Ringling College to Close Englewood Art Center, Consolidate Arts Programs in Sarasota
Ringling College of Art and Design will permanently close the Englewood Art Center (EAC) on May 3, consolidating its community-based arts programming at the college’s Museum Campus in Sarasota.
The EAC, which has operated for 50 years in a former American Legion hall on McCall Road, merged with Ringling College in 2008. Over the decades, it has served as a hub for local artists and a center for arts education for both children and adults in the Englewood area.
As part of the transition, all classes, workshops, and events will move to the Sarasota location. A town hall-style question and answer session will be held at 2 p.m. on Wednesday at the EAC to address community questions and concerns.
Starting June 1, existing EAC memberships will be honored for one year at the Sarasota Art Museum and at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, both operated by Ringling College.
The college plans to explore future cultural uses for the Englewood facility. This is not the first time Ringling College has closed a satellite arts center; in 2017, the Longboat Key Center for the Arts was shut down and the property was later sold for $1.85 million.
Ringling College described the consolidation as a strategic move to expand arts education opportunities for all ages while continuing to support creativity and community engagement through its Sarasota campus.