October – December 2016

Master of the Saint Lucy Legend (Netherlandish, active ca. 1480–ca. 1510), Mary, Queen of Heaven (detail), ca. 1485–1500. Oil on panel, 201.5 × 163.8 cm, On loan from the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., Samuel H. Kress Collection.

In the mid-20th century, The Ringling led the way in the presentation of the performing arts in American museums. With a deep appreciation for the collaborative artistry of musicians, choreographers, actors, and painters, the Museum’s first director, A. Everett Austin, Jr.—known throughout the world of art as “Chick”—purchased the 18th-century artifact (now known as the Historic Asolo Theater), installed it in the galleries of the Museum of Art, and revolutionized modern museum practice.

Now, almost 70 years later, The Ringling still stands at the forefront of contemporary museum innovation with its ever-evolving curatorial program in the Art of Performance. With a mission to present new works that exemplify and explore the rich diversity of ideas and forms at play in the world today, the Art of Performance at The Ringling—in just seven years—has brought more than 700 artists from six continents in 86 productions of new theater, dance, music, puppetry, circus, and genre-defying works of performance.

To a cultural community rich with offerings in the traditional performing arts, the Art of Performance brings an enlightening spectrum of emerging and established artists who are at the forefront of their fields. From the remarkable concentration of diverse talents presented at the Ringling International Arts Festival (RIAF), to the focused engagement with individual productions during New Stages, adventurous arts patrons are rewarded with rare opportunities to explore the frontiers of contemporary creative expression.

Most significantly, our commitment to staging groundbreaking new forms and supporting the premieres of new works has placed The Ringling at the center of an international conversation on contemporary art. Our many affiliates in this conversation include Florida State University’s Maggie Allesee National Center for Choreography and Wesleyan University’s Institute for Curatorial Practice in Performance. The Ringling’s Curator of Performance, Dwight Currie and the program’s Project Coordinator, Sonja Shea, are both graduates of this preeminent research and training program. Their curatorial voice and vision will be significantly magnified when—with the creation of new studio spaces in the Kotler-Coville Glass Pavilion—The Ringling assumes an increasingly active and participatory role in the conceptualization, development, and realization of the new art of our time.

I hope you will join us on this exciting and important adventure.

Steven High Executive Director

5401 Bay Shore Road Sarasota, FL 34243 941.359.5700

ringling.org

Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums

GOVERNOR

The Honorable Rick Scott

FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY

John E. Thrasher President

Dr. Sally E. McRorie Provost

Peter Weishar

Dean, College of Fine Arts

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Steven High

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Paul G. Hudson, Chair

Frances D. Fergusson, Vice Chair

Daniel J. Denton, Treasurer

Nancy J. Parrish, Secretary

Ellen S. Berman

Madeleine H. Berman

Thomas J. Charters

Rebecca Donelson

George R. Ellis

Kenneth J. Feld

Darrel E. Flanel

Jeffrey R. Hotchkiss

Dorothy C. Jenkins

Thomas W. Jennings, Jr.

James A. Joseph

Nancy Kotler

Patricia R. Lombard

Thomas B. Luzier

Tina Shao Napoli

Michael R. Pender

Michéle Redwine

Margaret A. Rolando

Ina L. Schnell

Judith F. Shank

Jane Skogstad

Javi Suarez

Howard C. Tibbals

James B. Tollerton

Michael E. Urette

Larry A. Wickless

EX-OFFICIO BOARD MEMBERS

David L. Emison, Chair, Volunteer Services Advisory Council

Wilmer Pearson, Chair, Docent Advisory Council

ISSN 2165-4085

Images from New Stages 2017: New Sincerity, part of The Ringling's Art of Performance season Left: Institute for Psychogeographic Adventure, photo by Plate3Photography; below: Motionhouse, Captive. Photo by Katja Ogrin

The Ringling's 2016-2017 programming season is supported in part by Sarasota County Tourist Development Tax revenues.

