The Ringling Magazine | January – April 2019

Parade Shield (detail), mid – late 19th Century. Electro-plating on copper, velvet; 25 9/16 × 18 1/8 × 2 3/8 in. On loan from Museo Stibbert, Firenze, Inv. no. armi1405.

5401

Sarasota, FL 34243 941.359.5700

ringling.org

Accredited by the American Alliance of Museums

FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY

John E. Thrasher President

Dr. Sally E. McRorie Provost

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Steven High

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Nancy J. Parrish, Chair

Judith F. Shank, Vice Chair

Jeffrey R. Hotchkiss, Treasurer

Sarah H. Pappas, Secretary

Ellen S. Berman

Thomas J. Charters

Warren R. Colbert, Sr.

Daniel J. Denton

Rebecca Donelson

Kenneth J. Feld

Frances D. Fergusson

Darrel E. Flanel

Margaret Dunwoody Hausberg

Robert D. Hunter

Thomas F. Icard, Jr.

Dorothy C. Jenkins

Thomas W. Jennings, Jr.

James A. Joseph

Michael A. Kalman

Nancy Kotler

Patricia R. Lombard

Lisa A. Merritt

Tina Shao Napoli

Michael R. Pender

Margaret A. Rolando

Javi Suarez

Edward M. Swan, Jr.

Howard C. Tibbals

Larry A. Wickless

EX-OFFICIO BOARD MEMBERS

David Schuler, Chair, Volunteer Services Advisory Council

Leslie Young, Chair, Docent Advisory Council

This spring, The Ringling continues to present diverse opportunities for you to explore and discover through art—from contemporary visual art and performance, to the history of the medieval knight, to the cultures of India.

In February, Knights brings medieval arms and armor from the Museo Stibbert in Florence, Italy, to Florida for the first time. This extraordinary collection of objects will reveal the character of the knight in medieval and Renaissance Europe. On view February 3–April 21, this exhibition will be augmented by a robust roster of programs for adults and families to delve further into the art and culture of medieval Europe.

Four monumental contemporary works, gifted by Keith D. and Linda L. Monda, will be installed in the Ulla R. and Arthur F. Searing Wing in March—including works by Teo González, Richard Serra, Beverly Pepper, and Yayoi Kusama. Order Systems, the first US solo exhibition by Canadian artist Natasha Mazurka, will also open in March, in the Monda Gallery for Contemporary Art. This new body of work includes paintings, embossings, and site-specific vinyl installations that reference architecture, biology, data analytics, Art Deco, and sci-fi, both referencing and disrupting pattern systems that exist all around us.

The New Stages contemporary performance series continues with an exciting line-up, including the comedy of Bill Bowers, an eclectic repertoire by cellist Matt Haimovitz and pianist/composer Vijay Iyer, dance by Union Tanguera & Kate Weare, and the premiere of a new work by local dance theater company, Moving Ethos—the culmination of Spotlight Florida, their 6-month residency in the new Charlotte and Charles Perret Studio.

Finally, we are excited to have you join us on A Journey Through India, April 26–28. During this three-day festival, you will experience the many cultures of India through performance, lectures, family activities, food, yoga, and a Bollywood party.

I look forward to sharing these journeys with you, made possible through your continued support and loyalty to The Ringling.

ISSN 2165-4085

Steven High Executive Director

The Ringling's 2018-2019 programming season is supported in part by Sarasota County Tourist Development Tax revenues.

Sin Salida by Union Tanguera + Kate Weare. Photo by K. Chang.

Photos, left to right:

Suit of Armor, Italian, 1540–1550. Steel, leather, fabric, wood; 74 13/16 × 29 1/2 × 19 11/16 in.

On loan from Museo Stibbert, Firenze, Inv. no. 3959. Chanfron, mid 16th Century. Steel, leather; 27 9/16 × 11 13/16 × 13 in. On loan from Museo Stibbert, Firenze, Inv. no. 2459.

