54 SARASOTA SCENE | FEBRUARY 2018
TOWN TALK
with DR. LARRY THOMPSON
By Ryan G. Van Cleave
Dr. Larry R. Thompson came to
Sarasota in 1998 to be President
of Ringling College of Art and
Design, a position he still holds
today. Prior to this, he was President and CEO
of the Flint Cultural Center in Michigan and
the founding Director and CEO of the Rock
and Roll Hall of Fame in Ohio. In his capacity
as a lawyer, he also served as Special Assistant
to the President of The Ohio State University.
Anyone who’s met him knows firsthand that
Dr. Thompson, a self-described “left-brain
guy in a right-brain world,” is a spirited,
pioneering, and visionary community leader.
Plus it’s no secret: he’s an enthusiastic dancer.
To put it simply, Dr. Thompson loves Ringling
College and he’s equally in love with
Sarasota—a place he considers to be his new
hometown. “It’s my 19th year here, so I’m
ALMOST a native,” he jokes.
I asked him to share some of his thoughts on
loving and living in Sarasota.
A 2015 article in Time.com ranked the North
Port/Sarasota/Bradenton metropolitan area
as the “city with the highest well-being in the
United States.” Why do you think we ranked
so high?
A confluence of factors. First of all, it’s
an absolutely beautiful city with a terrific
environment. It’s located in a part of the US
where it’s sunny and warm all the time—
always great in terms of mental health!
But the thing that really distinguishes it from a
lot of other towns that have their own beaches
is the plethora of art and culture opportunities.
That’s really what makes Sarasota so special
and good for people’s well-being. The arts have
that effect on us.
/Time.com