MODERN + CONTEMPORARY ART

THE RINGLING LAUNCHES FIRST GALLERIES DEDICATED TO MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY ART

This fall, The Ringling will open its first permanent galleries devoted to modern and contemporary art. This strategic commitment, which comes on the heels of the Art of Our Time initiative’s five-year anniversary, will make The Ringling’s growing 20th- and 21st-century collections more visible, and will bolster its stature as a major commissioner of contemporary interdisciplinary art.

Modern and contemporary art have enjoyed an important presence at The Ringling since its first director, A. Everett (“Chick”) Austin, Jr., envisioned modern and contemporary art as a critical part of the institution’s offerings. In 2011 The Ringling revitalized this commitment with the installation of James Turrell’s meditative skyspace Joseph’s Coat, and the hiring of Dr. Matthew McLendon, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art.

“In the last five years, our exhibitions and programs have built a considerable following and support base throughout the region,” said McLendon. “Our objective with these new spaces is to advance the discourse of leading international modern and contemporary artists through our permanent collection and special exhibitions.”

Four galleries in the Museum of Art’s Ulla R. and Arthur F. Searing Wing have been permanently reassigned to showcase The Ringling’s modern and contemporary collection. A new, flexible installation space, underwritten by Keith and Linda Monda, will open in November. In addition, The Ringling’s American and European studio glass holdings are set to be unveiled in the Kotler-Coville Glass Pavilion next fall. All of this reflects The Ringling’s enhanced engagement with the signature artistic traditions and new voices of our time.

The Ringling has acquired key works of art from each of its modern and contemporary special exhibitions over the years, but has not had dedicated space for exhibitions. The momentum continues to build with the support of our generous donors dedicated to the acquisition of modern and contemporary art. In the last nine months alone, three significant contributions have resulted in the acquisition of works by emerging new media artists, contemporary photographers, and noted modern masters.

“Being able to showcase noteworthy selections from The Ringling’s modern and contemporary collection represents a celebration of all that the institution has been able to accomplish due to the generous support of friends and donors,” said Christopher Jones, Associate Curator of Photography and Exhibitions. “I believe our visitors will be surprised by and greatly appreciate the works added recently to our collection.”

The Keith D. and Linda L. Monda Gallery of Contemporary Art in the west wing of the Museum of Art will be a more experimental and adaptable environment, particularly suited to video, new media, installation, innovative contemporary photography, performance, and project-based work. Focused on living artists in single and small group shows, it provides a muchneeded site for grappling with some of the most complex and provocative issues of our time. The Monda Gallery will open with an immersive, multisensory installation by American artist Anne Patterson in which the gallery experience will depend upon each visitor’s unique path through the space.

“I am thrilled to be partnering with an institution as responsive to, and nurturing of, contemporary practices as The Ringling,” said Patterson.

“The expansion of the modern and contemporary footprint across The Ringing campus has been a long-term strategic plan, and its vital realization is a testament to the incredibly talented and hardworking curatorial teams we have been fortunate to have in place over the last several years,” said Executive Director Steven High. “With the support of The John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art Foundation’s Board, our donors, and members, The Ringling has been able to capitalize on its past involvement in the contemporary arena by committing additional resources to artist and audience development.”

Anne Patterson, detail of installation mock-up. Photo by Maja-LIsa Flodin-Ali

Supported in part by Sarasota County Tourist Development Tax revenues.

Designed by noted New York City architect Dwight James Baum, Ca’ d’Zan, John and Mable Ringling’s spectacular 36,000-square-foot winter residence, stands as a testament to the American Dream in the Roaring Twenties. Tours of the mansion, which hosted grand concerts and glamorous ballroom soirees during its heyday, offer a glimpse into the rarified lifestyle of a couple dedicated to living with, appreciating, and advancing the arts and design. Completed in 1926, Ca’ d’Zan features many of Mable Ringling’s favorite details and designs from famous Venetian palazzi of the 13th, 14th, and 15th centuries that she visited, with flora and fauna chosen as the decorative theme.

Since Ca’ d’Zan opened its doors to the public in 1946, it has become a favorite site for visitors to Florida and residents alike. It is recognized as an architectural treasure, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the official list of the nation's historic places worthy of preservation.