Sword known as Spanish type of Sword, Italian, ca. 1670. Steel, wood, fabric; 55 7/8 × 11 × 5 1/8 in.

On loan from Museo Stibbert, Firenze, Inv. no. 4766

Support for this exhibition was generously provided, in part, by the Arthur F. and Ulla R. Searing Endowment, the William G. and Marie Selby Foundation Endowment, and the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art Foundation.

INTERPOLATIONS ARTWORKS FROM THE RINGLING AND MONDA COLLECTIONS

ON VIEW MAR 17 – SEP 8

Presented in the Ulla R. and Arthur F. Searing Wing, this exhibition brings together artworks from The Ringling’s permanent collection of modern and contemporary art with selections of important works from the Keith D. and Linda L. Monda collection. The exhibition is part of The Ringling’s ongoing Art of Our Time initiative, enacting our dedication to present diverse voices and perspectives to our visitors.

In mathematics, interpolation is a method of estimating new data points within a range of known data. The exhibition title, Interpolations, serves as a metaphor for the way new points of knowledge will be activated when these collections come into conversation.

In Spring 2018, the Museum installed Beverly Pepper’s Curvae in Curvae (2012) on the lawn in front of the Museum of Art. The lyrical sculpture in Cor-ten steel, along with compelling works by artists Teo González, Yayoi Kusama, and Richard Serra, make up four promised gifts from the Monda collection to The Ringling. These gifts significantly enrich the Museum’s holdings of works by important artists working today, some new to the collection. These artworks will be featured in Interpolations, along with other selections from the Monda collection and key works from The Ringling’s growing collection of modern and contemporary art, including works by Michele Oka Doner, Jackie Ferrara, Helen Frankenthaler, Käthe Kollwitz, and Louise Nevelson. Presented together, these artworks offer a broader and more complex history of late twentieth- and early twenty-first-century art.

The Monda’s philanthropy and stewardship supports The Ringling’s Art of Our Time initiative and sponsors a permanent space devoted to twenty-first-century art: the Keith D. and Linda L. Monda Gallery for Contemporary Art, located in the west wing of the Museum of Art, showcases new projects by emerging and established contemporary artists, such as the upcoming solo exhibition by Natasha Mazurka.

Interpolations demonstrates how an institutional collection can be invigorated and expanded through the meaningful introduction of complementary works from a private lender. By presenting the Museum with the opportunity to display works by significant artists in a critical dialogue with one another, the viewer is empowered to make fresh observations and discover intriguing parallels.

NATASHA MAZURKA ORDER SYSTEMS

ON

VIEW MAR 17 – SEP 19

Order Systems, the first US solo museum exhibition by Natasha Mazurka, debuts a new body of paintings, embossings, and site-specific installations using textured layers of colored vinyl. Mazurka’s work centers on the communicative potential of pattern by sampling and combining visual references from a spectrum of disciplines, including architecture and biology, data analytics, and instructional code. The resulting visual syntax seen in her work stems from intense research looking into different pattern languages and ways they are designed to lend order to our experiences. Through processes of manipulation and synthesis, her projects flatter and disturb concepts of certainty and stability residing within pattern systems existing all around us.

The Index (2014 – present) is an ongoing catalogue of studies

created through the process of meticulous hand embossing where rules have been set to generate new forms. Mazurka places focus on the potential for pattern to transform materially and conceptually with limited means: lines, nodes, curves, and geometric shapes. Coursing between disciplines openly and continuously, each image is a science fiction derived from sampling patterns from scientific, technological, and digital realms. Index XVIII, Set One (2015) recalls the visual representation of the futuristic dystopia in Fritz Lang’s Metropolis (1927), the German expressionist sciencefiction film that explored themes of industrialization, mass production, and political unrest. Mazurka makes use of Art Deco architecture depicted in the film as an interface with contemporary digital and technological matrices. Here, and throughout The Index, the presentation of the work—centered and organized as a catalogue—alludes to the history of visualizing microscopic and macroscopic phenomena through scientific illustration.

