The Ringling Magazine | February – May 2013

RINGLING

The

Mable Ringling Museum of Art

5401 Bay Shore Road

Sarasota, FL 34243 ringling.org

Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums

GOVERNOR

The Honorable Rick Scott

THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY

Dr. Eric J. Barron, President

OFFICE OF THE PROVOST

Dr. Sally E. McRorie, Vice President for Faculty Development

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Steven High

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Clifford L. Walters III,* Chair

Michael E. Urette, Vice Chair

Michael R. Pender Jr.,* Treasurer

Michéle D. Redwine,* Secretary

Martin A. Arch*

Sara A. Bagley*

Madeleine H. Berman*

Daniel J. Denton

Rebecca Donelson*

George R. Ellis

Kenneth J. Feld

Casey Gonzmart

Priscilla M. Greenfield

J. Roderick Heller III

Patrick J. Hennigan*

Paul G. Hudson*

Dorothy C. Jenkins

Thomas W. Jennings Jr.

Patricia R. Lombard*

Thomas B. Luzier*

John M. McKay*

Nancy J. Parrish*

Roger C. Pettingell*

Ina L. Schnell*

Jane Skogstad*

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,*

Chair, Members Council

Joan Uranga,*

Chair, Docent Advisory Council

*Sarasota/Manatee County Resident

Steven High Executive Director

One of the treasures John and Mable Ringling left to the citizens of Florida is the magnificent grounds of the Ringling Estate. Ca’ d’Zan, the Circus Museum, The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, and the Education Center are interconnected by an estate of 66 acres with more than 200 varieties of trees and 400 varieties of shrubs. Bounded on the western edge by the Sarasota Bay, the grounds are beautiful year round, but with the approach of spring they are at their most vibrant and redolent. With this issue of RINGLING Magazine, I invite you to come explore the grounds and gardens of this unique estate.

A central feature of the grounds is Mable’s Rose Garden, which was established by Mable in 1913 and celebrates its 100th birthday this March. This winter and coming spring, we plan to replace the decaying concrete columns surrounding the perimeter of the garden in recognition of this important milestone. Loretta Bestpitch, Curator and caretaker of the Rose Garden, pruned the roses during the winter so they would be at their most beautiful and fragrant by March.

The responsibility for the care and development of the grounds lies with our groundskeepers. Led by Kevin Greene, Ringling’s Landscape Superintendant, ten Estate Gardeners work constantly to maintain the estate to look its very best for our visitors. Starting prior to daylight in the winter months, they are hard at work on the grounds every day. Kevin and Maureen Zaremba, Ringling’s Curator for Educational Programs, recently wrote a book on the Ringling landscape that will soon be published by SCALA Publishers for our Art Spaces Series. Look for it soon in the Museum store.

Returning to the Museum of Art’s galleries, Ringling in Bloom celebrates the art of flower arrangement. More than 30 floral designers have created arrangements which respond to some of the masterpieces in the Ringling collection. The arrangements are a delight to see and highlight formal and thematic elements within our paintings and sculptures, allowing us to view the masterpieces from a different perspective. New this year for Ringling in Bloom will be a series of Grounds and Garden Tours, allowing participants to explore the estate with the horticultural staff and experience first-hand the diverse plant species of the Ringling estate.

The legacy of the John and Mable Ringling Estate binds all the Ringling’s buildings together, and creates what I believe is one of the great museum campuses in our country. I look forward to enjoying the beautiful spring weather, spending time on the museum’s grounds, and I invite you to join with me in appreciating its extraordinary beauty.

Steven High Executive Director

John and

Herb Ritts, Naomi Campbell, Face in Hand, Hollywood, 1990. Gift of Herb Ritts Foundation, 2012 © Herb Ritts Foundation This exhibition has been organized by the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles.

