The Ringling Magazine | February – May 2012

RINGLING

THE JOHN AND MABLE RINGLING MUSEUM OF ART

5401 Bay Shore Road

Sarasota, FL 34243

www.ringling.org

Accredited by the American Association of Museums

Governor

The Honorable Rick Scott

The Florida State University

Dr. Eric J. Barron, President

FSU, College Visual Arts, Theater & Dance

Sally E. McRorie, Dean Executive Director

Steven High

Board of Directors

Patrick J. Hennigan*, Chair

Clifford L. Walters, III*, Vice Chair

Michael E. Urette, Treasurer

Michéle D. Redwine*, Secretary

Sara A. Bagley*

Madeleine H. Berman*

Daniel J. Denton

George R. Ellis

Casey Gonzmart

Priscilla M. Greenfield

J. Roderick (Rod) Heller, III

Paul G. Hudson*

Dorothy C. Jenkins

Thomas B. Luzier*

Nancy J. Parrish*

Michael R. Pender, Jr.*

Samuel L. (Bo) Perry, Jr.

Roger C. Pettingell*

T. Marshall Rousseau

Tana V. Sandefur*

Ina L. Schnell*

Barbara J. Siemer*

Les R. Smout

Linda Streit

Howard C. Tibbals*

James B. Tollerton*

Helga M. Wall-Apelt*

Ex-Officio Board Members

Wilmer I. Pearson*, Chair, Volunteer Services Advisory Council

James M. LeTellier*, President, Members Council

Sharon W. Erickson*, President Docent Advisory Council

Dear Members:

With this issue I am pleased to introduce RINGLING, our newly designed and greatly expanded members’ magazine. I hope you will enjoy the additional pages of photographs and commentary that provide greater insight into our exhibitions and programs with articles by Dr. Virginia Brilliant exploring some of the more fascinating aspects of our upcoming Rubens exhibition and by David Berry touching upon the numerous education experiences that we offer. Every issue will also feature a member interview to highlight the diversity of our membership and the many ways in which our members take full advantage of the Ringling Museums.

RINGLING is just one of the many changes that members will experience in the year ahead. By now you should have received a brochure outlining new member categories and benefits that took effect with every new and renewal membership after January 1. Many benefits have changed; some very generous benefits have been scaled back while many new benefits have been created to give you greater access to our organization. Our Circle level memberships are part of a new membership category that was created to recognize those philanthropic members who give at some of our highest levels and to provide new opportunities and access to the institution for them. We are very thankful for these donors and, up to now, have never truly recognized their generosity. This generosity is also visibly recognized in the John M. McKay Visitor Pavilion where we feature our annual donors at the $1,000 level and above as well as donors of artwork and our Legacy Society members.

The opening of Joseph’s Coat, the long awaited James Turrell Skyspace, on December 22 was an amazing success. More than 1,200 members and visitors celebrated the opening in the Museum Courtyard and viewed Joseph’s Coat for the first time while partaking in special libations and activities, including a dramatic fire performance by Hoola Monsters. Featured on the cover of RINGLING, James Turrell’s newest sculpture is a must see experience at any time of the day but during sundown, the work comes to life via a complex arrangement of LED lights and computer programming to forever alter our experience of gazing at the sky. Members get to experience it free of charge but reservations are necessary as seating is limited. Please visit www.ringling.org to reserve a seat.

Joseph’s Coat was years in the making and required many dedicated and committed individuals to make it a reality: the donors who funded the acquisition; the architect and contractors who constructed it; and the programming and lighting designers who worked with the artist to achieve his vision. On his appointment as Associate Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art two years ago, Dr. Matthew McLendon dived into the Turrell project and was the chief museum representative working with Turrell and his staff.

In this publication, Matthew gives us a behind-the-scenes look into the work involved in bringing this largest single work in the museum’s collection to completion. It is this type of insider access that RINGLING will feature in the years ahead that I hope you will value and appreciate. The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art is your museum. Thank you for supporting the Ringling through your membership.

Sincerely,

Cover: Joseph’s Coat, the Skyspace created by James Turrell, Photo: Giovanni Lunardi

*Sarasota/Manatee County resident Available in alternative format upon request.