Mazurka’s large-scale vinyl patterns reference how the syntax we employ to structure our physical and social environments is a reflection of our thoughts, desires, and anxieties. Fusing color, design, and informational languages from different periods, these site-specific, mixed media installations bring into focus the opposing, and sometimes contradictory, aesthetic approaches used throughout history to communicate and visualize information.

In her most recent work, richly patterned compositions indulge in the illusion of beauty that stems from repetition and a sense of order. However, Mazurka inserts these patterns with social narratives concerned with notions of conformity, and the covert imposition of structure on behavior. Works such as All Flesh (2018) borrow from Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale (1985), a science fiction set in a totalitarian society. Like Atwood’s novel, the themes in the new patterns are from a gendered experience; affirmation and acceptance, the duty of motherhood, the concept of being nurturing, and the surveillance of the female body and its functions.

Through her interdisciplinary analysis, Mazurka questions the communicative potential of aesthetic systems and social structures as found in contemporary and historical modes of representing order.

Natasha Mazurka, Index XVIII, Set One (detail), 2015 – ongoing, hand embossed parchment paper in two overlapping layers, 8 x 12 inches. Courtesy of the artist.

MEMBER NEWS

MEMBER TRAVEL

Traveling with the Museum Travel Alliance (MTA) connects Ringling Members with other museum enthusiasts. Offering curatorial expertise and behind-the-scenes itineraries, MTA gives travelers the opportunity to see the world and experience incredible art and culture first hand. ringling.org/travel

Travel with The Ringling! We are always planning Member day trips to various institutions in our area for our Members who love to visit museums and cultural sites. Invitations to all Members come through email, and more information can be found on our website. Stay tuned for more exciting opportunities!

KEEP UP-TO-DATE

As a Ringling Member, you receive free or discounted tickets to many of the offerings at The Ringling. We encourage you to regularly visit ringling.org, in order to keep up-to-date on all the upcoming exhibitions, performances, programs, and events.

RINGLING BY THE BAY

Join us for live music and dancing right on the bay! All Members receive the discounted rate of $5 for Ringling by the Bay tickets. We encourage you to buy your tickets early—this popular event sells out quickly!

ATTENTION LONG-TIME MEMBERS

Have you been a member for 15 years or more? Watch your mailbox for your invitation to our Legacy Society Luncheon March 21, 2019!

EXHIBITION PREVIEWS

Knights

Drawn from the collections of the Museo Stibbert in Florence, Italy, Knights reveals the figure of the knight in the Middle Ages and Renaissance through 100 exquisite objects, including full suits of armor, helmets, corselets, swords, and other weaponry.

Interpolations: Artworks from The Ringling and Monda Collections

Modern and contemporary artworks, including works by artists Teo González, Yayoi Kusama, and Richard Serra.

Natasha Mazurka: Order Systems

The first US solo museum exhibition by Natasha Mazurka debuts a new body of paintings, embossings, and sitespecific installations.

 VIP MEMBER EXHIBITION PREVIEW AND RECEPTION

Supporting, Partner, and Circle Members are invited to a reception to preview the exhibition before it opens to the public.

THU, JAN 31, 5:00 – 7:00 PM

Knights

THU, MAR 14, 5:00 – 7:00 PM

Interpolations and Natasha Mazurka

 MEMBER PREVIEW DAY

All Members are invited to preview new exhibitions before they open to the public. Join us for family activities, catered refreshments, and an additional 5% discount at the Museum Store!

SAT, FEB 2, 10:00 AM – NOON

Knights

SAT, MAR 16, 10:00 AM – NOON Interpolations and Natasha Mazurka

$100 MILLION WAYS TO SAY THANK YOU!

SAT, APR 6, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Supporting, Partner, and Circle Level Members are invited to a unique event to show our appreciation for your generous support of The Ringling.