Mable Ringling, Museum Collection

Photographer unknown, Kandyan Chief and Wife, late 19th century, albumen print. Promised gift of Dr.Helga Wall-Apelt. TR2007.2823.181

W.L.H. Skeen, Boy with Buddha, ca. 1870, albumen print. Promised gift of Dr.Helga Wall-Apelt. TR2007.2823.293

RELATED PROGRAMS

Members Only Preview

Behind the Scenes of the Exhibition

Thursday, February 21, 5:00 – 7:00 pm

Museum of Art loggia

Join fellow Members and be the first to see the special exhibition. Light bites and cash bar. Open to all Members at all levels. RSVP: 941.360.7332 or email: memberRSVP@ringling.org

ViewPoint:

An Inspired Eye: The Photographs of Herb Ritts

Saturday, February 23, 10:30 am

Historic Asolo Theater

Paul Martineau

Associate Curator of Photographs at the J. Paul Getty Museum

Tickets & Information: 941.360.7399

Gallery Walk & Talk

Searing Galleries

Walk & Talks are free for Members and complimentary with Art After 5 admission

Herb Ritts: The Body as Object

Thursday, March 21, 6:00 pm

Herb Ritts: A Distinctive Sense of Style

Thursday, April 25, 6:00 pm

Art and a Movie

Thursday, May 2, 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Herb Ritts and Prêt-à-Porter (Ready to Wear) Historic Asolo Theater

HERB RITTS: L.A. STYLE

Dr. Matthew McLendon Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art

The name Herb Ritts is synonymous with a particular kind of glamour—a glamour as casual as the soft California sun that he so skillfully used to make his supermodel muses glow. In the minimalist backlash of the 1990s, Ritts’s photographs projected a languid feeling of nonchalance as the fashion celebrities he helped to create, Stephanie, Cindy, Naomi, Christy, Tatjana, appeared effortlessly beautiful. Faces rouged within an inch of their lives and hair moussed to the heavens, the look of the 1980s, was replaced with clear, perfect complexions, hair slicked back as if just stepping out of the shower, and countenances that were at once both innocent and sultry. This was the Ritts aesthetic.

From the mid 1980s, it was impossible not to see the work of Herb Ritts. His photographs graced the covers of countless magazines; he was an integral part of the styling of even more editorial fashion spreads, and he directed music videos for the top industry performers. Ritts not only defined, he embodied his age.

Growing up in the late ‘80s and ‘90s, my rapidly evolving aesthetic sense was immeasurably influenced by Herb Ritts--even before I knew who he was. In my rural North Florida hometown, Ritts’s photographs gave me a vision and promise of an ideal, urban aesthetic populated by demigods, a utopia that I am still chasing. His spare, architectonic compositions and perfectly toned models continue to be personal measures of beauty that inform my own aesthetic choices. So for these reasons, Herb Ritts: L.A. Style is an exhibition that is particularly near to my heart.

While Ritts was a key force within the fashion industry, Paul Martineau’s exhibi-

tion deftly demonstrates that Ritts not only straddled the line between high and commercial art, but many times he erased it all together, producing work not easily categorized in conventional terms. Following in the tradition of Andy Warhol, Ritts celebrated and augmented the role of the celebrity within our culture and, like Warhol, used the celebrity to redefine aesthetic boundaries. As the exhibition also illustrates through the inclusion of a number of important, mostly male, figural studies, Ritts was working within and continuing a tradition of the photographic investigation of the human body as sculptural object. This body of work, indebted to the Pictorialists, Surrealists, and more recent photographers like Robert Mapplethorpe, shows that Ritts was fully aware of his place within the history of photography and that he desired to leave his indelible mark upon that history.

In Herb Ritts: L.A. Style, I think you will find many images that will bring sense memories flooding back to you. Herb Ritts provided the backdrop to so much of our lives during his career, that even if you were not aware of the authorship of the image, you will certainly remember the look and feel of it. Like so many of our creative geniuses of the late 20th century, Ritts’s career was cut short by AIDS. However, as Herb Ritts: L.A. Style proves, this singular photographer defined his era and continues to exert a powerful influence on our aesthetics today.

