Roaming the Ringling Programs for Educators Debuts

SARASOTA, Fla. – Sept. 27, 2005 - The second annual Roaming the Ringling – Open House for Educators program at The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art will feature keynote speaker, Dr. Elliot Eisner, the Lee L. Jacks Professor of Education and Art at Stanford University School of Education, Friday, Oct. 21, from 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Eisner’s presentation, Just What Do the Arts Teach Anyway, will address his most current area of research.  Teachers are invited to network with colleagues and explore the breathtaking sights the Ringling Museum of Art offers while acquiring innovative strategies designed to enrich students’ learning.  Educators will also experience the Marketplace of Ideas where they can interact with national and local arts organizations. 

The following day, the Museum will present Roaming the Ringling – Teacher Institute on Saturday, Oct. 22, 8:30 a.m.–  4:30 p.m. This program will extend the values expressed in the Open House for Educators in a structured, finely-tuned, intensive workshop that maximizes creative approaches to teaching.  The program overview includes lectures by Pat Villeneuve Ph.D., Associate Professor of Art Education, Florida State University, and Ron Delong, Crayola ® Dream-Makers TM Workshop. SRA McGraw-Hill and FSUdanceSARASOTA will also provide workshops and Museum staff members will conduct interactive tours. The Teacher Institute will culminate in a refreshing storytelling experience. Registration is limited and required.

“It is proven that children learn through their senses; for that reason it is important for art, as a creative component to the educational process, to have a place in the classroom,” said

Ringling Museum Director of Education Lynn Berkowitz.  “These programs will provide educators with fresh new perspectives and tools for incorporating the arts into their lesson plans.”

Both programs are free for Florida teachers, but have an RSVP deadline of Oct.17. RSVP’s should be directed to Nicole Crane, Ringling Museum Associate Curator of Education: Scholastic Programs at ncrane@ringling.org, or on the Ringling Museum’s Education Page at www.ringling.org.  Please include your name, county, school, subject area, grade, and phone number.

This program is made possible in part through support from Cultural Institutions Program of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, The Florida Arts Council, and The National Endowment for the Arts; Selby Foundation, Ringling Museum Endowment Fund; and The Publix Supermarket Charities Endowment Fund.

General Admission includes the special exhibition, Ringling Museum of Art, 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 $15; senior citizens (65 and over) and Military are $12.  Free admission for children 12 and under accompanied by an adult, Museum Members, and Florida students and teachers with valid ID cards.  Advance Tickets are recommended: 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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