Ringling Staff Lectures to Spotlight Permanent Collection

SARASOTA, Fla. – March 27, 2006-The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art’s upcoming Spotlights series Friday, April 7 and 14, 9:30-11:30 a.m., is instrumental in allowing visitors to familiarize themselves with the Museum’s galleries and grounds. Spotlight attendees also have the chance to engage in meaningful discussions, meet Museum staff and listen to expert guest lecturers through this series of educational events.

“The inspiration for these programs is to offer guests the rare opportunity to see more of the Ringling’s permanent collection, such as prints and drawings that, due to space or other limitations, have not been on display for many years. We are excited to be able to provide a sneak preview well in advance of the timeframe of our new galleries opening next year,” said Maureen Thomas-Zaremba, the Museum’s Associate Curator of Education.

Because the Ringling is pleased to host two traveling exhibitions of prints and drawings in 2006, two Spotlight talks will showcase a small selection of the Ringling’s own prints and drawings as a prelude.  On April 7, Todd Magreta, Ringling Museum Curatorial Fellow, will focus on Old Master drawings, and then on April 14, Magreta and Maureen Thomas-Zaremba  will address the execution and understanding of Old Master prints - their purpose, manufacture, diversity, collection, and appeal. 

Complementing the Ringling collection’s centuries of dynamic paintings and sculpture, the Museum of Art boasts collections of nearly 350 drawings and over 3000 prints that have been acquired in the course of its history and which form an integral part of the Museum’s artistic holdings.  Like the gallery works, the paper ones span a wide range of European art, but on a much more intimate scale.  Due to the light-sensitive quality of paper and limited exhibition space, they are necessarily kept in storage.  With the 2007 opening of the new galleries, however, the Ringling will now display these works in a series of rotating thematic and period displays. 

Tickets are $12 for Museum members, $15 for non-members.  Enrollment for all programs is limited and many programs sell out. Call Advance Tickets at 941-358-3180 to purchase. Attendees should meet in the lobby of the Visitor Pavilion no later than 9:15 AM.

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April 7: Spotlight on the Permanent Collection: Old Master Drawings
Todd Magreta, Curatorial Fellow, Ringling Museum

April 14: Spotlight on the Permanent Collection: Old Master Prints
Todd Magreta, Curatorial Fellow, Ringling Museum, Maureen Thomas-Zaremba, Associate Curator of Education, Ringling Museum

General Admission includes the Ringling Museum of Art, Cà d’Zan mansion, Circus Museum, Mable’s  Rose Garden and grounds.  Admission is $15 for adults; $13 for senior citizens (65 and over) and U.S. Military; and $5 for children 6 and above and students with ID.   The Museum is open 7 days a week from 10:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.  Closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.  Admission for children 5 and under accompanied by an adult, museum members, and Florida teachers with valid ID cards.  Admission to the Ringling Museum of Art is free on Mondays (does not include free admission to the Cà d’Zan and Circus Museum).  Prices are subject to change without notice.  Information Line: 941.351.1660. Advance tickets are recommended.  Call 941.358.3180.

The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Florida State University, is the state art museum of Florida.  It preserves, develops, and enhances the legacy of John and Mable Ringling and engages and educates a large and diverse audience in aworld-renowned collection of art, Cà d'Zan (the Ringlings’ mansion) and its historic contents, collections documenting the circus and its history, the historic Asolo Theater, and the architecture, courtyard, gardens, and grounds overlooking Sarasota Bay.

The Museum’s exhibitions and programs are made possible in part through support by the Sarasota County Tourist Development Tax through the Board of County Commissioners, the Tourist Development Council and the Sarasota County Arts Council; the State of Florida, Florida Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, and the Florida Arts Council. 

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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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