Herb Ritts: L.A. Style $59.95 / In the Museum Store

Herb Ritts, Stephanie, Cindy, Christy, Tatjana, Naomi, Hollywood, 1989. The J. Paul Getty Museum, Gift of Herb Ritts Foundation. © Herb Ritts Foundation. The exhibition has been organized by the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles.

Herb Ritts, Richard Gere, San Bernardino , 1977. The J. Paul Getty Museum, Gift of Herb Ritts Foundation.

© Herb Ritts Foundation. The exhibition has been organized by the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles.

PAOLO VERONESE: A MASTER AND HIS WORKSHOP IN RENAISSANCE

VENICE

RELATED PROGRAMS

Gallery Walk & Talk

Walk & Talks are free for Members and complimentary with Art After 5 admission

Behind the Scenes of the Exhibition

March 28 and April 11, 6:00 pm

Searing Galleries

Dr. Virginia Brilliant, Curator of European Art at the Ringling and curator of the exhibition, leads a gallery talk that will take you behind the scenes and highlight key works in the show. The content of the talk is the same for each of the above dates.

Tours

Docent-led tours of exhibition highlights will be offered regularly. Please check the daily schedule when you arrive at the Museum.

SYMPOSIUM: NEW PERSPECTIVES ON PAOLO VERONESE

Dr. Virginia Brilliant Curator of European Art

Although years of preparation and research go into the making of an exhibition, never is a show the last word on a given topic. Indeed, exhibitions are usually only the beginning. They invite new audiences to discover an artist or subject for the first time, and ask scholars to look anew at familiar works and themes. In that spirit, we are delighted to invite you to join us March 8–9, 2013 for a symposium celebrating the exhibition Paolo Veronese: A Master and His Workshop in Renaissance Venice. Reflecting on the history and opportunities of Veronese scholarship, a keynote lecture by David Rosand, Meyer Schapiro Professor Emeritus of Art History at Columbia University, will inaugurate the event. A symposium the following day will feature

presentations offering new perspectives on Veronese’s art by noted scholars in the field. Coming to us from institutions including the National Gallery of London, Johns Hopkins University, the Kimbell Art Museum, the San Diego Museum of Art, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and the University of Toronto, our scholars will offer insights into Veronese’s engagement with architecture, sculpture, and the ritual culture of Renaissance Venice; his paintings for palaces and villas; and the reception of his art in his own time and beyond, amongst other themes. These events are made possible in part through the generous support of the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, which supports scholarship on Venice. We look forward to seeing you there!

Keynote Address and Reception

Friday, March 8, 5:30–8:00 pm

Sainer Pavilion, New College of Florida, and Ca’ d’Zan Terrace, Ringling Museum of Art David Rosand, Meyer Schapiro Professor Emeritus of Art History, Columbia University, reflects on the history and opportunities of Veronese scholarship –past, present, and future. A reception on the terrace of the Ringlings’ Venetian-style mansion follows the lecture. $5/Members, $10/General Public. Free for academic faculty, museum professionals, scholars, and students with valid ID. Advance reservation required.

Presentations and Discussion

Saturday, March 9, 9:30 am–5:00 pm

Sainer Pavilion, New College of Florida

Presentations will offer new perspectives on Veronese and his art; speakers will include Caroline Campbell (National Gallery, London), Stephen Campbell (Johns

Hopkins University), Tracy Cooper (Temple University), C. D. Dickerson III (Kimbell Art Museum), Frederick Ilchman (Museum of Fine Arts, Boston), John Marciari (San Diego Museum of Art), Helena Szepe (University of South Florida), and Susannah Rutherglen (University of Toronto). $20/Members, $30/General Public. Free for academic faculty, museum professionals, scholars, and students with valid ID. Advance reservation required.

