The Ringling Magazine | May – September 2019

SUN XUN, Time Spy (detail), 2016. 3D animated film, 9 minutes, dimensions variable. © The artist, courtesy: Sean Kelly, New York

5401 Bay Shore Road

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

Summertime is considered by some to be the off-season for Sarasota, a time for us all to seek cooler climates, and enjoy a respite from the hustle and bustle of spring. I assure you, this is not the case for The Ringling. Our summer months continue to grow in attendance as more and more visitors and residents embrace the weather, beautiful beaches, and The Ringling’s galleries.

This summer, The Fabric of India opens in July in the Searing Wing of the Museum of Art. This important exhibition, the first from the Victoria and Albert Museum to travel to The Ringling, amazes with exquisite objects, a fascinating history, and the beautiful tradition of Indian fabric.

In August, we will present Sun Xun: Time Spy in the Chao Center for Asian Art. The contemporary Chinese artist combines traditional printmaking techniques with 3D video technology to create an audio-visual experience that is at once haunting, delightful, and beautifully strange.

Summer for parents can mean a challenge to find activities for kids, but with a variety of free Family Programs it is easy to plan for creative and enriching activities week after week at The Ringling. Our Bolger Playspace is open every day and is a great place to bring your children or grandchildren for creative play.

Thank you for your membership. A membership to The Ringling is meaningful in different ways for different people, whether it is a passion for art, the story of John and Mable and their beloved Ca’ d’Zan, or the rich tradition of circus in our community. We are grateful for the opportunity to continue to inspire all who pass through our historic Gatehouse entrance.

Steven High Executive Director

ISSN 2165-4085

Sari (detail), Bangaluru, Karnataka, ca. 1867. Silk and metal-wrapped thread, 790 x 109 cm. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

The Ringling's 2019-2020 programming season is supported in part by Sarasota County Tourist Development Tax revenues.

some of the world’s finest textiles. Highlights include a silk riding jacket meticulously embroidered with a pattern of animals and plants (figure 3).

The exhibition also delves into the global textile trade and its social and political impacts. Europeans, arriving by sea from the late 15th century, established insatiable new markets for Indian cloth. Artisans adapted their products according to the needs and tastes of their international patrons. A cotton panel painstakingly chainstitched with a charming design of birds, squirrels, and flowers, for example, was made to furnish a room or bed in Europe (figure 4). Western demand for relatively affordable imports sometimes resulted in the exploitation of Indian artisans and also harmed local industry in Europe. As such, the exhibition points to some of the uglier aspects of the circulation of beautiful objects.

Industrialization transformed the textile trade, and also led to social and political changes that radically altered India’s relationship with the British Empire, which formally ruled India between 1858 and 1947. As mass-produced British cloth and yarn threatened India’s domestic economy, a movement to free India from British control began to coalesce. Activists adopted symbols related to Indian textiles, namely khadi fabric and the spinning wheel, as icons of resistance and national identity.

The Fabric of India concludes with a celebration of high fashion employing traditional styles and techniques for local and international audiences. Of particular interest in recent years has been the sari, the iconic draped garment, with designers reinterpreting its structure and aesthetics to enhance its modern appeal. An array of saris reimagined by contemporary designers in partnership with skilled artisans will be on display. Collaborations such as those represented in these garments promise to ensure the continued vibrancy of India’s distinguished textile history long into the future.