RINGLING is produced by the Marketing & Communications

Department of The John and Mable Ringilng Museum of Art

The Ringling Legacy The Ringling Vision

Ringling

4–5 Exhibition Focus: Peter Paul Rubens

The master of copyright, Peter Paul Rubens, is explored with Dr. Virginia Brilliant, Associate Curator of European Art

6–7 Special Event Highlight: Ringling in Bloom

Take a look behind the scenes of an extravagant floral inspired event with Maureen Zaremba, Curator of Education

8 Collection Update

Follow paintings and objects from the Ringling collection featured in important international exhibitions this year

R1–R16 Calendar-at-a-Glance

Highlights of estate offerings, exhibitions and programs are featured in this at-aglance calendar insert

9 College Connections

Dr. David Berry, Assistant Director/Academic Affairs, shares new programs and opportunities to connect with our diverse college community

10–11 Art of Our Time: Joseph’s Coat

Dr. Matthew McLendon, Associate Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, shares his experience working closely with artist James Turrell

12–13 Art of Our Time: The Historic Asolo Theater

A selection of rich programming is presented as a result of ongoing partnerships with the Asolo Repertory Theater and the Hermitage Artist Retreat.

14–15 Membership

Highlights of the newest Museum Member benefits for Winter 2012 plus insights into the generosity of our vibrant Museum community.

Photo Courtesy of Florian Holzherr, copyright James Turrell

SN218 Peter Paul Rubens

The Departure of Lot and His Family from Sodom, c. 1613/1615

Oil on canvas, 86 3/4 x 96 in. (220.3 x 243.8 cm)

Paulus Pontius (Antwerp 1603–Antwerp 1658)

After Peter Paul Rubens (Siegen 1577–Antwerp 1640)

Peter Paul Rubens (detail) Engraving Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten Antwerpen

SYMPOSIUM ON PETER PAUL RUBENS’S TRIUMPH OF THE EUCHARIST SERIES

Around 1625, Archduchess

Isabella Clara Eugenia (1566–1633), daughter of King Philip II of Spain and regent of the Spanish Netherlands, commissioned a sumptuous series of twenty tapestries from her court painter and advisor, Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640). Conceived as a gift for the Convent of the Descalzas Reales in Madrid, the tapestries represent the Triumph of the Eucharist, expounding on and extolling this fundamental tenet of Counter-Reformation faith. Thirty years have passed since the publication of the magisterial Corpus Rubenianum volume on the Eucharist series; the time is ripe for new research and perspectives.

Join us from March 30–March 31, for a 2-day symposium held in conjunction with the exhibition Peter Paul Rubens: Impressions of a Master. Please contact Barbara Hyde, Adult Learning Coordinator (Barbara.hyde@ringling.org) for further information.

PETER PAUL RUBENS, IMPRESSIONS OF A CURATOR

Dr. Virginia Brilliant, Associate Curator of European Art

For sheer spectacle, the Ringling’s Rubens Galleries are unrivalled in any museum in America. The five majestic canvases by the Flemish Baroque master Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640) can’t help but inspire awe. Although Michelangelo’s David has become the Museum’s foremost emblem, the paintings by Rubens are what take your breath away, and what stay with you long after you leave.

Remarkably, even perhaps surprisingly, Peter Paul Rubens: Impressions of a Master will be the Ringling’s first ever exhibition devoted to the work of its preeminent artist, its “patron saint.” At the show’s core are around forty magnificent engravings after compositions by Rubens from the Royal Museum of Fine Arts in Antwerp, a repository of the largest group of prints after Rubens in the world. These will be joined by several paintings by and prints after Rubens from the Ringling collection. While the paintings are well-known favorites, the prints have rarely, if ever, been on view.

A prolific artist renowned for his bravura handling of oil paint, energetic compositions, and dramatic, triumphal, and often sensual style, Rubens was also an international diplomat, a shrewd businessman, an intellectual, a friend of scholars and rulers, and a loving husband and father. The exhibition introduces this extraordinary figure and his oeuvre. These range from his altarpieces and other religious pictures, painted for the Catholic Church during an era of reformist zeal and ever-intensifying emotionalism in devotion, to his amazingly lifelike portraits of the great and good of his day, and also

include violent hunt and erotic mythological scenes, whose beautiful goddesses inspired the term “Rubenesque” and the meditative landscapes of his late career. The exhibition culminates in a celebration of Rubens’s monumental decorative programs in oil paint and tapestry, made for great churches and palaces across Europe. The exhibition also invites you to discover a little-known aspect of Rubens’s artistic practice—his printmaking. At the height of his career, Rubens undertook a campaign to reproduce and disseminate his paintings, drawings, and tapestry designs in printed format. Rubens realized that through prints, his most famous compositions could be enjoyed by an international public, by those who could not afford his paintings or travel to see his magnificent schemes. Dissatisfied with the earlier, frequently unauthorized reproductions of his work, Rubens rather unusually obtained legal authority to copyright his images, engaging, it would seem, with the very same intellectual property issues that beset artists today. Yet unlike Dürer, Rembrandt, or Goya, Rubens did not make his own prints, but rather hired printmakers to translate his compositions into authorized reproductive engravings and woodcuts and supervised them vigorously. He avoided artists who tried to impose their own ideas and styles on the reproductions, encouraging printmakers to imitate his painterly effects. Rubens was not simply an artist—with the help of his workshop and his collaborators, including his printmakers, he created a global “brand,” a particular style and a hallmark of quality valued the world over.