Attend both: the Keynote Address and Presentation (Friday and Saturday) $20/Members, $35/General Public Symposium registration: Advance Ticket Sales, 941.360.7399

Lunch: Fixed price lunch at Treviso for symposium attendees, $15 plus tax and gratuity, 941.360.7390 Reservations required. Program details: ringling.org/veronese

Workshop of Paolo Veronese, Venus and Adonis, 1570s, oil on canvas, Seattle Art Museum, Samuel H. Kress Collection

Paolo Veronese: A Master and His Workshop in Renaissance Venice $55.00 / In the Museum Store

Paolo Veronese, Jupiter and a Nude, ca. 1560, oil on canvas. Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

These events are made possible through the generous support of the Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, the Stanley and Gloria Goldman Ringling Museum Endowment, and the Lester E. Bessemer and Mary Tilley Bessemer Endowment.

PICTURING CEYLON: RESEARCHING PHOTOGRAPHS IN SRI LANKA

It was love at first sight when I discovered Dr. Helga Wall-Apelt’s collection of late nineteenth century photographs of Asia, part of her promised gift to the Ringling Museum. But where were they taken?

I was able to determine that nearly 300 of the 750 photos were from Ceylon, now Sri Lanka. My continued fascination resulted in a grant from the American Institute for Sri Lankan Studies to travel to Sri Lanka to research photographs. I wasn’t sure what I’d find when I got to Colombo, the country’s major city. Visions of snake charmers and “devil dancers,” derived from the photos, were very soon replaced by the reality of skyscrapers and sophistication.

Everyone I encountered was helpful. Plâté & Co., Ltd, a business that has produced photographs since 1890, let me investigate its holdings, even providing a desk where I could work in their photography department. While there, I looked up at the wall above my head, and recognized a photo in the Wall-Apelt Collection that I hadn’t even realized had been taken in Ceylon! The world’s foremost authority on Ceylon photography invited me to his home and regaled me with anecdotes about sites featured in the Wall-Apelt photographs. Appointments at the Department of Archaeology, the National Museum, the National Archives and discussions with local experts also expanded my knowledge.

Though Sri Lanka treasures its photographic heritage, the weather in Colombo resembles Sarasota’s, and the photographs I saw there were kept without air conditioning or humidity control, and without proper archival storage boxes, which must be imported and thus are difficult to obtain. Fortunately, the Wall-Apelt photographs are kept under conditions which will ensure their preservation for future exhibitions, and for further research and scholarship.

These two photographs were taken in Kandy, the last independent kingdom in Ceylon’s central hill country. The building, the Temple of the Tooth, is one of the holiest places in the country because it contains what is believed to be the tooth of the Buddha. The local chieftains are dressed in their formal attire. Scholars disagree about the original source of these outfits that signal both rank and the importance of the occasion.

Top: Scowen & Co., Entrance to the Temple of the Tooth, late 19th century, albumen print. Promised gift of Dr. Helga Wall-Apelt. TR2007.2823.69

Bottom: Photographer unknown, Kandyan Chiefs, late 19th century, albumen print. Promised gift of Dr. Helga Wall-Apelt. TR2007.2823.422

Dr. Benita Stambler, Asian Art Coordinator

RINGLING AROUND THE WORLD

CIRCUS AND THE CITY: NEW YORK, 1793-2010

In September, 2012, a major exhibition opened at the Bard Graduate Center in New York City that explored the development of the circus in America. Matthew Wittmann, a curatorial fellow at the Bard Graduate Center, brought together over 200 circus artifacts that illustrated New York City’s circus history, from the equestrian displays of the late eighteenth century to the late nineteenth-century American railroad circus and, finally, to the circus of today. The exhibition offered a compelling look at how New York City influenced and inspired the circus. The circus, at the peak of its cultural significance, was a sophisticated combination of theater and business, which made effective use of advertising, train travel, and hyperbole. A section of the exhibition was devoted to the performers who captivated audiences, featuring the high-wire aerialist Karl Wallenda and the equestrienne May Wirth, both former Sarasota residents. The artifacts came from New York and national collections, including the New York Historical Society,

the International Center of Photography, the Somers Historical Society, the New York State Museum, the Circus World Museum, the Barnum Museum, the Library of Congress, the Witte Museum, and the Shelburne Museum as well as the Ringling Museum and the Tibbals Collections.