Photos,

Exhibition organized by the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

Photos, previous page, left to right:

Figure 1 | Flag (detail), about 1896–1910. Cotton appliqué, 270 7/8 × 136 5/8 in. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

Figure 2 | Border for a woman's dress (detail), India, 19th century. Cotton, embroidered with beetle-wing cases, couched with giltsilver wire, 117 x 33 cm. Given by Mrs Mary Gordon. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

this page, top to bottom:

Figure 3 | Riding Coat (detail), Mughal, c.1620-5. Satin-woven silk embroidered with silk thread, length: 100 cm. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

Figure 4 | Gujarati Embroidery (detail), 1680–1700. Cotton embroidered with silk, 78 3/8 × 70 1/2 in. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

SUN XUN Time Spy

by Rhiannon Paget Curator of Asian Art

ON VIEW AUG 11 – FEB 16

The Ringling’s year of Asian art continues with Time Spy, a mesmerizing animated film by Chinese artist Sun Xun that opens in the Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Center for Asian Art this August. A superb painter and draughtsman, Sun Xun incorporates traditional techniques including ink painting, charcoal drawing, and woodblock printing into his films. His masterful use of analog and digital technologies to explore pressing concerns of our time make him one of the most compelling artists working in new media.

The frames for Time Spy were made from panels of wood carved and inked in much the same way that blocks are prepared for woodblock printing, which was invented in China around 600 CE. Sun Xun mobilized an army of student assistants to complete the thousands of blocks necessary for the nine minutes of running time. Rather than being printed on paper, the blocks were digitally scanned and animated. The chunky block cutting style in high-contrast black and white recalls the work of German Expressionist artist Käthe Kollwitz, as well as more local sources such as the communist printmakers Li Hua and Jiang Feng. A selection of the panels used to make the film will also be on display.

Time Spy is a fantastical and disquieting meditation on global history, environmental collapse, power, and the indifference of time to human concerns. Chimeric creatures—a winged tiger, flying violins, and cameraheaded horses and birds—traverse and surveil bleak landscapes. Twirling

SUN XUN, Time Spy, 2016. 3D animated film, 9 minutes, dimensions variable. © the artist, Courtesy: Sean Kelly, New York

moons, newspapers, and clocks speak of our attempts to measure and make sense of the passage of time. Fat cats in top hats scheme, skies seethe, and mechanical gauges oscillate wildly. Towards the end, Georges Méliès’s satirical silent film A Trip to the Moon makes an appearance, while Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s Tower of Babel, Vladimir Tatlin’s Monument to the Third International, and China’s Great Wall share a landscape, raising the question of what monuments to hubris we are leaving for future archeologists.

The immersive experience of Time Spy is enhanced by the use of old-school anaglyph 3D, a type of stereoscopic technique using red and cyan to render the film in three dimensions. The Museum will provide tinted glasses to view the film. A darkly theatrical score composed by Zhang Fei and performed by Beijing Young Philharmonic Orchestra heightens the palpable sense of foreboding.

Based in Beijing, Sun Xun was born in Fuxin, an industrial mining town in northeast China. He studied printmaking at the China Academy of Fine Arts, and founded Pi animation studio in 2006. Growing up in the aftermath of the Cultural

Revolution, he has long been interested how history is constructed for official purposes, as opposed to how it is lived and experienced by ordinary people. He has held solo and group shows at major museums in North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia, and has received numerous honors, including the Best Young Artist award by the Chinese Contemporary Art Award in 2010, the Young Art Award by Taiwan Contemporary Art Link, and the Arts Fellowship by Civitella Ranieri Foundation in Italy.

Time Spy was conceived as part of a project called Reconstruction of the Universe, a multimedia installation Sun Xun made for the second edition of the Audemars Piguet Art Commission, a prestigious program that supports artists in the creation of works of “exceptional complexity, precision, and experiential impact.” The installation was exhibited at Art Basel, Miami, in 2016. It has since been shown at Saint Louis Art Museum and Sean Kelly in New York City. A shortened version was screened at Times Square in July 2017.

Time Spy comes to The Ringling courtesy of the artist and Sean Kelly, New York.

SUN XUN, Time Spy, 2016. acrylic and ink on carved wood panels in 12 parts, each panel: 11 5/8 x 16 5/16 inches. © the artist, Courtesy: Sean Kelly, New York.

