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April xx, 2016

NAME
STREET
CITY

Dear XX:

As the President of the Ringling College ofArt and Design, 1 am writing you, our donors to the
College?s Historic Sarasota High School adaptive re~nse project, to give you an update on our progress
as we transform the site into the Sarasota Museum ofArt and a complex for continuing education. i
want you to be the first to know of the progress that has been made thus far with the project and the
exciting expanded vision that has evolved over this past year.

Before continuing, let me first express my continuing gratitude to you for your generous support of the
Sarasota Museum of Art and Ringling College of Art and Design?s transformation of the high school.

Secondly, i thank you for your patience as we make this museum into a successful, world-class icon for
the Greater Sarasota region.

So what has been accomplished over the past year?

i am certain all of you have driven by the Historic High School many times during this past season. As
you can see from the changes to the exterior of the building, we completed the ?rst phase of the
adaptive reuse of the building. That phase was extensive, and included an entire facelift of the building
driven by both structural and aesthetic needs? sandblasting of the brick, new mortar, new windows,
environmental mitigation, and much more.

Just as we were about to begin the second phase of construction involving the building?s interior, new
and exciting opportunities arose that caused us to pause and re-envision the project in a broader context.
Indeed, three opportunities triggered the re?conceptualization of the project. First, the Sarasota School
Board agreed to expand the lease of the high school to the College to include Building 42 (a 20,000 sq.
ft, building located directly behind the Historic High School). Second, the School Board also agreed to
lease the land that is north of the High School. This addition to the lease will provide additional
parking and easier entry and exit to the facility. Third, the College was noti?ed by VisionWorks, the
tenant of building next to the high school property of its decision not to exercise the option to renew
their lease. With the additional buildings, parking and greenSpace, we realized the entire property
comprised a ?mini-campus? and that we needed to properly master plan what we are now colloquially
referring to as the ?South Campus?.

Working with the Lawson Group Architects, the architect of record, we brought in the ?rm ofAyers,
Saint Gross, who developed the Ringling College Master Plan, to ensure we maximized opportunities
provided by the expanded site. We also engaged architects, a Miami?NYC based firm with
specialized art museum expertise, to wort: with Lawsoh to ensure the best possible art museum gallery
spaces and to be sure the technical and operational aspects of the Museum fulfill proper professional
standards.

Through these collaborations we have been able to refine the scope of the endeavor, take a more holistic
approach to this monumental project and fully contemplate the unforseen opportunities presented.

To further add to the excitement, you may have read in the news that Ringling College merged with the
Lifelong Learning Academy and created the new Ringling College Lifelong Learning Academy. The
Academy?s offerings will be an integral part of the intellectuai and creative fabric of the south campus.
This development enables us to extend beyond the Museum by providing the community a fuil panopiy
of continuing education opportunities in art, history, culture, and more. The combination oi~ learning
spaces and a state?oii-the?art museum has always been envisioned for the High School but the new
capabilities broaden our capacity to provide unique and innovative experiences unparalieled by any
other institution in our region.

And, i ?rmiy believe, this is what Sarasota deserves.

The result of this collaborative work over the past year is an expanded vision that includes the Museum,
greenspace for art and activities, performances, events, accommodation amenities for visitors, inciuding
a destination Museum cafe/bistro and a Museum retail gift store, and space for robust continuing
education/lifelong learning programs. The guiding principle maintained throughout this process is that
the Sarasota Museum ofArt is the anchormthe central heart and soul of the entire South Campus.

We plan for portions of the South Campus to be up and running in late 20l7, if not sooner, with
museum exhibitions opening a few months later. The museum exhibitions must open later to ensure
that all environmental and technical aspects of the Museum are tested post-construction to ensure a safe
and stable environment for valuable works of art.

As you can see, there?s been a great deal of work occurring behind the scenes. It was important that we
take the opportunity to explore all of our assets and opportunities prior to moving into Phase 2. After
all, you only get one chance to create a premier cultural facility such as this, and we wanted to guarantee
it was the best it could possibly be.

Having shared with you the expanded vision of the Ringling College South Campus, 1 hope you
continue to share our enthusiasm for what will truly be a jewel in the crown of our cultural community:
a world-class museum devoted to late 20?? and century art, with robust educational opportunities for
people of all ages.

Please stay tuned for regular updates as we move forward with this exciting project. Again, 1 thank you
for your patience and support.

Very truly yours,

Larry R. Thompson
President