Dr. Matthew Wittmann will be our featured speaker at this year’s World Circus Day on April 20, 2013, where he will explore the global impact of the American Circus.

RELATED PROGRAM

ViewPoint:

Empire of Fun: A Global History of the American Circus Saturday, April 20, 10:30 am Matthew Wittmann, Curatorial Fellow, The Bard Graduate Center: Decorative Arts, Design History, Material Culture

Historic Asolo Theater

Tickets & Information: 941.360.7399

WORLD CIRCUS DAY APRIL 20, 2013

The Fourth Annual World Circus Day will be celebrated around the world in 45 countries. The event is organized by Fédération Mondiale du Cirque, which was founded in 2008 under the patronage of H.S.H. Princess Stephanie of Monaco and is headquartered in Monte-Carlo. The Federation is a non-profit organization created to promote circus arts and culture worldwide, to serve as a voice for the circus community, and to represent circus interests at the international level.

Hatch Lithographic Company. Barnum & London: Jumbo, the Children’s Giant Pet, 1882. Tibbals Digital Collection Ht2004500.

Strobridge Lithograph Co., May Wirth, ca. 1920 Tibbals Digital Collection Ht2001475.

PARTIES TO DIE FOR

A dynamic duo since their college days, Kathy Rainer and Tricky Wolfes are the leading ladies in event planning and floral design in the Southeast. Together they have put on some of Atlanta’s most talked-about events. Dubbed the “Ball Queens,” they have been the designers of choice for The Atlanta Botanical Garden’s annual Garden of Eden Ball, The Atlanta Ballet Ball, The State Botanical Ball of Georgia, and many others.

Listed on the Garden Club of America’s National Speakers Bureau, they are frequent presenters at prestigious floral events such as The Southeastern Flower Show, the Newport Flower Show, and the Atlanta Botanical Garden. Considering themselves a contemporary “Lucy and Ethel,” Rainer and Wolfes enjoy sharing their design expertise and know-how with audiences.

Featured in national publications such as The Knot and Flower Magazine, the delightful duo has won ribbons and trophies for their outstanding work. Rainer and Wolfes’ motto is “anything worth doing is worth overdoing.” Parties to Die For should feel right at home in a Museum known for its “over the top” collection.

RINGLING IN BLOOM

Maureen Zaremba, Curator of Education

FEBRUARY 28—MARCH 3

The Museum celebrates Ringling in Bloom for four days when floral designers respond to works in the Museum’s collection. But you can celebrate Ringling in Bloom the other 361 days a year by enjoying the living museum that is the gardens and grounds of the estate.

In 1911, the Ringlings purchased a house, Palms Elysian, and twenty acres on Sarasota Bay. The grounds around the house had been tamed, yet indigenous plants such as cabbage palms and pines still covered much of the property. Immediately after arriving in Sarasota, the Ringlings’ activities were chronicled by the press. In 1913, newspapers described the “north shore beautification” taking place on Indian and Shell Beaches where the Ringling estate was located: hedges were planted and palms, as well as other trees, perhaps even the banyans, were installed on the grounds. When Mable spent time in Sarasota, she indulged her passion for plants. In addition to the landscaping projects, Mable also built two gardens. The formal Rose Garden was completed in 1913. She also created a less stylized environment where she planted the botanical gifts brought to her by friends, today referred to as the Secret Garden.

John Ringling’s vision for Sarasota would transform it into an international destination. To attract investors, the Ringlings desired a more grandiose setting. Ca’ d’Zan provided additional opportunities for landscaping. The house was approached via a drive enhanced by a profusion of lush plantings and was framed by a palm-lined walkway and

expansive lawn punctuated by exotic trees. On the completion of Ca’ d’Zan, construction began on the art museum. The courtyard provided the opportunity for Mrs. Ringling to create a formal garden that embodied the ideals of Renaissance garden planning. Sadly, it was Mable’s final garden project.

