An Evening at the Avant-Garde sends guests out of this world
Ringling College of Art and Design’s 21st Annual Scholarship Event was held on March 18 at Ringling College of Art and Design.
By
Niki Kottmann
| 10:42 p.m. March 18, 2017
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On March 18, in a galaxy far, far away (the Ringling College of Art and Design campus), art education supporters from across the galaxy (Sarasota County) dressed in their finest space attire to blast off into one of the most unique fundraisers of the season.
Guests at the Ringling College of Art and Design’s 21st Annual Scholarship Event, An Evening at the Avant-Garde: Light Years Ahead gathered to benefit and celebrate the school that recently saw 23 of its graduates receive an Oscar for their work on the best animated feature film “Zootopia.”
The evening began with a lively cocktail hour during which guests not only enjoyed drinks and hors d’oeuvres but took advantage of some stellar activities such as viewings of the mini planetarium and trips to another galaxy à la virtual reality simulations. Cocktail hour was interrupted, however, when a mysterious spacecraft (spacecraft-shaped bouncy house) was unveiled on the lawn of the school. Several green-skinned extraterrestrials (costumed students) crept out of the UFO before, through a cloud of smoke, appeared their king and queen: Ringling College of Art and Design President Larry Thompson and his wife, Pat Thompson.
After cocktail hour and its dramatic intermission were over, guests enjoyed a Michael’s On East dinner buffet and served chocolate “black hole” cake for dessert before the program began. After opening regards from Larry Thompson and Beldar and Prymaat Conehead (event Co-Chairs Sherry and Tom Koski), finalists for the 2017 Avant-Garde Endowed Scholarship for Campus Volunteerism took to the stage.
Runner-ups Nathan Clark and Rosadia Fortunato received $2,000 scholarships courtesy of Steve and Joann Stein, and the 2017 award winner Nahman L’hrar, an illustration student in the class of 2018, received a $5,000 scholarship thanks to Susan Palmer and her late husband Roy Palmer.
L’hrar’s acceptance speech was a moving tale that explained his difficult journey to Ringling, which was a story of negligent parents and an upbringing made possible by the Israeli welfare system — a life of triumph in the face of adversity. The speech ended with a roar of applause and standing ovation.
Guests then took part in one of the most interactive Michael Klauber-led paddle raises of the season, the “Crossing the Finish Line” paddle raise, which benefits students who experience financial difficulty in their final two years at Ringling. Event-goers watched the digital donation ticker climb to nearly $187,900 by the end of the this portion of the evening, which got everyone in the right celebratory state of mind before the final event: dancing to the energetic Blonde Ambition Band.
Co-Chairs Tom and Sherry Koski
Co-Chairs Tom and Sherry Koski
Student scholarship winner Nathan Clark tries a virtual reality simulation at An Evening at the Avant-Garde on March 18 at Ringling College of Art and Design.
Paul and Marilyn Frederick
Several stellar costumes from Feld Entertainment Studios were on display at An Evening at the Avant-Garde on March 18 at Ringling College of Art and Design.
Claudia Cumbie-Jones and Lance Ford Jones
David Ellwanger with Joan and Bob Tufts
Vicky Randall and Ann Albritton
Vicky Randall with her piece, “Clockwork Six Weeks in July”
Ringling College of Art and Design student Gina Caldwell does a live sketch at An Evening at the Avant-Garde on March 18 at Ringling College of Art and Design.
Ringling College of Art and Design student Robert Goethe does a live sketch at An Evening at the Avant-Garde on March 18 at Ringling College of Art and Design.
Ringling College of Art and Design student Esther Sitver does a live sketch at An Evening at the Avant-Garde on March 18 at Ringling College of Art and Design.
Ringling College of Art and Design students Darcy Kelly Laviolette and Dasom Park do a live sketches at An Evening at the Avant-Garde on March 18 at Ringling College of Art and Design.