Peter Paul Rubens: Impressions of a Master will be on view in the Searing Wing from February 17–June 3, 2012.

Related Programs:

Members Only Special Exhibition Opening: Thursday, February 16, 5:00–7:00 pm

Join fellow Members for a first look.

Gallery Walk & Talk: Making an Impression: The Printmaking Process and Rubens, Thursday, March 8, 6:00 pm

Learn about Rubens, his master printmakers, and the types of prints in the exhibition.

Ringling Partner Program: Drawing with the Master, Thursday, April 5, 6:00–8:00 pm

Draw in the galleries surrounded by the paintings and prints of Peter Paul Rubens.

Gallery Walk & Talk: Baroque Babes, Hefty Heroines and Luscious Ladies, Thursday, April 19, 6:00 pm

Meet the good, the bad, and the beautiful full-figured females featured in the special exhibition.

Gallery Walk & Talk:

Copyright Rubens, Thursday, April 26, 6:00 pm

Explore the challenges of copyright through the life of Peter Paul Rubens.

Viewpoint: Peter Paul Rubens and the Art of Diplomacy, Saturday, April 28, 10:30 am

Join author Mark Lamster as he investigates the many intertwined lives of Rubens and explains how his experience shaped his art.

Art of Food: A Baroque Banquet, Tuesday, April 24, 4:15 pm

Join Museum staff for a private tour of the special exhibition followed by an elegant baroque banquet at Treviso restaurant.

BEHIND THE SCENES OF RINGLING IN BLOOM

Maureen Zaremba Curator of Education

From February 23 through February 26, floral creations designed by regional arrangers will provide a unique way to engage with the art in the Museum’s galleries. Ringling in Bloom offers a “fresh” point of view by juxtaposing two art forms. Floral designers look at the Museum’s sculpture and paintings through a different lens than Museum curators and educators and help us to appreciate works that we often don’t pay much attention to, or realize new possibilities in old favorites.

Behind the beauty lies months of planning and preparation by a dedicated team of volunteer designers and Museum staff. This partnership is critical to creating an extraordinary event for our visitors and a safe one for the collection.

The first step in the planning process is to invite designers from garden clubs throughout the region to participate in this unique event. These experienced designers compete in judged competitions on a local, regional, and in some cases, national level. A visit to the Museum galleries provides the inspiration, but a carefully prepared list by Museum staff informs the designers which objects are going out on loan or may be moving to another venue in the months to come. Consideration is also given to the size of the galleries and the placement of the arrangements to ensure a smooth flow of traffic around the arrangements and the artwork.

Designers attend an orientation session to introduce them to some of the challenges of using fresh flowers in the Museum. The Museum’s Registrar has developed a set of guidelines that provides the designers with creative latitude while ensuring the protection of the collection. Also, flowers

with heavy pollen on the stamens, such as lilies, represent a problem as the pollen can adhere to the surface of a work of art. Flowers and other live materials are soaked in a bleach solution to kill any pests and all offending stamens are clipped off prior to bringing them into the Museum. Cut fruit and vegetables are not allowed as they are very attractive to insects.

Flowers need water but works of art do not, so Oasis, a kind of floral foam, is used extensively in the arrangements. The Oasis keeps the flowers sufficiently hydrated but does not present the danger of large amounts of water that could be accidentally spilled. Staff monitor the condition of the arrangements over the course of the four day event, following instructions provided by the designers regarding watering requirements and the replacement of faded blossoms.

Set up day for the evening’s Designer Preview is a frenzy of activity beginning at 7:00 am when the first shift of designers arrives to begin work. Thought must be given to creating an area within the Museum where the arrangers can have the freedom to be creatively messy! Each designer is assigned to a staff member who assists with unloading and transporting materials. Museum Preparators step in and assist with moving the arrangements into the galleries. Containers are waxed down on their pedestals for safety and lights adjusted to set off the subtleties of the flowers without being too intense. Then designers and staff run home to be back in time for the opening festivities of Ringling in Bloom

One of the most rewarding outcomes of this event for both Museum staff and visitors is the conversations created by this new fresh look in the galleries. I hope you will be a part of this artful dialogue.