COFFEE AND CONVERSATION

THU, APR 11, 9:00 – 10:30 AM

Join Steven High, Executive Director, for a presentation highlighting upcoming programs and exhibitions.

BLOSSOMS GARDEN PARTY

SAT, APR 13 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM Brunch in the beauty of the Rose Garden as we celebrate Mable’s birthday.

BECOME A FRIEND OF THE RINGLING!

Want to participate in more behindthe-scenes events and programs with curators and like-minded Members? Customize your Membership by adding a Friends Group! As a Friend, you will have unique opportunities to explore the areas specific to your chosen group, connect with others who share similar interests, and enjoy several special events and programs throughout the year.

Annual Dues are $125 per person per group in addition to your regular Membership dues. Your annual dues provide an important source of support for The Ringling. For more information, or to join, call 941-360-7330.

If you have questions or updates regarding your membership, please call the membership department directly at 941.360.7330.

We look forward to hearing from you!

Photo, above left: Museum Travel Alliance's March 2019 trip, China, Classical to Contemporary Featuring Art Basel Hong Kong

Photo, above center: Suit of Jousting Armor, Italian, 1560–1580. Steel and leather; 72 13/16 × 27 9/16 × 19 11/16 in. On loan from Museo Stibbert, Firenze, Inv. no. 3495.

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Lois and Bernard Watson

For retired educator Lois Watson and her husband Dr. Bernard Watson, becoming a member of The Ringling was a natural choice. The Watsons are well known in cultural circles from Philadelphia to Sarasota for not only the extensive work they currently do in retirement but also for their important professional careers. While Dr. Watson’s legendary resume is extensive—saving the renowned art collection of Philadelphia’s Barnes Foundation when he chaired the foundation’s board, Lois’s time as an educator was just as impactful on their community. The Watsons relocated to Sarasota part-time in 1994 and made their permanent home here in 2002. They have avidly enjoyed coming to the museum with friends, family, social organizations, and especially their four grandchildren. “The Ringling is our neighbor. We love coming to see the beautiful grounds, taking our grandkids to the Summer Circus in the Historic Asolo Theater, attending performances and exhibitions, and we have especially enjoyed learning about the Art of Our Time modern and contemporary art initiative at The Ringling. We are so fortunate because it’s all right here at this museum.”

CIRCLE MEMBER NEWS

We have several opportunities planned for you to visit with our curators and get involved with our collections. You will be receiving invitations with additional details. Keep an eye on your mailbox and email. As always, feel free to call with any questions! We look forward to seeing everyone soon. Sharon Freddes 941-359-5821 sharon.freddes@ringling.fsu.edu.

SAVE THE DATES

THU, JAN 10, 5:00 – 7:00 PM

Behind the Scenes of the Museum of Art

Dr. Sarah Cartwright will guide us through the reinstallation of galleries 16, 17, and 18.

WED, JAN 30, 5:30 – 9:00 PM

Circle Member Exhibition Preview and Dinner Knights

This extraordinary exhibition reveals the figure of the knight in medieval and Renaissance Europe.

FEB 12, 5:00 – 7:00 PM

Chairman Circle Member Collector’s Evening Stories from the Collection hosted by The Ringling Curators

IN MEMORY

WED, MAR 13, 5:30 – 9:00 PM

Circle Member Exhibition Preview and Dinner

Interpolations: Artworks from The Ringling and Monda Collections

Bringing together artworks from The Ringling's permanent collection of modern and contemporary art and selections from the Keith D. and Linda L. Monda collection.

Natasha Mazurka: Order Systems

The first solo US museum exhibition by Natasha Mazurka debuts a new body of painting, embossings, and site-specific installations.

SAT, APR 6, 5:30 – 7:30 PM

Circle Recognition and Donor Reception Campaign Celebration

$100 Million Ways to Say We Thank You!