As a result of its age and popularity, the wear and tear on this five-story, 56-room mansion is tremendous. Ongoing regular maintenance, repainting, refinishing, and repairing are critical as part of the important stewardship and custodianship of Ca’ d’Zan. But in order for this palatial and significant work of Venetian Gothic-style architecture

to be properly preserved, periodic larger conservation and restoration efforts are required. The most recent of these projects took place from 1996 to 2002.

One major component of this magnificent historic home that is now displaying signs of severe deterioration is the exterior terra cotta ornamentation, perhaps Ca’ d’Zan’s most distinctive feature.

“What makes Ca’ d’Zan so incredibly beautiful and special are the striking terra cotta tiles and charming decorative design,” said Ron McCarty, Keeper of Ca’ d’Zan. “The workmanship and materials are flawless. However, the early 20th-century mounting of the terra cotta, while state-of-the-art at the time, has not aged well since the building was constructed 90 years ago.”

The glazed terra cotta was fabricated in the 1920s by O. W. Ketcham Terra Cotta Works, a firm near Philadelphia whose work on the project was actively overseen by Mable Ringling. Accounts describe her climbing into kilns, choosing every color, and approving the designs of the terra cotta in order to replicate the visual splendor that she experienced in Venice.

The current conservation and restoration project addresses the needs of the terra cotta decoration, in particular the iron

elements that support the terra cotta covering every surface of this justly celebrated and studied building. Salt-laden air and rainwater seep in and corrode the iron, leading to internal stresses that cause fracturing of the terra cotta. In order to prevent further damage and loss, new stainless steel supports will be installed.

A comprehensive assessment of the condition of the terra cotta decoration was conducted in late 2015 by architectural conservators working with structural engineers. The project, which began in May, will take place in four phases. The first two phases are completed, and the final two phases will proceed once adequate funds are raised. Ca’ d’Zan tours will continue to be offered to the public throughout the restoration project, except during periodic closure of the tower.

Conservation Solutions Inc., an architectural preservation firm based in Maryland, is directing the Ca’ d’Zan terra cotta restoration project, working with McCarty and The Ringling’s Chief Conservator Barbara Ramsay.

“The careful preservation of this wonderful historic structure is a huge responsibility,” said Ramsay. “In any kind of conservation or restoration program, we want to retain as much of the fabric of the original as possible, replacing elements only when absolutely necessary.”

If you are interested in supporting this vital restoration and conservation project that will preserve the beauty and structural integrity of Ca’ d’Zan for generations to come, please contact:

Anna von Gehr Senior Director for Development

941-359-5700 x 5804 or anna.vongehr@ringling.fsu.edu

Help Support the Restoration

On March 31st, The Ringling is hosting the fifth annual Wine Walk—the primary fundraising event for the Ca’ d’Zan Preservation Fund. Guests participate in a self-guided wine tasting along the drive to the mansion, complete with food pairings and live entertainment. Each tasting station will be theatrically decorated in the spirit of this year’s theme, red and white.

Construction of Ca’ d’Zan was completed in 1926, but fell into disrepair after John Ringling’s death. In 1996, the mansion underwent a 6-year, $15 million restoration. However, much work remains to be done to not only completely restore the palatial home to its former grandeur but also to maintain the property and ensure major renovations are not needed in the future.

STEPHEN VAN CORTLANDT WILBERDING

A LEADING PHILANTHROPIST AND DECORATED VETERAN

Stephen Van Cortlandt Wilberding was a tremendous supporter of not only The Ringling but also of the Sarasota community as a whole. His memory will be cherished for years to come as a patron and a dear friend of The Ringling whose tireless dedication will never be forgotten.

Following his retirement from international investment banking in 1999, Wilberding relocated to Sarasota and became an active and passionate philanthropist. Early on in his involvement with The Ringling, he established The Steve and Stevie Wilberding Endowment which helped support major exhibitions including 2012’s Paolo Veronese: A Master and His Workshop in Renaissance Venice and 2014’s Bandits, Beauties and Beggars: The Etchings of Salvator Rosa

In 2009 The Ringling received a wonderful gift of Turkomen jewelry from Wilberding. The approximately 80 pieces of exceptional silver and gilt ornaments from the tribes of

Iran, Afghanistan, and Turkmenistan include clothing clasps, bracelets, breastplate pendants, and headdress ornaments. This rare and distinctive collection of folk jewelry was featured in a Ringling exhibition in 2011 that traveled to several museums. A selection of these magnificent objects is now on view in the Center for Asian Art in the Dr. Helga Wall-Apelt Gallery of Asian Art.