Museum of Art Special Hours

Thursday, February 23, 10:00 am–5:00 pm

Museum of Art Galleries 1–21 closed to public in preparation for special event, Designers Preview. Searing Wing open.

Friday, February 24 10:00 am–8:00 pm

Museum of Art open until 8 pm. Regular admission applies.

Proceeds from Ringling In Bloom events benefit Museum exhibitions, programs and operations.

RINGLING IN BLOOM

FEBRUARY 23–26, 2012

Designer Preview*

Museum of Art Galleries and Loggia

Thursday, February 23

5:30–8:00 pm

Opening night preview in the Museum of Art Galleries and Courtyard with floral designers. $85/$75 for Museum members.

Master Florist Remco van Vliet: Lecture and Demonstration*

The Historic Asolo Theater

Friday, February 24

10:30 am or 2:00 pm

Learn today’s floral trends and techniques from this celebrity floral designer. $50/$40 for Museum members. Includes Museum general admission.

Fashion, Flowers and Food: Lilly Pulitzer®* Museum of Art Courtyard and Loggia

Saturday, February 25

11:30 am–1:30 pm

Preview Lilly’s Spring collection over lunch in the Museum’s Courtyard garden and participate in a silent auction benefitting Museum programs. $120/$100 for Museum members. Includes Museum general admission.

Flower Arranging Workshops

The Johnson-Blalock Education Building

Sunday, February 26

10:30 am–12:30 pm or 2:00 pm–4:00 pm

Enthusiasts at all levels receive hands-on instruction from celebrity floral designer Remco van Vliet. $200 per person. Fee includes flowers, container and mechanics.

*Buy 3 events and receive 20% off: Members $172/Non-Members $204

Special Thanks to our Sponsors

Da Vermeer a Kandinsky: Capolavori dai musei del mondo a Rimini

Castle Sismondo, Rimini, Italy

January 21–June 3, 2012

RINGLING AROUND THE WORLD

Works from the Ringling Museum can be enjoyed in exhibitions all over the world in 2012. From Daytona Beach and New York to Rimini and Paris, visitors can enjoy the treasures of this great collection.

Caravaggio and the European Caravaggism

Musée Fabre, Montpellier, France

June 22–October 14, 2012

Rembrandt Paintings in America

Cleveland Museum of Art

February 2012–May 2012

Minneapolis Institute of Art

June 2012–September 2012

Edouard Vuillard: A Painter and his Muses

The Jewish Museum, NYC

May 4–September 23, 2012

Also on view:

Bohemes

Galeries Nationals, Grand Palais, Paris

September 24, 2012–January 6, 2013

Fondation culturelle mapfre, Madrid

January 29–April 28, 2013

Focus Gallery: Medieval Objects

Muscarelle Museum of Art, Williamsburg, VA

April–June, 2012

Impressionism, Fashion, and Modernity

Musée d’Orsay, Paris

September 18, 2012–January 13, 2013

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

February 19–May 27, 2013

The Art Institute of Chicago

June 30–September 22, 2013

Old Master Drawings

Museum of Arts & Sciences, Daytona Beach

November 16, 2012 to February 10, 2013

Splendid Treasures of the Turkomen Tribes of Central Asia

Museum of Fine Arts, Florida State University

February 10–March 25, 2012

COLLEGE CONNECTIONS

Thursdays, February 2, March 1, April 5

7:00–10:00 pm

Museum of Art Courtyard

Included with Art after 5 admission

Ringling Underground is a new series of events aimed at the college and young professional crowd. Held in the Museum Courtyard on the first Thursdays of February, March and April, these events will combine live music, art and pop culture in a blockparty atmosphere.

RINGLING UNDERGROUND RINGLING PARTNER PROGRAM

Drawing with a Master

Thursday, April 5, 6:00–8:00 pm

Museum of Art, Searing Wing

Included with Art after 5 admission

Peter Paul Rubens was a gifted draftsman, as well as a painter. Be inspired by the work of this amazing artist, and draw in the galleries surrounded by his prints and paintings. A helpful hand will be provided by students and faculty from Ringling College of Art and Design. Bring your own graphite, pencils and drawing pads (11x17 and under). Stools provided.

COLLEGE STUDENT ART EVENT

Friday, April 13, 9:00 pm–Midnight

Museum of Art Courtyard

Free for students from FSU, NCF, RCAD, SCF and USF

Join us for this live art event organized by local college students, featuring the talents of student artists and musicians.

