Dramatic Photographs of Cuban Landscape by Clyde Butcher in Searing Wing

Sept. 15, 2007 – Jan. 10, 2008

Sarasota, FL – August 15, 2007—Photographs celebrating Cuba’s natural landscape by renowned photographer Clyde Butcher will be on view Sept. 15, 2007 - Jan. 10, 2008 in the Ulla R. and Arthur F. Searing Wing at The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art.  These twelve black and white photographs included in Clyde Butcher’s Cuba will be shown concurrently with the Cuba Avant –Garde: Contemporary Art from the Farber Collection exhibition, in the Museum’s Searing Wing.

            “This exhibition allows our visitor’s to view another side of Cuba, its stunning rural landscape,” says Ulla R. Searing Curator of Collections Dr. Stephen Borys, who organized the show.  “Butcher’s ability to capture Cuba’s natural and rarely explored landscape allows our visitors to experience both the physical environment and her rich cultural heritage with the adjacent presentation of Cuba Avant-Garde.”

           The United Nations declared the year 2002 as "The Year of the Mountains" and encouraged countries all over the world to have environmental conferences regarding the conservation of mountains.  The Conference for the Caribbean and the Americas was held in Cuba, and Clyde Butcher was invited to photograph the dynamic landscape of Cuba for the conference.

           Butcher, a resident of Venice, Fla., made three separate expeditions to Cuba between 2002 and 2003.   The large-scale photographs (the largest 50 x 70 inches) in the exhibition focus on the Sierra Maestra Mountains in the eastern province of Granma, the scenic south coast, and the Mogote hills of the west.  Highlighting the interplay between shape and light, these photographs intimately capture the depth and majesty of Cuba’s mountains, rainforests, waterfalls and cliffs. 

            For more than thirty-five years, Butcher has been preserving, on film, the untouched areas of the landscape.  His photography can be found in museum exhibitions and collections throughout Florida and across the United States.  In 1998 he was honored by the state of Florida with the highest award the state can give a private citizen: the Artist Hall of Fame Award.

            On Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2007 at 5:30 p.m. A Conversation with Photographer Clyde Butcher will take place in the Historic Asolo Theater, with a book signing and reception to follow.  The event is sponsored by the Sarasota Conservation Foundation.  Tickets are $25 and $20 for Ringling Members.  To purchase tickets call the Historic Asolo Theater Box Office at 941.360.7399 and for more information visit www.ringling.org. 

            The exhibition is included with regular Museum admission.

 General Admission includes the Ringling Museum of Art, special exhibitions, Cà d’Zan Mansion, Circus Museum, Mable’s historic Rose Garden and Florida’s only rose test gardens, all on 66 acres of lushly landscaped grounds. Adults are $19; senior citizens (65 and over) are $16; children ages 6-17 are $6.  Free Admission for children 5 and under accompanied by an adult or museum member.  Advance tickets are available by calling 941.358.3180. Visit for more information.

 The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Florida State University, is the largest museum/university complex in the nation.  It preserves the legacy of John and Mable Ringling, educating and enabling a large and diverse audience to experience and take delight in a world-renowned collection of fine art; Cà d’Zan, the Ringling historic mansion; the Circus Museum; the Original Asolo Theater; and historic architecture, courtyard, gardens and grounds overlooking Sarasota Bay.

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General Admission includes the Ringling Museum of Art, special exhibitions, Ca' d’Zan Mansion, Circus Museum, and Mable’s historic Rose Garden, all on 66 acres of lushly landscaped grounds. Adults are $25; senior citizens (65 and over) are $20; children ages 6-17 are $5.  Free Admission for children 5 and under accompanied by an adult, museum members.  Advance tickets are available by calling 941.358.3180. Visit Ringling.org for more information.

The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Florida State University, is one of the largest museum/university complexes in the nation.  It preserves the legacy of John and Mable Ringling, educating and enabling a large and diverse audience to experience and take delight in a world-renowned collection of fine art; Ca' d’Zan, the Ringling historic mansion; the Circus Museums; the Original Asolo Theater; and historic architecture, courtyard, gardens and grounds overlooking Sarasota Bay.
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