Interview with artist NATASHA MAZURKA

by Ola Wlusek

Keith D. and Linda L. Monda Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art

pattern languages. I’m interested in examining our desire for stability and certainty, achieved through systems of visual design. With my new work I’m splicing and synthesizing sourced patterns and creating a new visual syntax from existing languages, including natural science, architecture, maps, and data-based visuals. What the sources share in common is a role in communicating knowledge and bringing a sense of order to our experiences.

OW What are some current applications of pattern systems and how does the concept of aestheticizing information factor into the content of your work?

NM The new paintings deal with the regulated and encoded behavior of women. I took inspiration from the novel by Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid's Tale. The book is about inhibiting movement beyond the patriarchal order system. Even though the book is a science fiction, it’s topical within our current society. By referencing The Handmaid’s Tale my work points to how quickly the tools used to help us feel assured and our lives purposeful can be used to control us.

OW Is this the first time you've inserted your direct personal experience into your paintings?

Earlier this year, Ola Wlusek braved the bitter cold to visit Natasha Mazurka in her Ottawa studio, where Natasha was preparing for her solo exhibition at The Ringling.

OLA WLUSEK Thank you for taking a break from working to chat with me. It’s so wonderful to be able to finally see your new paintings in person. They are glowing and vibrating!

NATASHA MAZURKA The translucency of the surfaces is due to the numerous thin layers of paint. It takes a while for each layer to dry, so I work on multiple paintings at once.

OW You’ve been occupied with coded languages in patterns for some time now. I love how your paintings demand my eyes to move around and try to decipher the different shapes and motifs within the patterns.

NM I’ve been examining the communicative potential of pattern systems and disciplines of information visualization for many years. In these paintings, as well as the hand embossings and vinyl installations, I’ve been researching

NM Based on my role as a mother, yes. After giving birth to my daughter I became interested in the portrayal of the female experience. My new work incorporates systems and technologies that are from a decidedly female experience. With titles such as Feeder and Suckers, these works explore concepts of affirmation and acceptance, the ambivalence of motherhood, the concept of being nurturing, and the surveillance of the female body and its functions.

OW During your visit to The Ringling last year did anything in particular inspire you?

NM I was really excited to come across the vanitas paintings, in particular the painting by Jan Davidsz de Heem, titled Still Life with Parrots. The painting captures a rich assortment of visual codes within the symbols of the objects. My work, All flesh is weak. All flesh is grass, is a contemporary vanitas. Like de Heem, it warns us of our transience, alongside symbols of opulence and intellectual achievement. In my work, coding is this achievement, in de Heem's, it is the acquisition of material objects and delicacies.

Monda Gallery for Contemporary Art

Natasha Mazurka, Fractal Feeders, 2018, oil, ink, acrylic, and vinyl on braced Baltic birch panel, 60 x 60 inches. Courtesy of the artist. © Natasha Mazurka.

NATASHA MAZURKA: ORDER SYSTEMS ON VIEW THROUGH SEP 29

The Ringling is pleased to offer visitors new work by esteemed photojournalist David Burnett from his current documentary project Fourth Quarter: Senior Athletes, their Indomitable Spirit. Burnett is a veteran photographer whose reportage and documentary work span 50 years. His storied career includes coverage of the Vietnam War and the Iranian Revolution, portraits of world leaders and newsmakers, and competitions at every Summer Olympics around the world since 1984.

Years of photographing the drama of international athletes striving for the gold have filled him with an appreciation for the dedication that it takes to become a champion. In developing his latest project, Burnett challenges us to rethink our perceptions about athletics. He notes that while we are quick to celebrate medalists and record-breakers, we ought to expand our notion of athletics to those who demonstrate a tenacity of commitment and extreme perseverance in pursuit of their sport. Even more valiant are those who practice athletics in their advanced years; they challenge their bodies and our stereotypes about old age. These are the indomitable spirits of Burnett’s Fourth Quarter