Steven High reflected, “Stephen Wilberding’s presence will be felt at The Ringling for many years to come. His generosity, selflessness, brilliance, and courage made him a remarkable man.”

A SEASON FOR OUR MEMBERS

Make plans to experience these Member-exclusive events that highlight The Ringling’s special exhibitions, dynamic performances, and stimulating programs.

MEMBER EVENTS

WED, NOV 2 • 5:30 – 9:00 PM CIRCLE EXHIBITION PREVIEW AND DINNER

Art of Our Time at The Ringling Reception, exhibition preview, and dinner for Circle Members.

THU, NOV 3 • 4:00 – 7:00 PM

MEMBER PREVIEW New Format!

Art of Our Time at The Ringling

4:00 – 5:00 PM VIP Members Preview With the Executive Director and Curator.

4:00 – 5:00 PM Family Members Special family art-making activity.

5:00 – 7:00 PM All Members Exhibition preview, light bites, and beverages.

THU, NOV 17 • 9:30 – 10:30 AM COFFEE AND CONVERSATION

Supporting-level Members and above Coffee and conversation with Executive Director Steven High who will highlight the upcoming programs and exhibitions.

FRIENDS EVENTS For information on joining a Friends Group, call 941.360.7330

SAT, OCT 1 • 10:30 AM – 1:00 PM

FRIENDS OF ART OF OUR TIME

ViewPoint Lecture followed by private Friends lunch with Dwight Currie, Curator of Performance.

TUE, OCT 4 • 10:30 AM – 1:00 PM

FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY

Conversation with the Library followed by private Friends lunch with Dr. David Berry, Assistant Director of Academic Affairs.

THU, OCT 27 • 5:30 – 7:30 PM

FRIENDS OF ASIAN ART

Who stole the Asian plate from the Ringlings? Participate in this re-creation of John’s museum board and find the culprit!

MON, NOV 7 • 10:00 – 11:30 AM

FRIENDS OF THE RINGLING LEGACY

Join Dr. Virginia Brilliant, the Ulla R. Searing Curator of Collections, for a sneak peak of the re-installed Museum of Art Galleries.

THE JOHN AND MABLE RINGLING LEGACY SOCIETY

On March 24, over 130 members and guests of The John and Mable Ringling Legacy Society were honored at a special annual luncheon held at Ca’ d’Zan. Members who have included The Ringling in their estate plans as well as those who have been supporters for over 15 years were recognized.

Mike Urette, a Ringling member, volunteer, Foundation Board Chair Emeritus, and Legacy Society member spoke about why he and his wife Karen chose to make a planned gift to The Ringling. A planned gift can be made simply by including a provision for The Ringling in a will or by establishing a gift that provides a steady stream of income during one’s lifetime. Planned gifts allow donors to provide a future benefit to The Ringling while meeting current personal and financial goals. Members of the Legacy Society join the generations of benefactors who have embraced John and Mable Ringling’s vision.

SAT, NOV 19 • 10:30 AM – 12:45 PM

FRIENDS OF ASIAN ART

ViewPoint Lecture followed by a private Friends lunch in Executive Director’s suite. Funded by Toshiba International Foundation.

TUE, DEC 6 • 10:30 AM – NOON

FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY

Conversation by Ron McCarty, Keeper of Ca’ d’Zan, on The Ringling's fan collection.

THU, DEC 15 • 6:00 – 8:00 PM

FRIENDS OF ART OF OUR TIME

Dr. Matthew McLendon, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, discusses how living artists move beyond traditional barriers. View Pathless Woods, a new multi-media installation by Anne Patterson.