We have been saddened by the recent loss of so many of our colleagues, friends, and donors. Each one of them brought their passion, enthusiasm, and dedication to The Ringling. We are fortunate they crossed our paths and left us with lasting memories. We are grateful to have known them. They touched our lives. They inspire us each day.

Robert Carr | Steve Dunay | Irma Eison | Barbara Lemisch

Carlos Riviera | James Roque | Michelle Scalera

Betty Schoenbaum | Steve Seidensticker

There are some who bring a light so great to the world that even after they have gone the light remains.

NEW STAGES

CONTEMPORARY PERFORMANCE SERIES

New Stages, The Ringling’s contemporary performance series, continues into spring 2019. In January, veteran solo artist Bill Bowers uses movement, mime, and comedy to recall and recreate the indelible memories from thirty years of touring in All Over the Map. Bowers takes the audience to places so unbelievable they could only be true. Bowers has performed on Broadway, at the Kennedy Center, the White House, and the finest grade school “cafetoriums” around the world. In All Over the Map, he shares stories and characters that will stay with you long after the lights go up.

In February, cellist Matt Haimovitz, an artist whose barrier breaking performances have taken him around the world, collaborates with renowned pianist/composer Vijay Iyer in a program that truly defies definition. Repertoire from Iyer’s catalogue alongside music of Zakir Hussein, John McLaughlin, J.S. Bach, Ravi Shankar, Billy Strayhorn, and others flow seamlessly creating a program of unprecedented virtuosity and depth.

CURATOR OF PERFORMANCE TO BECOME AN ENDOWED POSITION

The Ringling is excited to announce a new endowment gift from Stephen and Judith Shank, M.D. that will establish the Currie-Kohlmann Curator of Performance by the Shank Family Foundation to support exceptional programming leadership. “Performance has long played a vital role at The Ringling, commencing with the acquisition of the Asolo Theater in the late 1940s,” said Executive Director Steven High. “Stephen and Judy’s visionary gift will ensure that The Ringling remains a worldclass center for performance programming in perpetuity.” The position is named in honor of The Ringling’s Art of Performance program architects, Dwight Currie and Michael Kohlmann.

Photo by Keira Chang

Revealing the formal strengths and fascinating differences between Argentine Tango and contemporary dance partnering, Union Tanguera and Kate Weare Company present Sin Salida (No Exit) in March, examining the fundamental connection point of tango: El abrazo (embrace). Designed to connect, or perhaps bind, human beings to one another, the embrace is the frame of the tango. Danced by three tango dancers and two contemporary dancers with live music performed by Argentinian composer Gustavo Beytelmann, Sin Salida explores multiple layers of dance and desire. The presentation of Sin Salida was made possible by the New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Dance Project, with lead funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Finally, in April, we present Spotlight Florida: Moving Ethos. Spotlight Florida is an example of The Ringling’s continuing commitment to provide a platform and support for Floridabased contemporary artists. Moving Ethos is a local dance theater company that strives to rebuild connections to ourselves and the community through movement. After completing a six-month residency, including rehearsals in the new Charlotte and Charles Perret Studio, Moving Ethos will debut their new work at the Historic Asolo Theater.

THANK YOU 2018–2019 SPONSORS

PRODUCER

Stephen and Judith Shank

Sarasota Magazine

SRQ Media

DIRECTOR

Community Foundation of Sarasota County Gus Lobenwein Memorial Fund Walter Haskins Fund in memory of Stacey K. Haskins

Huisking Foundation

Publix Super Markets Charities

Scene Magazine

PATRON

Kathy and Michael Bush

The Cowles Charitable Trust

Hampton Inn and Suites, Sarasota/Bradenton Airport

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

Dick and Betty Nimtz

Willis A. Smith Construction

WUSF Public Media

ASSOCIATE

Cumberland Advisors

Leon and Marge Ellin

CONTRIBUTOR

Daniel Denton and Ramses Serrano

THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING FOR THEIR SUPPORT

Dr. Susan M. Brainerd and Alan R. Quinby Redfin

Art of Our Time is supported by Gulf Coast Community Foundation. Support for Art of Our Time, including Art of Performance, was provided, in part, by Sarasota County Tourist Development Tax Revenues. Additional support was provided by The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art Foundation.