Fourth Quarter: Senior Athletes, their Indomitable Spirit is a result of a commission awarded to Burnett by the Greenfield Prize at the Hermitage Artist Retreat in 2017. This award provided Burnett with the opportunity to travel the country for two years, from California to New York, Iowa to Florida,

DAVID BURNETT

FOURTH QUARTER: SENIOR ATHLETES, THEIR INDOMITABLE SPIRIT

by Christopher

photographing senior competitions and meeting athletes. He spent time with the Gray Wolves senior hockey team in Skaneateles, NY—a club that takes to the ice regularly for scrimmages and tournaments—on the momentous occasion of their oldest member's turning 95 years old. At the Senior Games in Birmingham, AL, he captured women who take to the basketball court and fight for the ball in a fierce competition. In all of his action shots and portraits, Burnett treats his subjects with reverence. “I want to treat them just as I would treat Usain Bolt,” he notes, explaining the philosophy behind his approach.

Photos, left to right: David Burnett, Gray Wolves Senior Hockey Team, Skaneateles, NY, 2018 David Burnett, Basketball, 2017 National Senior Games, Birmingham, AL, June 2017 ©2019 David Burnett/Contact Press Images—"Fourth Quarter," commissioned by the Greenfield Prize at the Hermitage Artist Retreat.

Jones Curator of Photography and Media Art ON VIEW APR 13 – JUL 21

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT

Kathy and Michael Bush

When and how did you first hear about The Ringling? As any new person to town, we journeyed to The Ringling to see the old masters and the Circus Museum. That was back in 2000. It wasn’t until Steven High became the Executive Director when our interest in The Ringling changed. He and his team have transformed the Museum into a facility that we can’t stay away from—it is truly a gem of Sarasota and Florida.

Why did you choose to become Circle Members?

The curatorial programming had shifted to more of a contemporary style and the then curator of modern and contemporary art, Matthew McLendon, was a very talented curator that we wanted to support. Even as the programming has shifted to a broader style it is programming that we are proud to support.

What is the benefit you enjoy the most from your Circle Membership?

The Circle Members are people that we enjoy spending an evening with. They are very passionate about the Museum, passionate about the arts, and passionate about philanthropy.

You have been dedicated supporters of the Art of Performance at The Ringling for many years. What has inspired you to support that program in this way?

We have a passion for performance art and the unique presentation of the Art of Performance has truly inspired us. Whether it is considered “cutting edge” or leading edge, it gives us a chance to enjoy big city talent in the intimacy of the Historic Asolo Theater and alternative spaces on the grounds. What is your favorite memory or experience at The Ringling?

One was a private event held at Ca’ d’Zan and the other was a Ringling event. At Ca' d’ Zan, I organized a private dinner for 120 people on the terrace. This was the inaugural event for the Sarasota Architectural Foundation’s Sarasota MOD. Among those in attendance were national, award winning architects, SAF board members, and SAF guests. Everything about that night was perfect and supplemented with Steven High sharing stories about Ralph Twitchell and the construction of Ca’ d’Zan. Absolutely memorable! As to a Ringling event, the initial years of Ringling International Arts Festival were so special. The whole concept of bringing emerging world talent to Sarasota was truly a treasured experience. I still can see Meow Meow body surfing in the audience, the Flamenco dancer breaking a glass on stage, and Baryshnikov dancing. So special.

FOR YOUR PATIENCE

Due to the complexity of our transition to a new membership database this past fall, we have experienced delays in processing membership cards. New membership cards may take up to 8 weeks to arrive by mail; however, we want you to know that memberships are current from the date you join or renew! Even without a new membership card, you may visit The Ringling as a current member!

Upon check-in, simply present a current photo ID, or your expired membership card, and you will have access to your current membership benefits.

We apologize for this delay and assure you that we value all the continued participation and support of our valued members. Thank you for your patience, and we look forward to seeing you at The Ringling soon!

MEMBER NEWS

LOOKING AHEAD...

