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Experience The Ringling .....................11 Take in the Striking sights of Sarasota..............................................15 And much more…

EXPERIENCE THE RINGLING

A Guide to Visiting The Ringling

By Virginia Harshman

A visit to the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, Florida is an opportunity to see a world-class art collection, two circus museums, a palatial VenetianGothic mansion, an 18th-century Italian theater and an arboretum—all in one place!

THE ADVENTURE BEGINS

The Ringling has developed a comprehensive website through which interested parties may purchase tickets, preview the collection, see upcoming events and performances or ask questions. ringling.org

Arriving at the campus is a breeze thanks to free parking in a lot immediately across the street from the museum’s entrance. The original, pink-hued gatehouse serves as a perfect starting point.

Pro Tip: The Ringling is walking distance from SRQ Airport, and makes for a perfect stop during a layover or preflight. They will even check luggage for free while flyers visit the museum.

A THEATER FIT FOR A QUEEN

Upon entry, the McKay Visitors Pavilion provides the opportunity to explore an eclectic and colorful glass collection housed in the Kotler-Coville Glass Pavilion. Nearby, the Historic Asolo Theater serves as a gorgeous performance hall for The Ringling’s programs and the On-Screen Film series. The theater’s evolution began in the 15th century with Caterina Cornaro, the Queen of Cyprus. In 1798, architect Antonio Locatelli created the theater in the great hall of Caterina’s palace. The Asolo Theater, purchased by the museum’s first director, A. Everett Austin, Jr. in 1949, was installed in its current home in 2006.

Pro Tip: Museum admission is $25. However, a Reciprocal Membership can be purchased for $200 and includes free admission for two designated members at over 1,000 museums in North America.

ENTER PARADISE

After exiting the Visitors Pavilion, guests will find themselves in the midst of a lush landscape filled with exotic and rare species. The Ringling, certified as a Level II arboretum, is famous for its incredible banyan trees. Look for the famous “Banyan Boy,” a cherub statue that has become encased inside the roots of a banyan tree. By downloading the Treekeeper app, amateur arborists can learn more about the exquisite flora and fauna. Located in the arboretum, Mable’s Rose Garden, completed in 1913, is 27,225-square-foot Italian inspired garden, patterned after a wagon wheel. The property also includes the whimsical Dwarf Garden and the Secret Garden.

RUN AWAY AND JOIN THE CIRCUS

The circus museum actually consists of two buildings. Exhibits invite guests to walk the wire, squeeze into a clown car, snap photos with a ferocious faux tiger and more. The 44,000-piece Howard Bros. Circus Model must be seen to be believed, and the “Greatest Show on Earth” mural celebrates the entertainment that has delighted packed houses in great cities and small towns across America for generations. Parade wagons, posters, glittering costumes and the cannon that shot daring performers through the air line the halls of this hallowed institution. And soon, an exciting new interactive gallery experience, “The Greatest Show on Earth” will open in early 2022!

Pro Tip: Don’t miss seeing The Wisconsin! Worthy of the man called the “King of the Circus,” the custom Pullman car gives a glimpse into how the Ringlings traveled in impeccable style.

THE PALACE OF THE CIRCUS KING

Prepare for your breath to be taken away as you approach the incredible Ca’d’Zan mansion. Ca’d’Zan means “House of John” in Venetian dialect. Completed in 1926 at $1.5 million (over $21 million in today’s dollars), the 36,000 square-foot house sits on Sarasota Bay, is five stories tall and has a full basement (a rarity in Florida)! Pretend that you are a guest at one of John and Mable’s celebrity-filled parties and peruse the ballroom, grand hall and elegant dining room. Check out the humongous kitchen and don’t miss the gorgeous marble waterfront terrace. Ca’ d’Zan is the grandest mansion on Florida’s Suncoast and stands as one of America’s architectural treasures.

THE GRAND FINALE!

John Ringling was a man who understood the value of spectacle and loved to awe a crowd. His art museum does just that! The Ringling, the State Art Museum of Florida, is home to one of the preeminent art and cultural collections in the U.S. The museum is a U-shaped pink palace with 21 original galleries that house Ringling’s treasure trove of paintings and art objects, highlighted by a collection of masters that include Velazquez, El Greco, Van Dyck, Veronese, Tiepolo, Gainsborough and Rubens. Contemporary art and special exhibitions can be found in the Searing Wing and Monda Galleries. The Chao Center for Asian Art, housed inside a gigantic jade green cube, hosts a dynamic collection. A giant statue of David keeps watch over the Museum of Art’s Courtyard, while the gorgeous pink marble loggias are a favorite of influencers and Instagrammers.

Pro Tip: Wear comfortable shoes! If you bring a backpack, it must be worn on your front inside the galleries to prevent accidentally backing into the paintings. Taking photos to commemorate your visit is great, but flash is not allowed in the galleries. Use #Theringling on your photo, and it might be chosen for inclusion in The Ringling Magazine.