After the Ringlings’ estate became state property, the Museum’s first director, A. Everett “Chick” Austin, described the grounds as being lush with palms, pines, banyans, and bougainvillea. After a ten year period of benign neglect, the growth was tamed. Austin’s successor, Kenneth Donahue, gave special attention to the grounds and initiated landscape projects that framed the buildings. A so-called Dwarf Garden was designed to connect the Museum of Art and the building that housed the Historic Asolo Theater. When the theater moved to the Visitors Pavilion, the Dwarf Garden moved with it and continues to

The Museum partnered with the National Arbor Day Foundation to establish the Millennium Tree Trail, a shady walk dedicated to displaying native tree varieties. A master plan for the Museum was developed that included a landscape component to ensure the beauty of the estate. Most recently, a palm-lined promenade on the water’s edge of the Museum invites guests to admire the view across Sarasota Bay. A vigorous planting program has enhanced the collection of unusual trees on the estate while staff continue to care for the Floridafriendly species that predate the Ringlings’ arrival. the Museum expands, so do grounds and gardens that have become much more than a backdrop for gracious architecture. ringling.org/inbloom

Tricky Wolfes and Kathy Rainer

RELATED PROGRAMS

Designer Preview

Thursday, February 28, 5:30–8:00 pm

Museum of Art Galleries and Loggia Stroll from gallery to gallery while designers discuss their floral fantasies. Hors d’oeuvres and cocktails available on the Museum’s loggia.

$40/Members, $50/General Public

Lecture and Demonstration

Friday–Saturday, March 1–2 10:30 am

Historic Asolo Theater

“The Gift of Inspiration”

Kathy Rainer and Tricky Wolfes, owners of Parties to Die For $15/Members, $20/General Public

Flower Arranging Workshops

Sunday, March 3 10:30 am or 2:00 pm

The Johnson-Blalock Education Center

Kathy Rainer and Tricky Wolfes, owners of Parties to Die For

Fee includes flowers, container, mechanics and museum admission

$110/Members, $125/General Public

Grounds & Gardens Tour

Friday–Sunday, March 1–3, 10:30 am

Explore our living collection of rare and beautiful items on the Museum grounds with our experienced horticultural staff. Meet in the Visitor Pavilion 15 minutes prior to the tour. Wear comfortable shoes and clothing. The tour lasts approximately an hour. $10/Members, $20/General Public

Tickets: 941.360.7399

ringling.org/inbloom

Mable Ringling was the first president of the Founders Circle of the Sarasota Garden Club

INSPECTING THE UNEXPECTED

Dwight Currie, Associate Director of Exhibitions and Programs

With the launch of New Stages, the Ringling joins a roster of select American museums that are, according to Claudia La Rocco in the September 18, 2012 edition of The New York Times, “examining how to collect ephemeral work and strengthen their performance departments.” In doing so, the presentation of performative art is moving out of the realm of ancillary programming and into the creation of “curatorial offerings on par with exhibitions.” For the current exhibition of contemporary performances now onstage at the Historic Asolo Theater,

the curatorial point-of-view is best expressed in the words of H.P. Lovecraft cited above –an invitation to inspect the unexpected.

As a mime who ironically embraces the power of language, Bill Bowers provocatively subverts the clarity of movement through the vagaries of words as he investigates the silence surrounding the enigma of gender. In like manner, LEO simultaneously explores the pain of loneliness and the pleasure of solitude as a man inhabits two worlds that are seemingly governed

NEW STAGES: Narrative in Motion, THURSDAY—SATURDAY, 7:30 PM

by opposing laws of physics. And as you enter the choreographed Garden created and inhabited by Kate Weare, you will find that nothing is as it seems, yet everything appears as it should. These are artists who have chosen (again in the words of Lovecraft) “to trace the remote in the immediate; the eternal in the ephemeral; the past in the present; the infinite in the finite; these are to me the springs of delight and beauty.”