An exciting lineup of programs and Member events is planned for this Fall! We hope you will join us for them, including the Member Preview events that will be held in mid-December when the exhibition Syd Solomon: Concealed and Revealed opens in the Searing Wing. Stay tuned!

FRIENDS EVENTS

These events are by invitation only.

FRIENDS OF THE RINGLING LEGACY

Making a Japanese Variant of Bonsai, Kokedama

MAY 10, 10:00 AM

Friends of the Ringling Legacy are invited to join Curator of the Rose Garden, Karen Smith, in the Dwarf Garden for a unique opportunity to build a kokedama.

FRIENDS OF ART OF OUR TIME

Meet artist Natasha Mazurka

MAY 18, 10:30 AM

Friends of Art of Our Time are invited to attend the Viewpoint Lecture with artist Natasha Mazurka. Following the public lecture, there will be a private Friends reception with the artist.

FRIENDS OF ASIAN ART

Meet artist Sun Xun

OCT 27

Friends of Asian Art will be offered the unique opportunity for a private meet and greet with artist Sun Xun, whose exhibition, Time Spy, will be on view August 11 – February 16.

UPDATED FRIENDS BENEFIT

Beginning July 1 your Friends membership will be extended to include 2 members or 1 member + 1 guest. Annual Dues will remain $125 per Friends group, in addition to your regular Membership dues.

As a Friend, you will have unique opportunities to explore the areas specific to your chosen group and connect with our Curators and others who share similar interests. Enjoy special events and programs designed specifically for you!

For more information, or to join, call 941-360-7330, or contact membership@ringling.org.

EXHIBITION PREVIEW

THE FABRIC OF INDIA

This exhibition illustrates the variety, technical sophistication, and adaptability of Indian textiles from the third to the twenty-first centuries.

THU, JUL 11, 5:30 – 9:00 PM

Circle Member Preview and Dinner

We are extending an invitation to our Supporting and Partner Members to join our Circle Members as we preview the exhibition before it opens to the public. This event is by invitation only.

SAT, JUL 13, 10:00 AM – NOON

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!

Above right: Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Female wedding outfit, Kolkata, West Bengal, 2015. Woven khadi, silk and cotton; kantha, and golf-thread embroidery (zardozi). Gifted by Sabyasachi Mukherjee. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

IN MEMORY

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.

Nancy Cook

Harriett “Goody” Hirshfeld

Martha Church

Madeline Berman

Priscilla Greenfield

The only thing you take with you when you’re gone is what you leave behind.

~ John Allston

Eleanor Merritt Darlington

Eleanor Merritt

Darlington was born in Harlem, New York City, the youngest of five children born to Jamaican immigrants. A trained and passionate artist, Eleanor learned from such luminaries as Ad Reinhardt, Mark Rothko, and James Ernst. She was the first African-American art teacher and department chair in the Nassau County district in New York. Eleanor was a Ringling docent for 25 years, and served on The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art Board of Directors.

David F. Bolger

David F. Bolger of Longboat Key, Florida, and Ridgewood, New Jersey, passed away peacefully with his family by his side. David was a graduate of the University of Pittsburgh, an Air Force Veteran, and served as Chairman of Bolger and Company for 41 years. The Bolger family members have been longtime supporters of The Ringling, naming the David F. Bolger Playspace, the David F. Bolger Campiello and Promenade, and the Bolger Family Reflecting Pool.

BED-TAX REVENUES | SUPPORTING THE RINGLING SINCE 1993

For a number of years, exhibitions and performances at The Ringling have been supported by the Tourist Development Cultural/Arts Program grant. Commonly referred to as the TDC or TDC/A grant, this program is managed in its preaward stages by the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County, and in the post-award period by Sarasota County government. Funds for the grant program are generated through the collection of tourist-taxes from hotels and seasonal rentals. (The next time you splurge on that beach stay-cation, you can feel a little less guilty!).

