarasota Art Museum” should be abbreviated to “SAM”
    • This rule does not apply to U.S. states i.e., Florida is abbreviated as FL in addresses. Otherwise, in copy, always spell out state names.

CAPITALIZATION

• Press releases
  • Titles and subtitles, as well as web and email headers, use sentence casing (not title casing).
    • Example: Artist Joe Fig debuts new works in exhibition that records one of the largest gatherings of Vermeer paintings to date.
• Eblasts
  • Primary headline: Use title casing
  • Subheadings and subtitles: Use sentence casing
• Website
  • Primary headline: Use title casing
  • Subheadings and subtitles: Use sentence casing
• Professional Titles
  • When written in sentence form, professional titles should be upper case BEFORE someone’s name and lower case AFTER someone’s name.
    • “Please welcome the Executive Vice President of Ringling College, Tracy Wagner.”
    • “Please welcome Tracy Wagner, executive vice president Ringling College.”

ITALICS AND QUOTATIONS

• Italicize the title of work: artwork, film, book, and game titles
• Italicize titles of exhibitions
• Italicize podcast titles, and use quotation marks for the “Name of Episode”
• Use quotations for the “Name of Chapter or Article”
• Italicize the names of publications: magazines, newspapers, or digital publications
• Exceptions:
  • When writing media releases and alerts, titles of works and exhibitions are put in quotes, not italics.
  • When using social media platforms that do not support italics, put them in quotation marks.

CULTURAL IDENTITY

• The terms “Black,” “Native,” and “Indigenous” should be capitalized in line with other ethnic terms like “Asian-American” and “Latino” that have always been capitalized.
• Retain lowercase treatment for “white.” While there is an obvious question of parallelism, there has been no comparable movement toward widespread adoption of a new style for “white,” and there is less of a sense that “white” describes a shared culture and history. 
• Both “Black” and “white” should normally be used as adjectives, not nouns. Take care to avoid implying that “white” is the default (for example, by noting the race of a Black person in a story but not specifying the race of others).

GEOGRAPHY

• Always write out the full names of U.S. states; never abbreviate states.
• Whenever possible, spell out “United States”.
• Always include “City Name, State” unless included in the list below:
  • Atlanta
  • Baltimore 
  • Boston
  • Chicago 
  • Cincinnati
  • Cleveland 
  • Dallas
  • Denver
  • Detroit 
  • Honolulu
  • Houston
  • Indianapolis
  • Las Vegas
  • Los Angeles
  • Miami 
  • Milwaukee
  • Minneapolis 
  • New Orleans
  • New York City
  • Oklahoma City
  • Philadelphia
  • Phoenix
  • Pittsburgh
  • San Antonio
  • San Diego
  • San Francisco
  • Salt Lake City
  • Seattle
  • St. Louis
  • Washington

• Cities that do not need to be listed with a country: 
  • Amsterdam
  • Baghdad
  • Bangkok
  • Beijing
  • Beirut
  • Berlin
  • Brussels
  • Cairo
  • Djibouti 
  • Dublin 
  • Geneva 
  • Gibraltar
  • Guatemala City
  • Havana
  • Helsinki
  • Hong Kong
  • Islamabad
  • Istanbul 
  • Jerusalem
  • Johannesburg 
  • Kuwait City
  • London
  • Luxembourg
  • Macao 
  • Madrid 
  • Mexico City
  • Milan
  • Monaco
  • Montreal
  • Moscow
  • Munich
  • New Delhi
  • Panama City
  • Paris
  • Prague
  • Quebec City
  • Rio de Janeiro
  • Rome
  • San Marino
  • Sao Paulo
  • Shanghai
  • Singapore
  • Stockholm
  • Sydney
  • Tokyo
  • Toronto
  • Vatican City
  • Vienna
  • Zurich

• If the city is in our region and we’re writing to a local audience, you don’t need to write “Florida.”
  • I.e., “The artist visited Bradenton.”
  • You wouldn’t say, “The artist visited Bradenton, Florida.”