The Ringling’s New Stages of contemporary performance heralds the welcome return of storytelling in theatrical and choreographic forms for the 21st century. By embracing the power of language, gesture, character, and emotion, artists are moving beyond the inscrutable abstractions of the experimental to once again explore the narratives of human relations. Tickets: $25, $20, $15. Historic Asolo Theater Box Office: 941.360.7399 or ringling.org

Beyond Words

By Bill Bowers

February 7‒9

In an eloquent mixture of music, monologues, and movement, one of the most acclaimed multi-disciplinary artists in America explores what it means to be a boy.

LEO

Produced and Created by Circle of Eleven

February 21‒23

From Berlin, a blend of music, acrobatics, dance, and theater that won the “Best of Edinburgh Award” in 2011 and went on to become the hottest ticket for Spoleto 2012.

Garden Kate Weare Company

March 7‒9

With rawness and precision, Kate Weare maps a humanism that is contemporary and profoundly stirring.

The presentation of Garden is made possible by the New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Dance Project, with lead funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and additional funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

FSU Dance Theatre

March 22 & 23

Friday and Saturday only

Works by the renowned resident faculty, alumni, and guest artists performed by the highly skilled students of this top-ranked university dance program.

Tickets: $20, $15, $10 or ringling.org

Art of Our Time is made possible by Gulf Coast Community Foundation.

© ANDY PHILLIPSON © KEIRA HEU-JWYN CHANG/GARDEN

“Pleasure to me is wonder – it’s the unexplored, the unexpected, the thing that is hidden and the changeless thing that lurks behind superficial mutability.” H.P. Lovecraft

LEO

UP CLOSE RINGLING MEMBER:

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

ART OF OUR TIME SUPORTER

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THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING FOR THEIR DONATIONS

Aston Martin

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Airport

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Treviso

Tropex Plant

Leasing US Tent Rental

What do you remember about one of your first visits to the Estate? On our first visit we walked through the gate into the courtyard and saw David. I was so impressed with it that I knew this was where I wanted to volunteer. I started out volunteering at the front desk of the Museum of Art, but then was asked to help with the Membership Department. That was over 18 years ago!

The Ringling has changed considerably since you became a member. Are there any delights or surprises? We have been members since 1986, and I would say that The Circus Museum has always been a delight. We saw our first Circus Museum in Baraboo, Wisconsin many years ago. It was smaller but we loved it. We are so pleased to have this incredible resource at the Ringling Museum. We were also delighted in the terrific job of the restoration of Ca’ d’Zan —I am so proud to bring people there now that it is so beautiful!

What are some of your favorite objects of the collection? The Peter Paul Rubens

“Triumph of the Eucharist” series is my absolute favorite.

Do you have a memorable experience of an event or exhibition that you would like to share? The opening night dinner held in Ca’ d’Zan after the restoration was complete. It was the celebration dinner and it was as if you were transported to a party that the Ringlings would have hosted. Everything was perfect, including the music, the food, and the people who were dressed as John and Mable Ringling.

What are your hopes for the Museum for the next ten years? That it will continue to have great exhibitions like the recent Deco Japan. The exhibitions are the biggest draw for the Museum and I believe they are very important.

What experience do you share with others that may help them become part of the Ringling family? I always tell people how much the museum has enriched my living in Sarasota, from the exhibitions, the opening events and my work with membership.

THE POWER OF PHILANTHROPY

If you spend time on the Ringling grounds, you may recognize this face. Wil Pearson has been a member and volunteer at the Ringling Museum since he made Florida his winter residence in 2002. Beginning as a tour guide, Wil has served the Ringling Museum as a greeter, an usher, a member of the Volunteer Services Advisory Council, and as an ad hoc member of the Ringling Museum Board of Directors. However, Wil speaks most fondly of the time he spends as a docent for Ca’ d’Zan, the Circus Museum, and touring children on school tours. Through the docent program, Wil was able to connect his passion and career in education with his volunteerism. Like many other volunteers, Wil built his “Sarasota Family” through friends he has made volunteering at the Ringling Museum.

