Visual Studies

For Ringling students and alumni, we offer training and career preparation services, such as job search strategies, resume reviewing, interview training, and portfolio building. We bring recruiters from the top creative companies around the world to deliver presentations and interview students. Attend career events, ask questions, and get the information you need to make thoughtful choices about your future. 

The new, architecturally significant 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 artmaking with its facilities for glass, woodworking, printmaking, photography, sculpture, and digital fabrication as well as time-based and computer driven work. While the exterior is visually stunning, the interior is designed for robust use—maximizing space, equipment, and collaboration. 

Visual Studies students have countless opportunities to develop and curate professional exhibitions on campus. To familiarize students with the details of working with galleries, we provide a platform for students to write and submit exhibition proposals, develop gallery programming, and curate upcoming exhibitions. 

INDEX is Ringling College's promise to provide every student the opportunity to have hands-on industry experience before graduation by offering real-world projects with real-world clients. This pillar of the Ringling College experience, alongside Academic and Student Life programs, is an experiential education initiative that allows students to learn how to turn passion into profession.

INDEX represents one of Ringling College's core purposes of focusing on our students' futures in the creative industries and empowering them to thrive as creative leaders. By connecting students with leading brands and clients to develop creative solutions for business challenges, INDEX mirrors the most successful studios and organizations by bringing together multiple creative disciplines to blend artistry with emerging techniques, and to seamlessly integrate design, storytelling, and technology to produce work that is driven by strategy and supported by style.

INDEX opportunities are abundant and available through experiential learning in the classroom, the Design Center, Studio Labs, ART Network, the Makerspace, as client competitions and immersive experiences, volunteerism, internships, and elective courses.

The Ringling College Studio Lab program is an opportunity to work top-tier industry professionals. This program connects aspiring film and production students to the best known filmmakers, screenwriters, producers, directors, and actors from around the world. Collaborate with, listen to, and engage with well known leaders in the industry, such as Tim Blake Nelson, Justin Long, Marisa Tomei, and Jeffrey Wright, who are coming to Ringling College to share their insights and meet emerging talent right here in Sarasota.