CARTA’s Ratcliffe Art + Design Incubator Celebrates Grand Opening

News Story by Andrea Perez
Published on June 4, 2018

Department of Architecture, Department of Art + Art History

Florida International University’s College of Communication, Architecture + the Arts (CARTA) debuted the new space for the Ratcliffe Art + Design Incubator on Tuesday, May 22, 2018.

The grand opening featured a ribbon cutting and remarks from FIU President Mark Rosenberg. Dean of CARTA Brian Schriner and donors, Philip E. and Carole R. Ratcliffe. Director Jacek J. Kolasiński and mentors Neil Ramsay and Dimitry Saïd Chamy, were in attendance.

The Ratcliffe Art + Design Incubator was founded in 2017 with an $831,000 grant from The Philip E. and Carole R. Ratcliffe Foundation to fund the incubator for a three-year period. This initiative is aimed to promote and foster social entrepreneurship and innovation amongst upcoming FIU artists and designers and an opportunity to turn their ideas into profitable businesses.

The incubator facilities are located at FIU’s Biscayne Bay Campus and stands as one of the most innovative art and design spaces housed at a public university. The initiative seeks to bridge the gap between talent and entrepreneurial success while promoting innovative art and design within the community.

The space features an open floor plan aimed to promote collaborations and dialogues between students and mentors, as well as a meeting space, business library, and product design lab. Cutting-edge technology, design software and prototyping equipment are essential tools found within the lab to create an ecosystem for students to develop their products.

For more information on the Ratcliffe Art + Design Incubator, please visit their website.

2017-2018 Ratcliffe Cohort