On the Road
Photographs of the Traveling Circus and Carnival by Jill Freedman and Randal Levenson
April 6 – August 25, 2024
This exhibition features the work of two photographers, Jill Freedman and Randal Levenson, who entered the world of traveling entertainers—circus (for Freedman) and carnival (for Levenson)—in the 1970s.
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The Greatest Show on Earth® Gallery
New Gallery Now Open!
This latest addition to the museum celebrates the era of modern circus that began with Irvin Feld’s purchase of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® in 1967. The Greatest Show On Earth® Gallery modernizes the museum’s expansive history of the circus by exploring the first fifty years of the Feld family’s stewardship during which the spectacle of the show brought the circus experience to new heights.
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Watermelon Regatta
March 16-May 19, 2024
The Ringling unveils the newly restored Watermelon Regatta painting on view for a limited time. Share in this 18th-century painting’s incredible transformation, as shown in before and after images, and be fascinated by the vital role of art conservation in museums.
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Embodied
Highlights from The Ringling Collection of Modern and Contemporary Art
March 9, 2024 – September 21, 2025
EMBODIED expands on the definition of the human figure by bringing together diverse representations in painting, sculpture, fiber, video, and mixed media by some of the most exciting artists working in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.
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Shinique Smith: Parade
December 16, 2023 – January 5, 2025
Parade speaks to the European artistic tradition revealing the universality of human experience explored by artists throughout time while also foregrounding notions of Black femininity and the history of the circus.
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Michele Oka Doner: The True Story Of Eve
November 18, 2023 – June 2, 2024
Michele Oka Doner (American, b. 1945) is an author and multimedia artist whose work is informed by her lifelong passion for the natural world. This solo exhibition of Oka Doner’s work will include a selection of sculptures and work on paper offering reflections on climate and ecology.
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Mountains of the Mind: Scholars’ Rocks from China and Beyond
August 5, 2023 – June 23, 2024
Scholars’ rocks are admired for their interesting appearances, which inspire imaginative reflection. Mountains of the Mind features scholars’ rocks of various shapes, textures, and materials, accompanied by paintings, prints, and texts that illuminate their great cultural importance for scholars across the centuries.
Red Taihu Stone
9 13/16 × 12 5/8 × 4 3/4 in.
Gift of Stan and Nancy Kaplan, 2019, SN11681.46
Community Gallery
The Ringling Community Gallery is a free public exhibition space dedicated to displaying works of art produced by community-based, non-profit, or student groups in the local Sarasota/Manatee area.
To visit, ask for a Community Gallery wristband at the Visitors Pavilion.
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Skyway: A Contemporary Collaboration 2024
May 25, 2024 – January 26, 2025
This exhibition is partnership between five arts institutions in the Tampa Bay area, is a celebration of the region’s artistic practices.
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Past Exhibitions
Explore exhibitions displayed at The Ringling dating from the earliest record in 1947 to the present.
Please note: This project is a work in progress. More images and information will be added over time. Please visit often.
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