Dr. David Berry Assistant Director, Academic Affairs

“I hope this museum... will promote education and art appreciation, especially among our young people.” —John

Ringling, 1931

Since governance of the Museum was assumed by Florida State University in 2000, the Ringling has developed into the largest college arts complex in the United States. To make the most of this remarkable facility, the University recently decided to create a new department of Academic Affairs at the Museum. The aim of this department is to provide greater opportunities for the students and faculty of FSU and of other universities here in Sarasota.

The Ringling held a College Night in September to reconnect area college students to the Museum. More than 170 students, representing some 40 different majors, attended from nine local colleges. This clearly illustrates the Museum’s potential to serve as common ground, where students from all the colleges in the area can meet socially, as well as academically.

In October, students from New College and Ringling College assisted Swiss artist Zimoun with the installation of the exhibition Sculpting Sound. Towards the end of the installation process, Zimoun gave a talk with curator Matthew McLendon that was attended by more than 80 students and faculty from both institutions. Everyone involved with this project has commented on how rewarding it was for them, and the staff has expressed interest in continuing to work with students on similar projects in the future.

Zimoun’s exhibition was the inspiration for a performance by students from the FSU School of Dance, held as part of the Ringling International Arts Festival. During their stay in Sarasota, the students were exposed to the work of other dancers and choreographers involved with the festival, which greatly enriched their experience.

In November, the Museum hosted a performance of Hamlet Redux, presented by students from the FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training. This is part of the Asolo Rep’s New Stages Tour, which introduces theater to new audiences throughout the state.

Moving forward, the Museum is keen to create opportunities for students to develop and implement programs of their own design, which share their energy and enthusiasm with the wider public. It is also interested in providing more practical, hands-on experiences for students that will help them in their future careers. This will involve a strengthening of the Ringling’s summer internship program, which draws students from across the country, as well as an expansion of internship opportunities throughout the academic year.

Our effort to reach out to students is part of a process of re-engagement with the local community, intended to expand the value of the Museum to students, and make clearer the value of students to the Museum. After all, it is they who will determine the fate of the institution, as the members and patrons of the future.

“Walk up, walk up straight through the roof. Straight through the hole in the ceiling, take your place in the sky.”

—Meklit Hadero, from her song Walk Up

Joseph’s Coat, the Skyspace created by James Turrell, Photo: Giovanni Lunardi

MY TIME WITH TURRELL

Dr. Matthew McLendon, Associate Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art Art

I am not a fan of the clichéd expressions with which corporate culture has impoverished our language.

Chief among these ubiquitous, and therefore meaningless, exaggerations is “it takes a village.” However, as I try to explain the complex process involved in the building of Joseph’s Coat, the Skyspace created by James Turrell, more often than not I have found myself uttering apologies and explanations in preface to my defeat as I find myself saying, “it takes a...”. Yet, as I come to reflect on the last two years of my life which I have not marked in the passing of hours or even days, but have rather calculated as the space between Skyspace meetings, conference calls, and site visits, I find myself at least updating this trite phrase to, “The building of a Turrell Skyspace—it takes a city!”

All of this is my long-winded introduction to say in these last two years, I’ve actually only spent about 10 hours with James Turrell—but in those 10 hours I learned more about Joseph’s Coat than in all the other hours of the two years. Please do not misunderstand, though I was not in direct conversation

with James we spoke often to one another through architects, lighting designers, engineers, liaisons, studio managers, etc. The first realization I had on this project, and the one that continues to impress me, is just how “hands on” James Turrell is in every project. Not a decision was made that he himself did not approve. There is no question, as is so often the case in art, of how much the “master” was directly involved with the fabrication of the actual work. James knew every inch of the finished Skyspace before he walked through the door.

So, in retrospect, I shouldn’t have been the rather disheveled lump of nerves I was on that first evening as I waited in Joseph’s Coat for him to arrive and view his work, the largest to date. I should have known all would be well because there were no surprises—he knew exactly what to expect. In such situations, though, rational thought is rarely a worthy opponent to worry. All doubt quickly abated as a rather avuncular man with a larger, and whiter, beard than one expects, walked energetically through the door and immediately smiled. James was pleased!

In the hours I’ve spent with James Turrell I’ve found him to be as happy to talk about science as he is to talk about art. In fact, I’m rather awed by his mastery of both subjects. Ten minutes in to our first meeting, I learned that the good thing about the reclaimed cypress wood used for the benches in Joseph’s Coat was not only that cypress weathers to that lovely shimmering gray, but that in this cypress, because it was so old, much of the cellulose had been replaced by calcium making it far more durable. Later, I was informed the aperture was a ninth the surface of the overall ceiling—it is the central square, and that an eleventh of the light that originally flooded the courtyard was now allowed to shine in. Insights such as these quickly remind us of a complexity which is recessed from our immediate awareness in the Skyspace but that is essential for its success.

