#ringling

Yes, although back in 2007 when my dinosaur ass graduated it was still Ringling SCHOOL of Art and Design. I was actually a part of the last class to graduate from Ringling School, from the illustration department.

I was talking about my Illustration prof, Mike Hodges. I'm assuming he's still alive and well since the only information I could find about an artist who had passed was a Michael Hodges who was black ("my" Mike is white and only ever went by Mike, not Michael).

Hodges has never had much of an internet presence to speak of since he worked through an agent and was established enough by the time I was studying under him to not even need an agent anymore; he just had all of the contacts himself. I found a facebook post from 2020 that was a portrait of Hodges where Dunnick mentioned he had retired in 2019 in the comments, but other than that I can't find anything current about him.

I receive Contxt every time Ringling publishes an issue for alumni, and I can't imagine they wouldn't have at least had an article or announcement on their website or SOMETHING if one of their well respected profs had passed away.

Either way, Hodges had a profound impact on my work and I always respected the hell out of him, so I was very upset when I thought he had passed so long ago and I hadn't known.

As if I didn't already despise AI enough, the AI results Google shoves in your face just made me believe one of my favorite professors from Ringling died when I tried looking him up randomly after a story involving him came up at the dinner table tonight. He was one of two teachers I had in college who meant the world to me.

He doesn't have that unusual of a name so I think the AI pulled from ANOTHER artist/illustrator by the same name who passed away in 2021 and mashed it together with the information I KNOW is true about my prof. He retired in 2019 but I'm certain that Ringling would have made some sort of announcement if one of their highly regarded professors of nearly 30 years passed away.

It is shocking how instantaneously I was DEVASTATED for a solid 20 minutes until I couldn't find outside confirmation and figured out wtf was going on with the AI result.

Fuck you, Google AI. You legitimately made me cry and now I'm exhausted.

RINGLING BROS. AND BARNUM & BAILEY 2026: il video

Come annunciato in una nostra news dello scorso 19/09/25, il colosso USA Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey è ripartito ed ha preso così il via la 148a tournée.

Come nella 147a edizione, il nuovo show è basato su numeri spettacolari con un buon tasso adrenalinico per compensare l'assenza di animali.

In questi giorni su Youtube sono stati pubblicati diversi filmati. Ne abbiamo trovato uno completo e di buona qualità che ci permette di godere del nuovo spettacolo dell'icona del circo mondiale.

A voi il filmato di MrBucketlist .....

Per ringraziarlo, non dimenticatevi di mettere un bel like al video.

Per informazioni, calendario ed orari degli spettacoli visitate il sito internet ufficiale raggiungibile

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RINGLING BROS. AND BARNUM & BAILEY 2026: il video

Peter Paul Rubens’ “The Triumph of Divine Love” is a powerful piece made using oil on canvas during the peak of the Baroque period. The painting is large and takes up a whole wall on its own, like many of Rubens’ other works. At first glance, the image is a whirlwind of movement and emotion with dozens of cherubs filling up the canvas with Charity at the center. The cherubs' bodies have a subtle pinkish beige hue, contrasting with the reds, yellows, blues in the sky, and greens from the landscape, further drawing you in. As does the symbol of Divine Love at the center, which is practically glowing. This piece is balanced in composition, with strong diagonals and circular motifs creating rhythm and drawing you toward Charity at the center. Although there’s some chaos, there’s a strong unity and purposeful contrast between light and dark, and heaven and earth. 

When looking at this painting I feel a little bit uneasy because of all the naked cherubs and it’s hard not to react. But after looking deeper into the painting I see their symbolic purpose. Each part of the painting stands for something meaningful like innocence, Christ’s sacrifice, sin, evil, and love conquering all. Moreover, the underlying biblical themes show us the need for grace and compassion in our everyday lives. Ultimately, the message, “love prevails over all” is especially significant now when our country feels divided and there’s so much pain and suffering throughout the world. 

“The Triumph of Divine Love” was part of Rubens’ commission for the Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia, the daughter of Philip II of Spain whose family were all devout Catholic. The painting was originally made for the Monastery of the Discalced Carmelites in Madrid, reflecting Catholic themes of redemption and divine grace during the Counter-Reformation (Ringling Docents). Rubens was known as a master of Baroque art, for his emotional intensity and use of classical allegory to convey religious truths. Thus he had a clear message, divine love triumphs over worldly sin and evil.

Lastly, this painting matters today because it still speaks to us and things that are going on today. Art is one of the few things that remains uncorrupted because it’s how people speak truth. I chose this piece because its message is timeless and especially important today, as we see many people suffering all across the world. Even in our darkest moments, love can conquer hate. It's something our world needs to hear again and again, and we need to remind ourselves.