FRI, DEC 16 • 4:00 – 5:30 PM

FRIENDS OF THE RINGLING LEGACY

Presentation by Ron McCarty, Keeper of Ca’ d’Zan, on John and Mable Ringling’s wardrobes and the fashion of the time.

If you have included The Ringling in your estate plans and would like to be included in The John and Mable Ringling Legacy Society, or if you would like to discuss the many ways to make a gift, please contact:

Declan J. Sheehy

Associate Director for Development

941.359.5700 x5807 or declan.sheehy@ringling.fsu.edu

Left to right: Paul Hudson; new inductees Suzanne Barbee, Barbara Zdziarski, and Debra and Steven Short; with Mike Urette. Herald-Tribune photo by Rod Millington

A Feast for the Senses: Art

And Experience In Medieval Europe

This major exhibition of European art, curated by The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, in partnership with The Ringling, will feature more than 80 extraordinary objects. Many of these works will be on loan from prestigious institutions across the US and Europe including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Victoria and Albert Museum.

The exhibition focuses on the late medieval and early Renaissance period in Europe (roughly 1300-1500), a time in which societal changes prompted a new interest in human experience, the enjoyment of nature, and the pursuit of pleasure. As a result, the art of this period functioned in a rich sensory world that was integral to its appreciation. These works were not only seen, but also touched, smelled, and heard. The exhibition will bring together sacred and secular art—including paintings, tapestries, metalwork, and manuscripts—to reveal the role of the senses in courtly ritual and religious practice.

A Feast for the Senses seeks to recover the traces of sounds, smell, taste, and touch inherent in the materiality of these late medieval objects and give them a voice, bringing them to life for the modern viewer. The oft-held notion of the Middle Ages as a period of sensory deprivation is disproven through the many objects on view that encourage sensory engagement. As visitors move through the exhibition, they will encounter interactive displays including Audio Spotlights, Scent Pop stations, and touchable replicas, all designed to encourage an appreciation of how art was designed to stimulate the senses of the medieval viewer.

Upon entering, guests will be met by the magnificent Narcissus tapestry, from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. This work depicts an idyllic garden setting, full of emotion and sensuality. Thousands of flowers bloom in the verdant grass and small animals frolic about, while a gentle breeze sends Narcissus’ cape flying about his handsome face. Birds are singing, water is burbling. All the senses are filled with beauty: the sight of

the garden, the scent of flowers, the touch of the breeze and the sounds of nature. The idea that beauty created a motion of the soul that would thus be better disposed to love, learn, or meditate is a key concept in medieval culture.

Another gallery focuses on the way that church ritual created an immersive sensory environment and how liturgy relied on physical sensation to encourage the participant to create a spiritual inner sanctum in the soul. Stained glass transformed natural light into colored reflections, giving material expression to God’s presence as light. Music, of course, was also an essential component of the liturgy, and musical manuscripts will be displayed next to sound stations that will let visitors hear the music written on the pages. Other works will demonstrate how religious participants were encouraged to devotion through smell, taste, and touch.

The exhibition also examines how the senses were explained in medieval science. In the Middle Ages, senses were not only receptors but also emitters. For example, it was believed that the eyes shot rays that captured the object of sight. From early representation of the five senses, to illustrations of brain functions in medieval philosophical treatises, to poetical representations of the senses such as the horses drawing Wisdom’s chariot, the objects on display will illustrate the role of the senses in contemporary cognitive theory.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with The Walters Art Museum to bring this extraordinary group of objects to our visitors in Sarasota,” remarked Steven High. “These works will not only allow guests to engage with art in new ways but give them the opportunity to view pieces from world-renowned collections.”

Master of the Saint Lucy Legend (Netherlandish, active ca. 1480–ca. 1510), Mary, Queen of Heaven, ca. 1485–1500. Oil on panel, 201.5 × 163.8 cm, On loan from the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., Samuel H. Kress Collection.

Supported

The 2016-2017 Art of Performance season at The Ringling celebrates the eighth year of this dynamic program with an enlightening array of emerging and established artists who continually seek to redefine the parameters of performance and contemporary art.