Spending time with James, you can easily forget you are in the presence of one of the greatest living contemporary artists. He shares funny stories about his ranch and his cattle; he asks for your recommendation on the best place to get a good breakfast; then he tells you about testifying in front of the FAA on behalf of Sam Walton, the founder of Wal-Mart and like James an avid pilot, twice assuring the regulatory board that the plane Mr. Walton insisted on landing in Wal-Mart parking lots during openings was indeed safe, and then you remember, you’re not just having dinner with anyone...

“We are dwellers at the bottom of the ocean of air.

We create the color and shape of the sky. It does not exist outside the self.”

—James Turrell

Photo Courtesy of Florian Holzherr, copyright James Turrell

Are you seeing RED?

If your theatre plans for 2012 include the upcoming Asolo Rep/Ringling Museum production of RED, we invite you to participate in Seeing RED —a special museum installation and series of programs, presented to deepen and enhance your theatre experience.

Tickets are now available at the Historic Asolo Theater Box Office: 941.360.7399; the Asolo Repertory Theatre Box Office: 941.351.8000; or online at www.asolorep.org

LUMINOSITY

Permanent Collection Focus Exhibition

Museum of Art Searing Wing

Taking as its subject the moment in the play in which Rothko describes the work of Caravaggio as being “illuminated from within...he gives it inner luminosity,” this group of paintings explores how artists have engaged that most important element—light.

SEEING RED LECTURE SERIES

February 23: Revealing Rothko

Historic Asolo Theater, 7:00 pm

An exploration of the life, times, and works of the Abstract Expressionist, Mark Rothko. Join Dr. Matthew McLendon, Associate Curator for Modern and Contemporary Art, as he discusses the circumstances which led to the events surrounding the infamous Seagram Murals.

March 8: Seeing the Light

Museum of Art Searing Wing, 7:00 pm

Dr. McLendon guides us through the focus exhibition, Luminosity. (see above)

March 22: Waiting for the Curtain

Historic Asolo Theater, 7:00 pm

One week before opening we take a look at the artistry behind the scenes. Discover the creative process in the days leading to the curtain going up. We will examine how an artistic vision comes to life through the technical elements of theatre such as sets, lighting, sound, and costumes.

TICKETS FOR THE LECTURE SERIES

$10 or $5/program for Ringling Museum Members, Asolo Repertory Theatre subscribers, and students with valid ID. Tickets at Historic Asolo Box Office: 941.360.7399

BY John Logan

PRODUCED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE ASOLO REPERTORY THEATER

A CO-PRODUCTION WITH THE MALTZ JUPITER THEATRE

Andrew Kato, Artistic Director;

Tricia Trimble, Managing Director

DIRECTED BY Lou

MARCH 30–APRIL 22

Jacob

PREVIEWS MARCH 28 & 29 IN THE HISTORIC ASOLO THEATER

“What do you see?” painter Mark Rothko asks in the opening line of John Logan’s enthralling, Tony Awardwinning, play. This becomes the central question in this compelling theatrical depiction of one of the 20th century’s most important and complex artists.

“Red is a fascinating portrayal of the ambition, vulnerability and agony inherent in the art of making art. Intense and exciting... What we see, above all, is an artist seeing, and it’s impossible not to feel thrilled by the privilege.” — New York Times

CONTAINS SOME MATURE LANGUAGE AND THEMES

In The Historic Asolo Theater

ARTISTS OF THE HERMITAGE

The Artists of the Hermitage Retreat

The Hermitage Artist Retreat on Manasota Key in southern Sarasota County nurtures creativity in select artists of our time. In 2010, the Ringling Museum entered into a collaborative partnership with the Hermitage to create the Gulf Coast Community Foundation Ringling/ Hermitage Artist in Residence and to present a series of public programs in which these artists share insights into their works-in-progress.

Sanford Biggers

Each year, the Greenfield Prize at the Hermitage Artist Retreat is awarded as a commission “to bring into the world works of art that will have a significant impact on the broader or artistic culture.” In 2010 that award was given to Sanford Biggers, and on Friday, March 30, 2012 the new work will be unveiled in the galleries of the Ringling Museum of Art.

Sanford Biggers’ installations, videos, and performances have appeared in venues worldwide, including Tate Britain and Tate Modern, London; the Whitney Museum and Studio Museum in Harlem, New York; and the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, San Francisco, as well as institutions around the world.

