Join us for a Gallery Talk and explore the Museum and its collection from a variety of perspectives.  Your Gallery Talk ticket includes access the Museum of Art, Circus Museum, and Bayfront Gardens for the remainder of the day.

Tue, Oct 3 @ 11:00 AM | Curator’s Choice in Lorna Bieber: Natural World Tickets

Bieber’s artwork first and foremost encourages us to indulge in the pleasures of looking and discovering anew the details of the visual world. In this gallery talk, we will join Christopher Jones, Stanton B. and Nancy W. Kaplan Curator of Photography and Media Arts in the revelry of looking and discover captivating visual stories in Bieber’s monumental Montage series works. Learn more about Lorna Bieber: Natural World

Tue, Oct 17 @ 11:00 AM | Unusual Pursuits: Miniature Painting, Drawings Dealings, and a Gold Hoop Earring Tickets

Join Sarah Cartwright, Ulla R. Searing Curator of Collections, on a tour of the exhibition Guercino’s Friar with a Gold Earring: Fra Bonaventura Bisi, Painter and Art Dealer. Together, we’ll discover the extraordinary life of Fra Bisi, a Franciscan friar who was at the center of the art world in 17^th-century Bologna, the birthplace of the Italian Baroque. 

Thu, Oct 19 @ 6:00 PM | Unusual Pursuits: Miniature Painting, Drawings Dealings, and a Gold Hoop Earring Tickets

Join Sarah Cartwright, Ulla R. Searing Curator of Collections, on a tour of the exhibition Guercino’s Friar with a Gold Earring: Fra Bonaventura Bisi, Painter and Art Dealer. Together, we’ll discover the extraordinary life of Fra Bisi, a Franciscan friar who was at the center of the art world in 17^th-century Bologna, the birthplace of the Italian Baroque.

Special tour! Tue, Oct 31 @ 11:00 AM | Spooky Sails and Thrilling Tales Tickets

It’s Halloween at The Ringling! Join Katie Nickel, Head of Educational Programs on this spine-chilling tour exploring some of the bizarre, thrilling, and downright spooky works of art on view at The Ringling.

Thu, Nov 2 @ 5:00 PM | Waiting for Icarus: Poetry and Art

The tradition of ekphrastic poetry is ancient, rich and varied, with poets taking delight in metamorphosing visual objects into poems. Join this interactive tour where participants from a poetry bootcamp share ekphrastic poems inspired by works of art at The Ringling. In this inverse tour, you’ll explore the galleries and visit poets who will guide you in a new way of looking at art through the written and spoken word.

Then, it’s your turn! Paper and pencils are available for you to try your hand at ekphrastic poems inspired by objects in the Museum of Art.

Tue, Nov 7 @ 11:00 AM | An Intimate Look at 500 Years of Italian Drawings from the Princeton University Art Museum

Join Sarah Cartwright, Ulla R. Searing Curator of Collections as she guides us through an intimate look at the exhibition 500 Years of Italian Drawings from the Princeton University Art Museum.

 Thu, Nov 9, 2023 @ 6:00 PM | An Intimate Look at 500 Years of Italian Drawings from the Princeton University Art Museum

Join Sarah Cartwright, Ulla R. Searing Curator of Collections as she guides us through an intimate look at the exhibition 500 Years of Italian Drawings from the Princeton University Art Museum.

Tue, Nov 21 @ 11:00 AM | Saint Cecilia and Music in Ca’ d’Zan

November 22 is the feast day of Saint Cecilia, the patron saint of music. What better way to celebrate than to visit a painting of Saint Cecilia in Ca’ d’Zan, a house made for music! On this interactive tour, we will discover Saint Cecilia’s story and explore how music brought Ca’ d’Zan to life.

Want more? Join us for La Santa Cecilia in Concert, an energetic Los Angeles musical group, on December 12 at 6:00pm at the Bolger Campiello overlooking Ca’ d’Zan.

Tue, Dec 5 @ 11:00 AM | Slow Art with Yuriko Yamaguchi’s Gravity (1988)

What would happen if we spent an hour with a single work of art? Join Katie Nickel, Head of Educational Programs as we slow down and get to know Gravity (1988) by Yuriko Yamaguchi. In this seated Gallery Talk, we will use techniques for close looking, exploring Gravity as good friends.

Tue, Jan 16, 2024 @ 11:00 AM | The Art of Nature / The Nature of Art

In this gallery talk, we’ll explore the exchange of inspiration between art, artists, and the natural world. This hour-long tour will take place in both the Museum of Art and the surrounding gardens so be sure to wear your walking shoes!

Thu, Jan 18 @ 6:00 PM | The Art of Nature / The Nature of Art

In this gallery talk, we’ll explore the exchange of inspiration between art, artists, and the natural world. This hour-long tour will take place in both the Museum of Art and the surrounding gardens so be sure to wear your walking shoes!

Tue, Feb 6 @ 11:00 AM | Wonder Walk

Join Ringling staff in a unique Wonder Walk experience through the Museum of Art. This open-ended tour will begin with Katie Nickel, Head of Educational Programs, sharing a work of art that fills her with awe and wonder. Following a discussion on wonder and art we’ll walk through the Museum of Art galleries, pausing whenever someone finds something wonderful. This playful tour invites all to wonder and wander in the Museum of Art.