The Alliance was founded in 1986, and the organization's role as an advocate for the arts took off in 1988, when it lobbied to have a portion of the county hotel bed-tax revenues allocated to support local arts and cultural organizations.

The administration of the tax funds is the responsibility of the Alliance, and thus the TDC/A grant program was born. Funding from the grant is used for marketing and program costs for arts and cultural programming that attracts tourists to the area in an effort to maintain Sarasota’s reputation as a national arts destination. Since 1993, The Ringling has been awarded over $750,000 through the TDC/A grant program, and this generous funding has provided vital support by aiding the marketing costs of the Art of Performance program, and providing assistance with the high costs of performer contract fees. In recent years, grant funds have also been used for marketing costs, materials, and supplies for major exhibitions, including A Feast of the Senses, Knights, and the upcoming The Fabric of India

We are thrilled to welcome new staff members to The Ringling family and to see long-time staff grow into new roles at the Museum. Newest to the curatorial team, this spring Elizabeth Doud became the inaugural Currie-Kohlmann Curator of Performance. Elizabeth comes to Sarasota from Miami, and as a performing arts professional has focused on environmental issues and international cultural exchange with Latin America. Mark Smith joined the marketing and communications department as Marketing Director this winter, returning to his museum roots after a five-year hiatus in marketing for higher education institutions in Texas. Last fall, we welcomed James Ingram as the Assistant Director of Visitor Services after specializing in visitor services for Disney World and Disney Cruises.

You may have noticed that some staff members have taken on new roles at the Museum: Jennifer Lemmer Posey became the Tibbals Curator of Circus after first entering the world of circus history at the Museum in 2002. Heidi Connor is the new Chief Archivist after joining archives staff in 2011. Laura Steefel-Moore is now Head of Educational Programs after joining the education department in 2015.

Elizabeth Doud | Mark Smith | James Ingram Jennifer Lemmer Posey | Heidi Connor | Laura Steefel-Moore

WINDOWS ON HISTORY

PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE CIRCUS

by Jennifer Lemmer Posey Tibbals Curator of Circus

From the safety of the studio to adventures on muddy lots across the country, photographers have been drawn to the extraordinary world of circus both as a subject and as an income stream. The changing relationships between professional photography and the circus are seen in the rich collections of the Circus Museum and Archives.

The advent of collodion dry plates and other advances made photography a more portable medium allowing photographers to venture beyond the studio. From the 1890s through the 1930s, Frederick W. Glasier armed himself with a King View camera and fragile glass plate negatives and made his way to the grounds of fairs and circuses. His powerful eye for intimate, behind the scenes moments, gave insight into

the people of the circus. He was able to anticipate moments like that of aerialist Lillian Leitzel making final preparations for her act. The image-conscious Leitzel controlled her presentation through the tilted angle of her right knee and her powerful and direct gaze at the camera. Today, almost a century after his last photograph, 1,800 of Glasier’s glass plate negatives depicting circus, fair, and Wild West performers are a treasured part of the Circus collections.

As Glasier’s career was winding down, Edward J. Kelty was making his start as a society photographer, but he found himself drawn to the performers of the Coney Island sideshows and the traveling circus. In the early 1920s, Kelty began traveling to circus lots gathering groups in front of his large format camera. He would then process the negative in his truck, which was equipped as a mobile darkroom, and offer oversize prints, complete with title and date, to the show people. Unlike Glasier, Kelty maintained an emotional distance from the people of the circus, but he excelled at framing them in their own canvas-tented world. In his most ambitious large format photograph, he orchestrated the gathering of the entire cast and crew of the 1934 Ringling show, with more than 830 individuals arranged fifteen rows deep between the camera and their backdrop of the big top. Organized in seemingly hierarchical rows, the image records both the massive scale of the show and the social stratification of the large community. In this remarkable image, Kelty succeeded in freezing the very essence of the traveling circus—the moment when the multitude of varied individuals are joined into a single spectacle of the circus.