Sanford has been included in several notable shows such as Prospect 1/ New Orleans Biennial and Illuminations at Tate Modern, and Performa 07. He has also had solo exhibitions in Los Angeles, London, New York, Berkeley, Kansas City and in Europe and the Far East.

The Artists of the Hermitage Retreat Artists share their work and themselves in these programs held in the Historic Asolo Theater

Thursdays at 7:30 p.m. $5 HIstoric Asolo Theater Box Office 941.360.7399

• February 2: Tony Award-winning playwright Arthur Kopit reads from new work and shares his life in the theater.

• February 16: Musician and experimental composer Bora Yoon presents her new soundwork and works from her forthcoming recording, Sunken Cathedral

• March 15: The Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Bernard Rand screens his latest opera, Vincent, based on the life of Vincent van Gogh.

The 2012 Gulf Coast Community Foundation Ringling/ Hermitage Artist in Residence

The experimental multiinstrumentalist, composer and performer, Bora Yoon will be in residence at the Ringling Cottage February and March of 2012. Yoon—who’s been featured in WIRED magazine and on the front page of The Wall Street Journal for her musical innovations—creates architectural soundscapes from everyday found objects, chamber instruments, digital devices, and voice. Using a sound designer’s approach to performance composition that is steered by a penchant for a song, she creates music that plays with sensory associations and spatial idiosyncrasies, with much spontaneity and little regard to the classifying genres of instrumentation.

2010, photograph by Zachary Larner.

In The Historic Asolo Theater

Bora Yoon

Bernard Rand Sanford Biggers

Thank you to our sponsors and supporters who made a commitment to the success of the 2011 RIAF Patron

UP CLOSE RINGLING MEMBER

Phyllis Werber

City of Residence: Sarasota

Membership Level: Contributor

Joined: 2005

Producer

Bon Eau Foundation, Juno & Jove, Inc.,

Probo Productions LLC

Frank E. Duckwall Foundation

Huisking Foundation, Inc.

Q1. Tell us about how your unique background and why the Ringling is a passion of yours? My background is quite different—being born and raised in Taipei. I didn’t come to the U.S. until I was a young adult. I was very fortunate to have grown up in a family that was both supportive of and involved in the arts and culture. Thus, it was just natural to transfer that enjoyment and interest to organizations here. The Gardens of the Ringling are so beautiful, the wonderful art collections at the Museum and, the fabulous food at Treviso are just too good to miss. Spending time at and enjoying the Ringling just seemed to be a natural fit.

Associate

Blalock, Walters, Held & Johnson, P.A.

Florida Lottery

Gulf Coast Community Foundation

Herald-Tribune Media Group

Icard, Merrill, Cullis, Timm, Furen & Ginsburg, P.A.

Macy’s

MGA Insurance

SunTrust Bank

Amy C. Walker

Willis A. Smith Construction, Inc.

Generous support from sponsors ensures the Museum continues to provide exceptional exhibitions, programming and performances throughout the year. Contact Stacey Corley at 941.359.5700, ext.15806 to learn how you or your company can become a sponsor for any one of the amazing events, exhibitions, education programs or performances happening at the Ringling Museum!

Q2. Why do you feel it is important to support the Ringling Museum and arts in our community? There are many places where people can reside to enjoy sun, fun and a temperate climate. However, not that many offer theater, arts, and culture like Sarasota; and Ringling Museum is the representative of Sarasota. I feel that is a tremendous asset to our community. It made for a great lifestyle choice. Supporting Ringling Museum is supporting Sarasota!

Q3. You attended the inaugural Ringling in Bloom. Please share your experiences and most memorable memories. I was so fascinated by the creativity of all the floral designers at the Ringling in Bloom. Every floral design was so carefully thought out to capture the meaning and the lives of the paintings. The patrons were all dressed in creative high fashion, strolling in and out of the galleries and sharing their thoughts of the event at the elegantly decorated balcony with the delicious Hors d’oeuvres and cocktails in hands. The Ringling in Bloom experience opened, inspired and delighted all my senses. It enriched my life tremendously! I am so looking forward to the upcoming Ringling in Bloom!!!

Q4. What are some of your other favorite Ringling experiences in the two years? I really enjoyed the Thursday evening music and dancing at the Ca’ d’Zan. What a fabulous setting. A waterfront sunset view, great local bands and many friends. Great fun! Ringling is one of the places I always introduce to out of town guests. Most are surprised at its size and the quality of content. We are so lucky!

