Ringling College of Art and Design today welcomes over 500 art and design college faculty, administrators, independent scholars and artists to the 70th annual meeting of the Southeastern College Art Conference (SECAC). The College is hosting the meeting today through October 11 at the Hyatt Regency Sarasota and the Ringling College campus. The annual gathering provides SECAC members with a forum for the exchange of ideas and concerns relevant to the practice and study of art.
“We are delighted to welcome our art and design educator colleagues from across the country to our beautiful city and campus this week,” said Dr. Larry R. Thompson, president of Ringling College of Art and Design. “SECAC is the premier gathering for ongoing dialogue about pertinent creative, scholarly and educational issues in the visual arts. We look forward to hosting a stimulating and valuable scholarly exchange.”
Jeff Schwartz, head of Illustration at Ringling College of Art and Design, is the chair of the 2014 SECAC Conference. He created this year’s theme, NEXUS: From Handmade to High-Tech, which explores the creative intersection of handmade and high-tech applications in the practice and study of the visual arts. The conference agenda will include several days of inspiring speakers, practical workshops, and experiential events at the conference hotel, on the Ringling College of Art and Design campus, and at other local venues including the Art Center Sarasota and The Ringling.
The annual conference regularly draws participants from the United States and other countries. Individuals who present their research or creative work at an annual conference gain national exposure for their work in the fields of studio art, art and architectural history, art education, museum studies, and visual resources. Membership is required to attend the conference.
Brandon Oldenburg, a distinguished graduate of Ringling College of Art and Design, Academy Award-winning short film producer and creative partner at Moonbot Studios, will deliver the conference keynote presentation on Thursday, October 9 following the SECAC Juried Art Show. Matthew McClendon, PhD, curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at The Ringling, will serve as Juror. Conference attendees will also have the opportunity to visit noted local exhibitions from internationally acclaimed artists James Turrell and Patrick Dougherty.
Participation in SECAC 2014 is limited to organization members. To learn more about the conference, visit http://www.secollegeart.org.
About Ringling College of Art and Design
Ringling College of Art and Design is a private, not-for-profit, fully accredited college offering the Bachelor's degree in 14 disciplines: Advertising Design, Business of Art & Design, Computer Animation, Digital Filmmaking, Fine Arts, Game Art & Design, Graphic Design, Illustration, Interior Design, Motion Design, Painting, Photography & Digital Imaging, Printmaking, and Sculpture. Located in Sarasota on Florida’s Gulf Coast, the picturesque 48-acre campus now includes more than 110 buildings, and enrolls 1,368 students from 44 states and 53 countries. It is recognized as being among the best and most innovative visual arts colleges in the United States as well as a leader in the use of technology in the arts. Visit www.ringling.edu for more information.
