EDUCATION

The Education department spent the 2021–2022 fiscal year innovating while remaining committed to The Ringling’s Equity Plan Commitments

14,587 VISITORS SERVED IN PERSON

7,765 VISITORS SERVED VIRTUALLY

4,485 FAMILY PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS

974 HOMESCHOOLED CHILDREN SERVED

31 TITLE 1 SCHOOLS ATTENDED PROGRAMS

$9,848 IN SCHOOL BUS SCHOLARSHIP FUNDS EXPENDED

5,750 VIRTUAL SCHOOL TOUR PARTICIPANTS

3,260 OUTREACH PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS

Thanks to skills developed out of necessity during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Education staff created resources to nimbly pivot and respond to multiple challenges while serving our diverse audience’s needs. This year, all areas of programming activated a blended approach to museum education—utilizing online, hybrid, and in-person experiences.

Students from Kindergarten to College returned to campus after a two-year hiatus to participate in our popular teacher-guided school visit program. Over 6,100 students visited The Ringling to use the museum as their classroom. Teacher Guides, student worksheets, and audio guides supported enriching experiences for students. Virtual school tours, instituted in 2020, became a permanent fixture of school programming. Over 1,260 students from around the country participated in live, Ringling-led virtual school tours providing access to rarely seen works of art. On-demand video tours remained a popular option, viewed by over 4,490 students nationwide as part of their curriculum. The Homeschool Third Thursday program also returned to campus, serving over 970 participants.

Youth and Family Programs offered another accessible entry point to The Ringling for diverse families, both in-person and online. We started the year with a family festival making collaborative art with Skyway 20/21: A Contemporary Collaboration artist Carrie Boucher and the NOMAD Art Bus. ROAR, our popular storytime program for toddlers, evolved including online and outdoor meetings with our youngest audience’s safety in mind. Family Art Making (FAM) went partially online with The Ringling providing art supplies for families to pick up and make art while following videos produced by staff. Over 2,110 intergenerational family members joined The Ringling this summer with our new FAM Open Studio program encouraging participants to explore a new medium weekly. In May, over 300 participants joined us for Night at the Museum, an evening of art education in collaboration with Remake Learning Days and The Patterson Foundation.

Outreach Programs expanded art education into the local community. One staff member worked with 11 partner organizations providing regular art education programs both virtually and in-person to off-site locations. Through these efforts, over 3,260 children across Sarasota and Manatee Counties made art— students who otherwise would not have the opportunity to visit the Museum.

One parent participant said:

Our in-demand Guide Program resumed in June 2022 after a long two-year absence. Ca’ d’Zan Experience, a brand-new tour, features all five floors of John and Mable Ringling’s historic mansion—brought to life by our dedicated corps of volunteer Museum Guides. Tours are back in the Museum of Art, as well. Tours now encompass all gallery spaces including the Center for Asian Art, contemporary art, and special exhibitions.

Adult Programs continued through virtual and in-person experiences. Online programs engaged participants across the country and increased access to our diverse collections and artists. The Arts & Health Program expanded this year as The Ringling partnered with Sarasota Memorial Hospital, University of South Florida-Sarasota Manatee Honors College, and Florida State University College of Medicine. Healthcare providers learned to use art as a medium to hone their practice of medicine through the power of observation, communication, tolerance of ambiguity, and open-mindedness.

In-person, hybrid, or virtual, The Ringling continued to serve our local, state, national, and international communities through engaging Education programs. The wide range of programs offered by the Museum sparked curiosity, art appreciation, and the love of learning while providing an accessible entry point to the Museum’s diverse collections—the legacy of John and Mable Ringling.