program highlights M AD e POSSIBL e By yOU !

Five significant exhibitions and two performance art series created the framework for many of our programs this past year.

Deco Japan, Shaping Art and Culture

July 13 ‒ October 28

An entirely unfamiliar genre, Deco Japan introduced Japanese Art Deco during the Taisho and early Showa epochs (1912-45). Organized by Art Services International the exhibition was drawn from the collection of Bob and Mary Levenson of Clearwater, Florida. Comprised of over one hundred objects the exhibition was well received by our community attracting many visitors.

Codex, March 30 ‒ Oct 14

An installation by Sanford Biggers, introduced the work of this nationally recognized contemporary artist. Curated by Matthew McLendon and made possible through a collaboration with the Hermitage Artist Retreat, Codex was comprised of a series of antique quilts on which the artist painted images related to the Underground Railroad and the slave trade’s Central Passage. This exhibition is now traveling under The Ringling’s auspices broadening our impact around the country.

Herb Ritts: LA Style, February 22 ‒ May 19

Paolo Veronese: A Master and His Workshop

December 7 ‒ April 14

A major accomplishment by The Ringling, Curator Virginia Brilliant worked over four years to assemble this collection of Veronese paintings in North American collections and borrowed work from over 30 lenders from all across the U.S. and Canada. A major scholarly catalogue published and distributed by SCALA publishers in London accompanied the exhibition and included articles by some of the top Renaissance scholars of today.

The modern galleries in the Searing Wing were dedicated to this collection of Ritts’ work from the Getty Museum in Los Angeles. The Ringling was one of only two venues outside of L.A. for this first serious exhibition of the late fashion and art photographer. One of our most popular exhibitions to date, Ritts was very well received by our visitors and in the regional press.

American Moderns, 1910-1960: From O’Keeffe to Rockwell

June 14 ‒ September 8

The final exhibition for this year was from the Brooklyn Museum. This exhibition featured all of the great modernist painters from the first half of the 20th century and included significant works by these and other artists that exemplified their unique contributions to modern culture. The opening reception was our largest ever with over 900 members attending.