Bringing Science into Art and Design Education
The aim of Environmental Studies is to inspire curiosity, inquiry, and application. We at Ringling College of Art and Design take a holistic view of the role of science as a model of process, a means of understanding and interpreting events and phenomena, and a source of data and information. However, we do not see science as an end point for artists and designers but rather as a starting point.
While Environmental Studies is a requirement for all students at RCAD, regardless of major, the success of the program stems from our approach to teach from the discipline and not to the discipline. We are not turning the students into scientists but guiding them to become insightful users, conveyors, and interpreters of scientific information relevant to their lives, their professions, and their communities with particular regard for environmental issues.
By recontextualizing the scientific process, artists and designers can foster an environment in which better questions are asked and answers are more wisely applied. We want the visual storytellers we teach to find ways in their own media to communicate complexity in a clear, understandable, and emotionally compelling way that enables a newly informed citizenry to engage in the critical discussions of the day.
To accomplish the aforementioned goals, RCAD has staffed the program with ecologists actively engaged in ongoing research who have effective backgrounds working with the public. There is also an outreach component so students can work with local research and community organizations.
Coordinator, Environmental Studies
Ringling College of Art and Design
Tim Rumage is a planetary ethicist and the coordinator and developer of Environmental Studies at Ringling College of Art and Design, where he teaches courses on environmental science, sustainability, creating ecological cities, applied environmental design, food, water, biodiversity, and environmental ethics.
His recent work focuses on the economic value of nature and nature’s services. Previous endeavors include working with David Crane to jointly develop and teach the Green Building Seminar at USF/SACD. Rumage has also been involved in a variety of interdisciplinary projects involving habitat restoration and protection, green infrastructure, local food production, and sustainability. Early research areas included marine mammals, bats, pelagic birds, and environmental surveys. He is a frequent lecturer at colleges and community organizations. He and David Houle are co-authoring a book on environmental consciousness entitled This Spaceship Earth that is scheduled for release in Summer 2015.