The presentation of Sin Salida by Union Tanguera and Kate Weare was made possible by the New England Foundation for the Arts’ National Dance Project, with lead funding from the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Photo, opposite page: Sin Salida by Union Tanguera and Kate Weare Company, photo by Keira Chang.

Photos, this page, top to bottom: All over the Map by Bill Bowers, photo by Marie Baranova; Matt Haimovitz, photo by Brent-Calis; Vijay Iyer, photo by Lena Adasheva; Moving Ethos, photo courtesy of the artist.

BECAUSE OF YOU , THE RINGLING HAS ACHIEVED HUGE SUCCESS WITH THE RINGLING INSPIRES CAMPAIGN!

• Debuted the Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Center for Asian Art, the Bolger Campiello and Promenade, the David F. Bolger Playspace, the Kotler-Coville Glass Pavilion, the Perret Family Performance Studio, the Ellis Tea House, the Keith D. and Linda L. Monda Gallery for Contemporary Art, and the David W. and Mary S. Benfer Glass Pavilion Courtyard

• Significant restoration of Ca’ d’Zan, including glazed terra cotta conservation, and the newly restored Bolger Reflecting Pool in honor of Ron McCarty and his service to Ca' d'Zan

• Nearly doubled the Museum’s permanent collection through significant gifts of artwork and art acquisition funding

$100 Million Ways to Say Thank You!

On Saturday, April 6, The Ringling will celebrate you with a special Free Day in recognition of meeting the historic $100 Million comprehensive campaign goal. We hope you will join us for family-friendly

• More than doubled annual fundraising

• Launched a Community Engagement and Access Initiative

• Created a new national model for reaching at-risk families

• Grew membership from 6,000 to 10,250 households

• Grew the Legacy Society by 65%

• Created a formal sponsorship program for exhibitions and programs

• Endowed two signature curatorial positions

activities as we explore all the ways your support has transformed The Ringling, making it a top cultural destination and preserving its ability to serve generations to come.

Reflecting Pool

RESTORATION

The historic Ca’ d’Zan swimming pool was created and enjoyed by John and Mable Ringling in the early 1920s. It was constructed using sumptuous white marble, with luminous sky blue tiles lining the bottom. Multi-colored, glazed terra cotta tiles decorated the perimeter deck and the raised diving platform. A marble Venus de’ Medici sculpture and urns adorned the north garden wall of the pool deck. Sometime later, the pool was retired from use, filled with earth, and left to languish— slowly transforming into a small ruin.

In 2017, a comprehensive investigation into the structure and condition of the pool was undertaken by Conservation Solutions, Inc., with a view toward restoring it. A major restoration project was carried out in the summer of 2018 by International Fine Art Conservation Services. This effort included removal of the infill and some marble elements, followed by examination and documentation of the original marble pool structure. Cleaning and stabilization of the

original materials were carried out prior to refilling of the marble pool with earth and pouring of a new concrete bed that would provide a shallow reflecting pool. The partially-sunken foundation of the pool deck was raised and stabilized. The original masonry and tiles were consolidated, cleaned, and inpainted to restore their original appearance. The original blue ceramic tiles—left undisturbed on the floor of the pool—were replicated for application to the bottom of the new reflecting pool. New marble facings were installed along the edges. Venus and the urns were cleaned and placed back in their original locations. The restored pool, funded by The Bolger Foundation, was dedicated to the service of Ron McCarty, Keeper of Ca’ d’Zan, on August 23, 2018.

Walking toward Ca’ d’Zan today, one’s breath is taken away by the beauty of the reflecting pool in front of the mansion, as we are granted an even closer glimpse into the world inhabited by the Ringlings and their guests.

