Sarasota, FL – May 10, 2021 – Ringling College of Art and Design andThe Patterson Foundation today launched The Patriot Plaza Virtual Tour – 11 cinematic films produced by Ringling College Film students to bring the civics lessons of military service and sacrifice conveyed through the art and architecture of Patriot Plaza to educators, classrooms, and people nationwide.
Patriot Plaza, the 2,800-seat ceremonial amphitheater on the grounds of Sarasota National Cemetery, honors veterans, inspires patriotism, and embraces freedom through commissioned art, ceremonies, and events. The Patterson Foundation built and gifted Patriot Plaza to the nation in 2014, and since then The Patterson Foundation has funded transportation and onsite tours for hundreds of Florida civics classes to provide a military service context to their education. When the pandemic put a halt to onsite class trips in 2020, The Patterson Foundation engaged The Collaboratory at Ringling College to assemble a student production team. They created a virtual tour comprised of 11 cinematic films that provide teachers with the tools to educate their students on the significance of Patriot Plaza from the safety of their classrooms.
12 students from the Ringling College Narrative Film and Branded Entertainment tracks came together to film, produce, and direct thePatriot Plaza Virtual Tour under the guidance of Ringling College Collaboratory Director Kendall Brugger and Film Instructor Mark Schimmel. A behind the scenes video (BTS) of the production highlights the experience and interviews students and key representatives on the project, as well as documenting the pandemic film production protocols followed by the team.
“The Patriot Plaza Virtual Tour is a testament to the power of collaboration between incredibly gifted and creative students and organizations needing to think outside the box to reach their constituencies on new levels and in new mediums,” said Ringling College President Larry R. Thompson.
“The Collaboratory and Ringling College’s students and faculty have created a way for people everywhere to authentically experience Patriot Plaza from afar and understand the impact of the veterans and military families it was designed to honor,” said Michael Corley, senior consultant for The Patterson Foundation.
The Patriot Plaza Virtual Tour is available to teachers, home schoolers, and students in Sarasota County through EdExploreSRQ. Created with support from The Patterson Foundation, EdExploreSRQ is a web-based search platform that connects teachers, principals, and parents to experiential learning opportunities available in our area.
Ringling College and The Patterson Foundation partnered to create The Collaboratory in 2012 to strengthen the creative workforce of tomorrow. Students gain valuable industry experience prior to graduation by working with leading brands and clients to develop creative solutions for business challenges. The Collaboratory is currently undergoing a rebranding to INDEX – for Industry Experience at Ringling College – that continues the legacy of the partnership by aggregating the myriad experiential education opportunities the College has long offered to its students.
About The Patterson Foundation
The Patterson Foundation strengthens the efforts of people, organizations and communities. The Patterson Foundation focuses on issues that address common aspirations and foster wide participation, along with ways organizations learn and share as they evolve. For more information, please visit www.thepattersonfoundation.org and connect with @ThePattersonFdn on Twitter.
About Ringling College of Art and Design
Since 1931, Ringling College of Art and Design has cultivated the creative spirit in students from around the globe. The private, not-for-profit fully accredited college offers the Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in eleven disciplines and the Bachelor of Arts in two. The College’s rigorous curriculum employs the studio model of teaching and immediately engages students through a comprehensive, first-year program that is both specific to the major of study and focused on the liberal arts. The Ringling College teaching model ultimately shapes students into highly employable and globally aware artists and designers. www.ringling.edu