Registration is Now Open for OLLI at Ringling College's Summer Semester: May 18-July 10

Registration is open for the summer 2026 semester at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI) at Ringling College, which offers noncredit educational opportunities for adults to pursue new interests, expand intellectual horizons, and enrich their lives. The semester, which runs May 18-July 10, 2026, features more than 40 classes, events, and programs covering a wide variety of topics, including arts and entertainment, history, music appreciation, health, economics and finance, and technology. Semester highlights include Mission Green — The Importance of Both Local and Global Forests with Meg Lowman; Origins: Sarasota Artist Colony, 1945-1965 with Tim Jaeger and Bill Hartman; Genius Women Erased From History with Michael Gibson; Using AI on Your Smartphone with Deshjuana Bagley; and Tennessee Williams’ “The Lady of Larkspur Lotion” presented by NoName Repertory. OLLI at Ringling College is located in the Sarasota Art Museum of Ringling College of Art and Design, 1001 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. To register, or for information about becoming an OLLI member, visit OLLIatRinglingCollege.org or call 941-309-5111.

Highlights of the summer 2026 semester include:

Mission Green — The Importance of Both Local and Global Forests with Meg Lowman – Mission Green is a program aimed at building 10 canopy walkways that will employ 100 indigenous women and families and host 1,000 students for exploration of the treetops. This talk will travel around the globe to see the results of Mission Green and why forest conservation is critical for human health. Thursday, May 21, 10-11:20 am

Steve Arvey Presents: The Sounds of Cigar Box Guitars – Steve Arvey will share the rich tones of handcrafted cigar box guitars, and discuss the history of these instruments as well as his travels around the world to seek out builders and new sounds. Wednesday, May 27, 10-11:30 am

We Must Talk! (And Why It's Important) with Bill Woodson – Over the past decade, talking politics has become increasingly difficult. Woodson will share why dialogue has become a personal passion for him, and what he has learned, both from some spectacular successes as well as from equally noteworthy failures when attempting to have a conversation when strong differences of opinion are involved. Thursday, May 28, 1-2:30 pm

Tennessee Williams’ “The Lady of Larkspur Lotion” – The NoName Repertory presents Another One By Tenn: ‟The Lady of Larkspur Lotion." This one-act dark comedy by Tennessee Williams offers a veritable New Orleans feast for the eyes and ears. Special musical guest St. David Fowler, a New Orleans native son, will cook up a live set of spicy Big Easy Blues. Friday, May 29, 2-3:30 pm

Origins: Sarasota Artist Colony, 1945-1965 with Tim Jaeger and Bill Hartman – This course looks at the history of jazz music, its evolution, who practiced the art, and the audience that appreciated it from its inception to the present day. Students will listen to the music and artists who led to its mainstream adoption. Thursday, June 4, 10-11:30 am

Genius Women Erased From History with Michael Gibson – Discover the stories of 10 women who made major contributions to science, business, and the arts, and who were later denied credit for their accomplishments, including Rosalind Franklin, whose work was critical to the understanding of DNA, and Hedy Lamarr, the actress who was also an unheralded inventor. Friday, June 5, 1-2:20 pm

Using AI on Your Smartphone with Deshjuana Bagley – Artificial Intelligence is no longer limited to computers and research labs — it’s now available right on your smartphone. In this interactive workshop, participants will learn how to use AI tools such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and other AI tools directly from their mobile devices to simplify everyday tasks. Thursday, June 18, 11 am-12:30 pm

To register, or for more information about becoming an OLLI member, visit OLLIatRinglingCollege.org or call 941-309-5111.