With the acquisition and installation of the Historic Asolo Theater in the 1950s, The Ringling led the way in offering music, dance, and theater in a museum setting, playing a vital role in the development of the performing arts in Florida. The new Art of Performance curatorial program, which has brought over 700 international artists in 86 productions, brings this significant legacy to an entirely new level.

Many museums present performing arts through their education departments, primarily in conjunction with exhibitions and collections on view. The Ringling is one of only a few museums nationwide that have established performance as a stand-alone curatorial department. Curator of Performance Dwight Currie and Project Coordinator Sonja Shea identify and commission genre-defying creative artists and integrate their enlightening new work into the museum setting. Both Currie and Shea trained at Wesleyan University’s Institute for Curatorial Practice in Performance (ICPP), the first program of its kind to ground current and future performance program directors in curatorial best practices and approaches to time-based art. It is particularly informed by, and responsive to, the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of the field.

This season’s exhilarating Ringing International Arts Festival, which opens in October, features virtuoso performers from around the world. doug elkins choreography, etc. presents two works, including a new choreographed version of Othello set to a Motown score, which was named a “top ten dance event” for 2013 by The New York Times. The Grammy® award-winning, contemporary classical musicians of Eighth Blackbird offer a program of new music by four remarkable living composers. New Zealand’s Thomas Monckton and Finland’s Circo Aereo collaborate on a work of comic genius centered around a grand piano. Renowned Israeli cellist Matt Haimovitz informs iconic Bach suites with exquisite preludes composed by Philip Glass,

Du Yun, and Vijay Iyer, among others. Gravity and Other Myths, an acclaimed Australian acrobatic troupe; the comic dance piece B.A.N.G.S.: made in america; and a theatrical journey across seventeen international borders with Thaddeus Phillips rounds out the spirited festival.

Shea curated the 2017 New Stages season as part of her ICPP thesis. Subtitled New Sincerity, the series hosts artists who are focused on connecting with their diverse audiences in a thoughtful, though still challenging, way. Each of the New Stages artists seeks to engage audience members as active participants.

“The focus is on crafting an honest dialogue—a fearless, refreshing vocabulary of responsibility and conviction—which is brilliantly conceived and developed,” said Shea.

With the Historic Asolo Theater closed due to construction of the Kotler-Coville Glass Pavilion in early 2017, all of the New Stages productions will take place in innovative performance spaces around The Ringling’s campus.

For instance, Wise Fool New Mexico, part of the emerging social circus movement, will explore the issue of immigration through high-flying artistry and community bridging in the Museum of Art Courtyard. The Institute for Psychogeographic Adventure will lead individual audience members on a personal journey around The Ringling grounds and galleries as they encourage participants to embrace new notions of performance. And on the Bolger Campiello, dancers from Motionhouse will invite commentary on an intense work inspired by Rilke’s poem The

Panther

“Our goal for the Art of Performance series is to present important and decidedly out of the ordinary work that will resonate with audiences,” continued Currie. “Prepare to explore the unexpected, expect the unexplored, and experience the extraordinary.”

Left: Wise Fool New Mexico, SeeSaw. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Supported in part by Sarasota County Tourist Development Tax revenues.

WELCOME NEW BOARD OFFICERS AND MEMBERS

Paul G. Hudson, Chair, Managing Director and Private Client Advisor at U.S. Trust, is a wealth management advisor with over 20 years of experience. Paul leads his team’s efforts for new client engagements, deepening existing relationships and providing high-networth clients and wealthy families with access to the comprehensive array of services of U.S. Trust, Bank of America Private Wealth Management.

Frances D. Fergusson, Vice Chair, is President Emerita of Vassar College, where she was president for 20 years. She served as Chair of the Mayo Clinic Board and President of the Board of Overseers of Harvard University. Fran is on the boards of Pfizer, Mattel, The Getty, and Second Stage Theatre. She was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and received the Harvard Medal for outstanding service.

Daniel J. Denton, Treasurer, is Founder Emeritus of Sarasota Magazine, having launched the company in 1979 and bought and sold Sarasota and similar magazines in Naples, FL, and Santa Barbara, CA. Raised in Bradenton, Dan received a BA in English from Yale and attended the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. He was inducted into the Florida Magazine Association Hall of Fame in 2010.