The examples given here are a small representation of the marvelous imagery included in the Circus Museum’s collections. Through these images, we find ourselves better able to analyze not only specific moments in circus history but also to give the circus community of today a powerful connection to its own history.

Photo, previous pages: Edward J. Kelty, Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Combined Circus, New Haven, Conn., June 13th, 1934 (detail). Circus Collection, CM20054. Photo, at left: Frederick W. Glasier, Forepaugh-Sells Circus Lot, c. 1910. Glasier Glass Plate Negative Collection, No. 0096. Photo, above: Frederick W. Glasier, Lillian Leitzel and Attendant, c. 1917. Glasier Glass Plate Negative Collection, No. 584.

Now that school is out, be sure to check out our

SUMMER FAMILY PROGRAMS

Bring the entire family to our fun (and free) programs this summer! Programs are free, but tickets are required. Advance reservation is encouraged. Tickets may be reserved online in advance or picked up in the Visitors Pavilion on the day of the program. Each ticket includes Museum admission for the rest of the day.

Attention Homeschool Families!

HOMESCHOOL THIRD THURSDAY

JUN 20 & JUL 18

3:00 – 5:00 PM

Docents answer questions as you explore the first floor of Ca' d’Zan. This a free program, but requires pre-registration. To learn more, visit ringling.org/homeschool

Celebrating our SCHOOL PROGRAMS

With feet swinging off the edge of the seat on the bus, young students crane their necks to get a look at the gatehouse with colorful windows sparkling in the sun. The anticipation builds as the bus comes to a halt and their tour guide, introduced as a docent, steps onto the bus to welcome them to The Ringling.

Scenes like this play out nearly every day at the Museum. This past school year we welcomed over 7,000 students. Some groups wandered the first floor of Ca’ d’Zan and learned how life in the 1920s compares to how we live today. Other students mimicked the daring acts of circus performers in the Tibbals Learning Center and learned how the circus could move across the country in less than a day! Across the Bayfront Gardens, students trekked with workbooks and pencils learning about the importance of the Florida ecosystem. In the Museum of Art, students engaged in conversations with docents, asking everything from “what does the lion mean?” to “why are the walls green?” On any given school tour, Ringling docents expertly tie in the school curriculum through conversations, exciting games, and dynamic storytelling.

MUSEUM OF ART MONDAYS

JUN 3 – JUL 29

10:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Join our staff in the Education Building for an art-making program tied to artwork in our galleries. Afterwards, visit the Museum to find the featured artwork and learn more from our docents!

ROAR

Ringling Order of Art Readers

JUN 6 – AUG 2 ( Thursdays & Fridays)

10:30 AM

The Ringling’s family story time, designed to engage toddlers and preschoolers in activities that connect art and early literacy. Join us for a story and accompanying art activity.

STROLLER TOURS

JUN 11, JUN 25, JUL 9, JUL 23

10:00 AM

Designed for parents or caregivers visiting the museum with an infant by encouraging adult discussion within a group that doesn’t mind if a chatty or crying baby joins the conversation. Strollers or front baby carriers only.

FAMILY SATURDAYS

JUN 8 – AUG 3

10:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Join us for a creative project relating to our collections. We will have an art-making component, as well as a special handout to help you locate and learn more about the inspiration for the project. Rotating themes will include the Circus, Ca' d’Zan, and Bayfront Gardens!

Please note: Programs will not be held during the week of Jun 30 – Jul 6.

EXQUISITE INDIAN TEXTILES

Woven and embroidered shawls showcase the intricate textile traditions of Northern India in both traditional and contemporary designs.

$55 - $90

Members save 10%

The Ringling MUSEUM STORE

MEMBERS SAVE 10%! (excludes clearance items)

Open Daily 10:00 AM – 5:30 PM, Thursdays until 8:00 PM

Two Locations Visitors Pavilion and Original Circus Museum