Ringling is a private, fully accredited college offering bachelor's degrees in 14 subjects. Courses include the traditional fine arts of painting and sculpture, but many of the courses are aimed at students hoping to work in advertising, graphic design, photography, digital filmmaking, game design and computer animation. It is recognized as a leading art education institution in the use of technology in art and has a 2-to-1 student-to-computer ratio. The college also provides classes to teens and adult learners through its community art classes.
This vibrant center welcomes professional artists and art enthusiasts to take part in its classes and workshops. It offers amateurs the opportunity to see professionals at work and is a contact point for anyone to share their work, get tips from other artists and learn new skills. The center also puts on exhibitions, and part of its mission is to involve the whole community in art and to make a difference in the community through artistic expression. Adult classes cover painting in every medium, while young adults can learn fashion design and the art of pencil drawing.
The Art and Photography School of Colleen Cassidy-Berns is run by Cassidy-Berns, who is a working artist specializing in painted furniture and picture frames. She is primarily a watercolour artist and her classes focus on this painting medium, although she says that she also teaches methods of adding acrylic paints, pen and ink and collage to watercolor work in order to achieve different effects. Pottery, mosaics, jewelry, papermaking and photography classes are also available. Most of the adult classes are in the evenings, and classes for teens and younger children are on Saturdays and after school.
The Southern Atelier describes itself as a "grass roots" educational organization. It concentrates on realistic drawing and painting. Its aim is to provide quality training at an affordable price. The landscape and natural light of the local area provides an ideal location for painters to practice their skills outdoors, although the school also has a studio with natural light. Courses include studying the painting techniques of old masters and live model sessions.