The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art is pleased to announce that they have received a Strategic Partnership Grant from the Community Foundation of Sarasota County. The generous gift of $42,500 will provide support for three important programs at The Ringling: the Community Gallery, an upcoming photography exhibition and community outreach related to the Art of Performance program. 

“We are extremely appreciative of the support that we receive from the Community Foundation of Sarasota County,” said Steven High, The Ringling’s Executive Director. “Gifts such as this allow us to deepen our commitment and make an even greater impact in the community.”

The Ringling’s Community Gallery is a public exhibition space that is located on the ground floor of the museum’s Center for Asian Art. The gallery features rotating exhibitions, highlighting the works of local groups ranging from the Sarasota County Medical Society to our youngest artists who have created works at home with their parents. Admission to the gallery is always free. The gallery was originally created with the support of the Community Foundation. The next exhibition in the Gallery that opens Nov. 30 is From Legend to History: Archaeology of the Underground Railroad in Our Backyard, which showcases New College professor Uzi Baram’s archaeological work on the community of Angola in Bradenton.

In May 2022, The Ringling will present an exhibition in the Searing Wing of the Museum of Art displaying photographic works that were generously gifted to the museum by Stanton B. and Nancy W. Kaplan. The Community Foundation is the supporting sponsor for the exhibition. 

Community outreach is an important aspect of the museum’s strategic plan. The Art of Performance program works with local schools to provide a rich and diverse array of opportunities for local students and nonprofit organizations to engage with the arts and the international artists that perform in this series.

More information may be found at ringling.org.

About The Community Foundation of Sarasota County

The Community Foundation of Sarasota County is a public charity founded in 1979 by the Southwest Florida Estate Planning Council as a resource for caring individuals and the causes they support, enabling them to make a charitable impact on the community. With assets of $421 million in more than 1,500 charitable funds, the Community Foundation awarded grants and scholarships totaling $48.9 million dollars last year in the areas of education, the arts, health and human services, civic engagement, animal welfare and the environment. Since its founding, the Community Foundation has been able to grant more than $323 million to area nonprofit organizations to our community thanks to the generosity of charitable individuals, families, and businesses. For more information, visit www.CFSarasota.org or call (941) 955-3000.

About The Ringling

The Ringling is a pre-eminent center for the arts, history and learning that is dedicated to bringing the past and contemporary culture to life through extraordinary visitor experiences. From its inception, The Ringling has joined the diverse visual traditions and theatrical spectacle of yesterday with the genre-defying global practitioners of today. 

A place of exploration, discovery and respite, The Ringling’s campus in Sarasota, Florida – which includes the Museum of Art, the Circus Museum, an historic mansion, an 18th-century theater and bayfront gardens – is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

As the State Art Museum of Florida and part of Florida State University, The Ringling fulfills an important educational mission. The Ringling offers formal and informal programs of study serving as a major resource for students, scholars, and lifelong learners of every age within the region, across the country and around the world.

Photo Credit: The Ringling

Date Posted: November 22, 2021