Photo by Lucas McFarland courtesy Ringling College

It’s nearly the end of October—one more month until the hurricane season officially ends on November 30. I think I can safely speak for our entire surrounding community when I say we certainly hope it ends NOW, with a quiet, final month.

I hope all those reading this column are safe and well. I know that so many of you, your families, and your homes were affected by not one, not even two, but possibly three life-changing storm events these past few months. My thoughts are with all of you as you continue to manage the aftermath and embark on the challenging path of rebuilding what was lost.

I am very grateful to share that Ringling College of Art and Design’s Main Campus on North Tamiami Trail, Sarasota Art Museum and its campus on South Tamiami Trail, and our Englewood Art Center down south all weathered the storms well. Miraculously, within days of Hurricane Milton’s eye passing directly over us, we reopened our campuses, brought our students back to resume classes, and continued our planned programming at the Museum, Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, and Englewood Art Center. Our Ringling College Galleries and Exhibitions also opened back up to the public and are looking forward to hosting their next Art Walk on Nov. 22. 

In times such as these, I am always so proud of our creative community and its resilience. Like so many of you, these hurricanes disrupted not only our campuses but also the lives of our students, faculty and staff. Although we fared well and the outcome could have been much, much worse, we did sustain some infrastructure damage, some essential resources and technologies were compromised and many of our students are now facing financial hardships due to the mandatory campus closures. Ringling College is no stranger to hurricane evacuations, but back-to-back storms like Helene and Milton which required the entire campus to be evacuated and shut down, were unprecedented. 

To help support our creative community during this challenging time, the College has established a Hurricane Relief Fund. This fund aims to provide immediate assistance to students affected by the hurricanes including:

• Financial aid for students needing assistance with evacuation costs for off-campus accommodations, such as hotels, other lodging, meals, and transportation

• Emergency grants for loss of employment income for displaced students who hold campus jobs 

• Support for overall student wellness and mental health, which has been continuously made available to all students (as well as faculty and staff)

I invite you to consider making a donation to our Hurricane Relief Fund. Any amount you can contribute will be greatly appreciated. Your contribution will make a significant difference in helping our students continue their world-class art and design education. You can donate directly at this link: Ringling College Hurricane Relief Fund 

I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the tireless efforts of so many Ringling staff members who worked around the clock, both before and after the storm, to prepare, safeguard, and restore our campuses. We are so fortunate to have such talented and dedicated teams, including Facilities, Public Safety, Institutional Technology and Student and Residence Life. Their dedication, swift efforts and expertise allowed us to get back up and running. I am so grateful. 

As we look ahead, Ringling College is focused on returning to our normal routine while extending a hand to those still in need. Our hearts, thoughts, and prayers continue to go out to our neighbors and we look forward to doing all we can to help them heal and rebuild. Together, we will continue to move forward as a stronger community—one I am forever proud to be part of. 

Dr. Larry Thompson is president of Ringling College of Art & Design.

Photo by Lucas McFarland courtesy Ringling College