Patricia Pete and Susan Saulnier
Steve Schember and Linda Wallin
A “UFO” touches down at An Evening at the Avant-Garde on March 18 at Ringling College of Art and Design.
Pat and Larry Thompson make their grand entrance at An Evening at the Avant-Garde on March 18 at Ringling College of Art and Design.
Pat and Larry Thompson make their grand entrance at An Evening at the Avant-Garde on March 18 at Ringling College of Art and Design.
Pat and Larry Thompson make their grand entrance at An Evening at the Avant-Garde on March 18 at Ringling College of Art and Design.
Marcy Klein, Mary Ann and John Meyer and Chuck and Brenda McDonald
Bert Schweigaard-Olsen, Lou Oberndorf and Shelby Davis
Rosemary Oberndorf and Cindy Stuhley
Debbie and Larry Haspel
Caroline Turchon and Betty Schoenbaum
Kate Schwartz with Jeff and Kendra Poleshek
Ricky and Karl Newkirk
Sumner Baum and Barbara Brizdle
Ringling College of Art and Design Board Chairman Dean Eisner makes Nelle Miller laugh at An Evening at the Avant-Garde on March 18 at Ringling College of Art and Design.
Kevin Friedman with Chris and Amy Shaffer
Robin and Brenda Cote
Janet Miles, An Cantor and Roberta Stacey
Diane Sulimirski with her mother, Eileen Schineller
Claudia and Ed Swan
Jolene Tepedino, Dottie Baer and Molly Helgren
An Evening at the Avant-Garde was held on March 18 at Ringling College of Art and Design with the theme “Light Years Ahead.”
Bob Tufts with Beth and Tim Self
Dr. Anila Jain, Phillip King and Diana Michel
Brendan and Nicole Coudal
Lamar Matthews, Kameron and Bart Hodgens
Monica Van Buskirk and Erin Guzzo
Christopher and AJ Hamm
Isabel Norton and Fran Lacivita
Jeff Rodgers and Claudia Cumbie-Jones discuss the planetarium at An Evening at the Avant-Garde on March 18 at Ringling College of Art and Design.
Ringling College of Art and Design Student Ambassadors Kat Smith and Sandra Shim
Matt Sperling, Jose Antonio Liriano, Danisel Calana Figuredo and Maiko Rafael Gisbert Laffita
Elena Williams tries a virtual reality simulation at An Evening at the Avant-Garde on March 18 at Ringling College of Art and Design.
Stacey Corley and Frank Martucci
Nahman L’hrar, winner of the 2017 Avant-Garde Endowed Scholarship for Campus Volunteerism, gives his acceptance speech at An Evening at the Avant-Garde on March 18 at Ringling College of Art and Design.
An Evening at the Avant-Garde was held on March 18 at Ringling College of Art and Design with the theme “Light Years Ahead.”
Rob and Jennifer Rominiecki with Carole Crosby
Ringling College of Art and Design President Larry Thompson presents Co-Chairs Sherry and Tom Koski with flowers at An Evening at the Avant-Garde on March 18 at Ringling College of Art and Design.
Co-Chairs Tom and Sherry Koski welcome guests while in character as Beldar and Prymaat Conehead at An Evening at the Avant-Garde on March 18 at Ringling College of Art and Design.
Ringling College of Art and Design President Larry Thompson congratulates $5,000 scholarship recipients Rosadia Fortunato and Nathan Clark at An Evening at the Avant-Garde on March 18 at Ringling College of Art and Design.
Sumner Baum and Barbara Brizdle hit the dance floor at An Evening at the Avant-Garde on March 18 at Ringling College of Art and Design.
The Blonde Ambition Band performs at An Evening at the Avant-Garde on March 18 at Ringling College of Art and Design.
The Blonde Ambition Band performs at An Evening at the Avant-Garde on March 18 at Ringling College of Art and Design.
Pat and Larry Thompson, president of Ringling College of Art and Design