SARASOTA IN STYLE

Visually striking sights on the Cultural Coast of Florida

By Sean Davies

Beach goers on Lido Beach in Sarasota, Florida

The Butterfly House in the Spanish Point Campus at Selby Gardens

The dazzling shores of Sarasota, Florida, are home to more than just beautiful beaches and tropical cocktail bars. As the Cultural Coast of Florida, the area is a hub for art and beauty. Thirteen stages are within a mile of Downtown Sarasota, more than 90 works of public art dot the streets, and contemporary museums are within miles of botanical gardens showcasing rare and exotic marvels. Even the lush environment is a feast for the senses, where bold vacationers can get up close and personal with the tropical landscape that bursts from the seams of spectacular Sarasota.

MARIE SELBY BOTANICAL GARDENS

Sarasota is known for gorgeous natural wonder, showcased wonderfully at the Smithsonian affiliated Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. Composed of the 15acre Downtown Sarasota campus and the 30-acre Historic Spanish Point (HSP) campus in the Osprey area of Sarasota County, Florida, the 45 acres of bayfront sanctuaries are populated with native nature and regional history. The Downtown Campus is the only botanical garden in the world dedicated to the display and study of epiphytic orchids, bromeliads, gesneriads and ferns, and other tropical plants. The gardens utilize their grounds to educate on botany, horticulture, historical preservation and the environment. The Historic Spanish Point campus, located south along Little Sarasota Bay, is one of the largest preserves showcasing native Florida plants. The campus is open to the public and celebrates an archaeological record that encompasses approximately 5,000 years of Florida history. selby.org Continued on page 16

Take photos of manatees up close at the Mote Aquarium

VENICE THEATRE

From its humble beginnings set in the 1950s, in a borrowed building manned by volunteer staff, The Venice Theatre has come far. Today, it is one of the largest community theaters in the United States with its own beautiful playhouses, a paid professional staff and a roster of touring and local productions. This holiday season, the theater welcomes back “A Christmas Carol” for its 20th year. The production is an original musical adaptation of Dickens’ classic story, following Ebenezer Scrooge (played by Brad Wages) as he reflects on his past, present and potentially shakey future, playing December 10-20. “Ain’t Misbehavin’” follows close behind, running from January 14 to February 6. The Tony award-winning musical follows jazz musician Thomas “Fats” Waller’s rise to international fame during the Golden Age of the Cotton Club. The versatile cast dances, strums and sings the songs that Waller made famous. venicetheatre.org

SARASOTA ART MUSEUM

Opened in 2020 as the region’s first museum dedicated to contemporary art, the Sarasota Art Museum offers visitors a place to see dynamic and inspiring exhibitions and participate in exciting educational programming with global thought leaders. The facility is made up of exhibition gallery spaces, an auditorium, an outdoor sculpture garden, a bistro, retail store

Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium

and extensive grounds for performance, sculpture, movement classes and other gatherings. Monthly curator talks give new guests and current members insight into current exhibitions on display.

From November 27, 2021, to May 15, 2022, the museum will showcase the work of the late Felix Gonzalez-Torres, who used everyday materials, such as lightbulbs, paper and candy, to engage viewers in deeper consideration of intrapersonal and cultural issues. Debuting on the same day, “Judith Linhares: The Artist as Curator” is an exhibition curated by Judith Linhares, showcasing the work of five other artists, handpicked to be included alongside Linhares’ own paintings, journals and more. sarasotaartmuseum.org

MOTE MARINE LABORATORY AND AQUARIUM

Amazing animals and marine science exhibits offering up-close engagements are available to those who visit Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium. Enclosures feature manatees, sea turtles and otters in recreated habitats. The open water Shark Zone exhibit is home to the only Center for Shark Research designated by the U.S. Congress, as well as tanks of stingrays, a close relative to the shark.

The aquarium also hosts events every week, from yoga with the manatees to kayaking tours around beautiful Sarasota Bay, both early in the morning and during full moons! There are also a plethora of other educational activities that combine the important research of the laboratory with the fun and excitement of a day at the aquarium. mote.org

SARASOTA JUNGLE GARDENS

Home to more than 200 native and exotic animals all housed within 10 acres of lush tropical landscape connected by winding jungle trails, Sarasota Jungle Gardens is an excellent showcase of the beauty found in and around the area. Visitors can expect to find birds of prey, a variety of parrot and macaw species, small mammals, snakes, lizards, iguanas, alligators, crocodiles and other reptiles, many of which were rescued or donated — including Florida’s famous pink flamingos.

Visitors travel from all over the world to see the bright pink-feathered flocks. The flamingos are not shy and can often be seen splashing, flapping and strutting around. Guests can approach the ostentatious avians and hand-feed them, or just view them from a safe distance.

Daily bird and reptile shows provide educational entertainment for kids and adults alike and include an aftershow Q and A. Plenty of one-on-one animal interactions provide guests the chance to hold various creatures and pose for photos. sarasotajunglegardens.com

The Sarasota Art Museum

Explore the tropical jungles of Florida at Sarasota Jungle Gardens

SOME TRIPS YOU TAKE. Some take you.

TWO POOLSIDE RETREATS

WATERFRONT VIEWS WORLD-CLASS DINING LUXURIOUS SUNSUITES

Welcome to Sunseeker Resort Charlotte Harbor. This isn’t just another waterfront hotel — here, we’re creating an experience unlike anything else in Southwest Florida. Our culture of excellence is at the core of everything we do, so we can always bring you the best of everything under the sun, filled with the warm and welcoming spirit of Florida’s most laid-back coast. No matter how long you decide to stay, this is your time – and all your needs can be met right here.