Thu, Feb 8 @ 6:00 PM | Wonder Walk

Join Ringling staff in a unique Wonder Walk experience through the Museum of Art. This open-ended tour will begin with Katie Nickel, Head of Educational Programs, sharing a work of art that fills her with awe and wonder. Following a discussion on wonder and art we’ll walk through the Museum of Art galleries, pausing whenever someone finds something wonderful. This playful tour invites all to wonder and wander in the Museum of Art.

Tue, Feb 20 @ 11:00 AM | Curator’s Choice in the Chao Center for Asian Art

Join Rhiannon Paget, Curator of Asian Art in a lively tour of the Center for Asian Art. While some works are on long-term display, other galleries rotate collections frequently. Discover old favorites and fresh exhibitions on this curator-led tour.

Thu, Feb 22 @ 6:00 PM | Curator’s Choice in the Chao Center for Asian Art

Join Rhiannon Paget, Curator of Asian Art in a lively tour of the Center for Asian Art. While some works are on long-term display, other galleries rotate collections frequently. Discover old favorites and fresh exhibitions on this curator-led tour.

Special tour – Thu, Feb 29 @ 11:00 AM  and 6:00 PM | Leaping Constellations: A Celebration of Astronomy and Leap Years 

We’ll explore the night sky in art, common constellations, and the stories that inspire them. This special Leap Day tour takes a unique look at astronomy and zodiac symbology across museum collections. Leap Year happens once every four years so don’t miss your chance to celebrate this unique day with a celestial perspective in the Museum of Art.

Tue, Mar 5 @ 11:00AM | Body of Art 

The human form has been a muse for many great works of art. On this gallery talk, we’ll explore figures in the Museum of Art and discuss how the body is represented or repressed through art history.

Tue, Mar 19 @ 11:00 AM | Patron Saints and Earthly Fates

Saint Patrick and Saint Patrick’s Day have long been associated with good fortune. While The Ringling may not have any Saint Patrick paintings on display, we are lucky to have plenty of other saints on our museum walls. In this gallery talk, we’ll learn about the stories behind several images of patron saints who experienced both miracles and misfortunes. Patron saints in turn bestow protection on their followers, and we will learn about the relationship between several saints’ earthly lives and their heavenly advocacy.

Tue, Apr 2 @ 11:00 AM | Defining the Masculine

What does it mean to “be a man”? This gallery talk explores masculinity across cultures, time, and place. We’ll discuss both the silly and the serious as we compare works of art chasing after an ideal of manhood.

Want more? Join us April 6 – April 8, 2024 for Un Poyo Rojo (A Red Stone Bench), an energetic and physical theatre performance which grapples with the meaning and expression of manhood.

Thu, Apr 4 @ 6:00 PM | Defining the Masculine

What does it mean to “be a man”? This gallery talk explores masculinity across cultures, time, and place. We’ll discuss both the silly and the serious as we compare works of art chasing after an ideal of manhood.

Want more? Join us April 6 – April 8, 2024 for Un Poyo Rojo (A Red Stone Bench), an energetic and physical theatre performance which grapples with the meaning and expression of manhood.

Tue, Apr 16 @ 11:00 AM | The Art of Slapstick Comedy

We’re clowning around on this interactive gallery talk! Learn about the distinguished history of slapstick comedy and try your hand at some traditional clowning techniques. Guaranteed to create laughs and smiles, this gallery talk takes place in the Tibbals Learning Center. Naturally, clown noses are provided.

Want more? Don’t miss La Famille GoldenCrust by Les Deux de Pique at The Ringling April 18 – April 21, 2024. This kitsch, fun, and humorous outdoor performance will keep audiences laughing. In their magnificent RV, the tacky and raucous snowbirds, Grace and Kevin, present their comedy and circus show: a show worthy of the most prestigious campgrounds and shopping malls in Florida.

Tue, May 7 @ 11:00 AM | Exploring the Elements of Art

Let’s go back to the basics on this gallery talk! We’ll explore 7 visual components which comprise the elements of art: line, shape, form, value, space, color, and texture. With these elements, artists create compositions and play with perspective. We will look at familiar works of art in The Ringling’s collection through a visual analysis of the 7 elements of art and discover new details in old favorites.

Thu, May 9 @ 6:00 PM | Exploring the Elements of Art

Let’s go back to the basics on this gallery talk! We’ll explore 7 visual components which comprise the elements of art: line, shape, form, value, space, color, and texture. With these elements, artists create compositions and play with perspective. We will look at familiar works of art in The Ringling’s collection through a visual analysis of the 7 elements of art and discover new details in old favorites.

Tue, May 21 @ 11:00 AM | The Art of Play

School’s {almost} out for summer! Unleash your inner child as we play through the galleries on this interactive tour of the Museum of Art. Museum educators will invite you to participate in fun ways to look at and appreciate works of art. Commonly used with school groups, entertaining engagement with art inspires viewers of all ages to find serious meaning in art through playful experiences.