Nancy J. Parrish, Secretary, is a private investor and collector. Nancy was founding co-chair of Human Rights Watch, northern California Chapter. She served two terms as Development Trustee of Friends of UCSF’s Dept. of Psychiatry’s Hospital Board and was a board member and Chief Negotiator for Plum Orchard Foundation.

Ellen S. Berman has enjoyed an active career spanning science, technology, and the arts. She is a member of the Council for Arts at MIT, serving on its Executive Committee, a trustee of the Hermitage Artist Retreat, a producer of plays on and off Broadway, a member of the Cosmos Club, and an avid art collector. She led a national energy policy organization for three decades.

James A. Joseph is President Emeritus of the Council on Foundations and Professor Emeritus at the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University. Ambassador Joseph has served in senior executive or advisory positions for four U.S. Presidents, including Deputy Secretary of the Interior for President Jimmy Carter and U.S. Ambassador to South Africa for President William Clinton. He is a former president of the Cummins Foundation and serves on several foundation boards.

Nancy Kotler has taught literature and business law in addition to practicing law. She has served on the Illinois Humanities Council and chaired the Evanston Arts Council. An avid studio glass collector, she has served as President of the Collector’s Association and with her husband, Philip, is a major donor supporting The Ringling’s KotlerCoville Glass Pavilion opening in the fall of 2017.

Tina Shao Napoli is an established professional vocalist and has performed at Lincoln Center and Carnegie Hall. In addition, she has supported international voice-overs for the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the United Nations. For the past few years, Tina has focused her attention on producing numerous concerts for the Chinese community across the country.

Javi Suarez is an award-winning architect and is one of the founding partners of Apez-Studio Suarez, a Sarasota architectural and planning firm. His work has been recognized in numerous local and national publications. He currently serves on the Community Redevelopment Agency Advisory Board and is the President-elect of the American Institute of Architects Gulf Coast Chapter.

Left to Right: Paul G. Hudson, Frances D. Fergusson, Daniel J. Denton, Nancy J. Parrish, Ellen S. Berman, James A. Joseph, Nancy Kotler, Tina Shao Napoli, Javi Suarez.

CONNECTING WITH YOUNG FAMILIES THROUGH PARTNERS IN PLAY PROGRAM

As part of its goal to meaningfully engage visitors ages five and under, last year The Ringling inaugurated a partnership with the Forty Carrots Parenting Program in Sarasota to provide art activities to young children at local libraries.

Forty Carrots is an organization founded in 1993 to provide area families with supportive tools to positively impact childhood learning and long-term development. Forty Carrots’ Partners In Play program, which offers free early childhood classes that promote play, literacy, creativity, and emotional and cognitive development, takes place at every library in Sarasota and Manatee counties.

Angelica Bradley, The Ringling’s Youth and Family Program Manager, facilitates child-led art activities at these classes twice a week. Her primary goal is material and sensory exploration, which she encourages through open-ended projects that have no pre-established end product. Instead, these process-based activities motivate children to experiment and discover, which Bradley incorporates in all her programs, both on and off The Ringling’s campus.

“The idea is for the children and parents to use their senses together to explore art-making as a form of play and selfexpression,” said Bradley. She also uses everyday materials to make these projects easy to implement at home.

Over the last year, nearly 900 people attended Partners In Play classes with art activities facilitated by Bradley and approximately 530 attended corresponding onsite classes at The Ringling. This year, thanks to the support of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, The Ringling plans to expand the number of classes in which Bradley participates.

“Our partnership with Forty Carrots and their Partners In Play program is a perfect fit for The Ringling’s objective to reach young families and nurture early childhood development through the arts,” said Maureen Zaremba, Curator of Education at The Ringling.

If you are interested in supporting The Ringling’s ongoing education initiatives, please contact:

Anna von Gehr, Senior Director for Development 941-359-5700 x 5804 or anna.vongehr@ringling.fsu.edu

Lucite and silver foil necklace by Laurent Guillot, $400