Photo by Giovanni Lunardi

INTRODUCING THE IDEA TEAM

What’s in a name? Sometimes quite a lot! After careful consideration of our mission and goals, we have recently rebranded The Ringling’s Community Engagement Group as the IDEA Team. While this new nomenclature implies that we are a team of people who have ideas (which is true!), there’s a more significant meaning behind the name change.

IDEA is an acronym that stands for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access. Museums across the country are devoting themselves to these four essential commitments, and The Ringling is no different. As we move into the next five years of our strategic plan, the entire institution will be making a concerted effort to infuse the principles of IDEA into our work at every level.

What exactly does committing to inclusion, diversity, equity, and access look like? It’s helpful to start with a working definition of each of these terms.

Inclusion is the intentional and thoughtful engagement with diversity so that all individuals are able to contribute fully and effectively to the museum environment.

Diversity is having a museum community made up of people with both observable and non-observable differences—including, but not limited to, age, race, ethnicity, gender identity, socio-economic status, cultural perspectives, and backgrounds.

Equity is the support of fairness and justness based on individual circumstance.

Access is the removal of barriers to provide equitable museum experiences to everyone, regardless of ability.

In the simplest sense, it boils down to meeting people wherever they are and making the museum a comfortable place for them. It means having an understanding that there is no standard museum visitor, no prescribed ideal museum experience, and no best way to engage with our institution.

The work of our IDEA Team, therefore, manifests as deliberate programs and strategies to help us become an institution where everyone truly belongs. We must actively strive to identify and remove the financial, logistical, cultural, attitudinal, and institutional barriers that prevent full and active engagement from all members of our community.

Although the work will not be easy nor quick, it is incredibly important, and we look forward to making steady process in each of the four IDEA areas as The Ringling continues to grow.

A Journey Through

APR 26 – 28

The Ringling is excited to present A Journey Through India, a three day festival exploring the many cultures of India. Created in collaboration with key partners from the local Indian community, the festival will celebrate Indian performance, food, dance, music, and art.

Friday, April 26, the festival will kick off with a Bollywood dance party in the Museum of Art Courtyard. Dj Pram brings his signature high-energy style to teach dance moves while scenes from classic Bollywood films are projected. Enjoy local Indian fare and beverages available for purchase and a special performance by choreographer Rajat “Rocky” Batta.

Saturday, April 27, look forward to a day-long program of cultural exploration, including a series of lectures from scholars speaking on Indian art, literature, philosophy, and popular culture; music and dance performances by community groups; art-making and other activities for families; and a market featuring local food and artisan vendors. Saturday evening Vishwa Mohan Bhatt performs in the Historic Asolo Theater. The Hindustani classical music instrumentalist is a GRAMMY® winning artist and the creator of the Mohan Veena. He has mesmerized the world with his pristine, pure, and delicate yet fiery music. A formal reception will be held preceding this world-class performance.

Sunday, April 28, the Festival culminates with a free, celebratory morning Hatha yoga event on Ca’ d’Zan terrace taught by an Ishafoundation yogi.

THE JOURNEY CONTINUES WITH FABRIC OF INDIA

ON VIEW JUL 7 – OCT 13

This exhibition showcases over 200 superb examples drawn from the internationally-renowned holdings of London’s Victoria & Albert Museum and private collections. Fabric of India illustrates the variety, technical sophistication, and adaptability of Indian textiles from the third to the twenty-first centuries.

Through a stunning range of historical dress, carefully preserved fabrics, and cutting-edge fashion, discover how Indian textiles have been interwoven with religion, politics, and global trade for centuries.

Gujarati Embroidery (detail), 1680–1700. Cotton embroidered with silk, 78 3/8 × 70 1/2 in. On loan from the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Garland Necklace, $250 Rose

A modern spin on a very old process—edgy jewelry using chainmaille techniques, linking stainless steel hardware together with titanium rings.