“I am so honored to be a Ringling volunteer. Working as a docent, I have come to value the work done by the Education Department. They continue to strive to make the Ringling story come alive through training given to the volunteers. Giving the visitor here at the Museum the best possible experience is always at the forefront of their teaching. I am so pleased that I can play a very small role in helping to continue the excellent work of the Education Department here at the Ringling Museum.”

DOCENTS MAKING A DIFFERENCE

In any given day docents give general and private tours of the Ca’ d’Zan mansion, the Museum of Art, and the Circus Museum. The Ringling relies on more than 130 highly trained docents to enhance the quality of the Museum experience and the appreciation of the collection. Last year, docents cumulatively volunteered in excess of 16,000 hours. Their tours brought in more than $330,000 in revenue for the Museum.

Docents cover highlights of the permanent collections and special exhibitions. They also provide private group tours for adults; targeted tours for students; specialty tours for visitors with mobility, and vision and hearing challenges. To fully prepare for the assignment of helping audiences of all ages connect with the collections and the Ringling Legacy, docents pursue an intensive course of study and continuing education.

“Understanding the amount of time and energy these volunteers dedicate gives one a greater appreciation for their tremendous efforts,” notes Erin Griswold, Docent Program Assistant. “If you share their passion for the Ringling Museum and would enjoy engaging people of all ages in meaningful conversations about our magnificent estate, then we encourage you to consider applying to the docent corps.”

Wil had often thought about ways to leave a gift that would allow the docent program and other educational programs offered by the Museum to continue to flourish. Through conversations with Museum staff and working with his attorney, Wil named the Ringling Museum as the beneficiary of his life insurance policy and also the beneficiary of the proceeds from the sale of his Florida home. This generous gift allows the Museum to plan for future income and look to the many ways we can continue to offer exceptional programming and educational opportunities to visitors. For information: 941-359-5821

To be considered for the Docent Training Program, one must successfully complete the entire application and screening process. Applicants are not required to have an art background. For information on becoming a Museum Docent, or volunteering in another meaningful way, contact Volunteer Services: 941.359.5800, ext 1-3502 or volunteers@ringling.org

Left to right: Amy Sankes, Wil Pearson, Erin Barker, Sharon Freddes

AT THE RINGLING MUSEUM STORE

These floral “arrangements” are created to be worn

From the studio of Sarah Cavender, this jewelry is handmade of mixed bronze mesh with bead accenting. The artist’s background in sculpture, as well as her love for both nature and design, is evident in her romantic, edgy, and distinctive “arrangements.” Starflower necklace and Rose bracelet pictured. $110.00–$270.00

Members 10% discount

The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art 5401 Bay Shore Road Sarasota, FL 34243

941.359.5700 x1110 or ringling.org

Visit the galleries of the Museum of Art and Circus Museum, then stop by to enjoy great shopping for unique gifts. Daily 10:00 am – 5:30 pm; Thursdays until 8:00 pm. Shop online at ringling.org.

Accent your home with floral coasters

Our new and exclusive coaster set features floral details from Pausias and Glycera – a painting in the museum collection by the artist Peter Paul Rubens in collaboration with the still life painter Osias Beert. The coaster set features four exquisite blooms.

$20.00/Members 10% discount

THANK YOU

Museum programs, exhibitions, performances and special events are made possible through the generous sponsorships of our partners.

Special thanks to: Gulf Coast Community Foundation, Sarasota Magazine, SRQ Magazine and Observer Group.

Protect your eyeglasses with style

New and exclusive to the Ringling Museum store, these elegant eyeglass cases, with enclosed lens cloths, feature beautiful artworks from the museum collection. Peter Paul Rubens and Osias Beert, Pausias and Glycera or Noel-Nicolas Coypel, Portrait of Madame de Bourbon-Conti

$16.00/Members 10% discount

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.