Q5. What are you most looking forward to experiencing in 2012 at the Ringling Museum? A new year always brings a fresh outlook. I am looking forward to seeing this year’s special exhibitions!

Mrs. John Sandefur

THE POWER OF PHILANTHROPY

Peter Vogt, the lead funder of the recently unveiled Joseph’s Coat by James Turrell, has been a true consumer of the arts since he began collecting in 1954. As a former Ringling Board Member (2006–2010), he was first introduced to Turrell’s work at a private home in California and after experiencing Roden Crater in Arizona, he was truly able to appreciate the mystical, spiritual and expansiveness of Turrell’s work. Peter Vogt and his wife Pam, as well as several members of their family, were honored at the unveiling on December 22, 2011. Peter stated that this is a Vogt family legacy and “there is no doubt that loving, learning about and living with art has enriched the lives of each member of my family in their own way.” Peter believes that Joseph’s Coat is “a gift to future generations. It will establish the Ringling yet again as a Museum that is reaching into the modern era while maintaining the elegance of the past, with its collection of the masters.”

Joseph’s Coat has also been made possible by the generous support of Dick and Betty Watt Nimtz, and Beverly Koski and her late husband Robert. The Nimtzs and Koskis were also honored at the December 22, 2011 unveiling for their support of this very important acquisition for the Ringling Museum. It is in keeping with the tradition of the Ringling’s history of bold artistic purchases, including John Ringling’s acquisition of the Peter Paul Ruben’s art in the 1920’s. This massive art work fills the entire William G. and Marie Selby Foundation Courtyard of the Ulla R. and Arthur F. Searing Wing of The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art.

Joseph’s Coat by James Turrell has been made possible through the support of: Peter A. Vogt Family, Robert and Beverly Koski, Dick and Betty Watt Nimtz, William G. and Marie Selby Foundation, Ulla R. and Arthur F. Searing

The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art is truly grateful for their support. Thank you!

SPECIAL BENEFITS JUST FOR MEMBERS

Complimentary admission to the sunset light program for Joseph’s Coat, the Skyspace created by artist James Turrell

Experience the Skyspace light program at sunset every Thursday through Sunday at no charge. Available January 5–March 24, 2012. Capacity limited to 56 per evening. Advance reservations recommended, call 941.358.3180. Arrive 30 minutes prior to sunset. The program will last one hour.

Non-members: $5

Members Only After Hours

Exhibition Opening of Peter Paul Rubens: Impressions of a Master

February 17 – June 3, 2012, 5:00–7:00 pm

Museum of Art Searing Wing Loggia

Join fellow Members and be the first to see the special exhibtion. Light bites and cash bar. Then enjoy the rhythms of Yesterdayze on the at Ringling by the Bay on the Ca’ d’Zan bayfront until 8:00pm.

Complimentary admission to Ringling by the Bay every third Thursday

through June, 2012

Bolger Campiello, 5:00–8:00 pm

Join us for a beautiful sunset, live music and dancing on the bayfront. From 60’s hits to today’s pop favorites, local bands present rock, blues and folk sets for every age. Food and beverages available for purchase. Included with Art After 5 Museum admission, $10/Adults, $5/ Children.

Feb 16 Yesterdayze

Mar 15 Boneshakers

Apr 19 soulRcoaster

May 17 Dr. Dave Band

Jun 21 The Venturas

Left to right:

Peter-John Vogt, Peter Vogt, James Turrell, Kyung Turrell, Pam Vogt; Hiram Butler, Dick and Betty Nimtz, Molly Hubbard; FSU President, Eric Barron, George and Sarah Pappas, Molly Barron; Alice Rau, Norman Rau; Beverly Koski, John Wetenhall

These glass and sterling Petal Rings are unique in that they stretch to fit most everyone. Petal Rings add a splash of color to jeans or an extra spark to ignite that little black dress. If nothing else, petal rings make a statement. they laugh. they flirt. they scream. Petal rings say it all without you saying a thing. $76 each.

NEW AT THE RINGLING MUSEUM STORE

Mable Ringling was known for her beauty, sense of fashion and style, as well as her love of gardening. Today, visitors to The Ringling Museum of Art can stroll through Mable’s Rose Garden and enjoy the myriad of colors and scents. This red Rose evening bag, made of taffeta silk with hand sewn floral details, reflects the elegance and style that came so naturally to Mable. Available in red, black, silver and pearl at the Museum Store. $47 each.

The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art 5401 Bay Shore Road Sarasota, FL 34243 The Museum’s exhibitions and programs are sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the Florida Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts, by a grant from the Sarasota County Arts Council, Tourist Development Council and the Sarasota Board of County Commissioners.