John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art

The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art is an oasis of arts in lively Sarasota.  The museum is the official State Art Museum of Florida, and offers art for viewing by visitors as well as cultural programs, educational opportunities, and other resources.
 
The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art was established in 1927 by the Ringlings, of Circus fame.  The Museum’s art collection includes more than 10,000 works of art in all mediums, including paintings, sculpture, photography, decorative arts, drawings, and prints, from geographically diverse sources and from all periods of history.  The museum has 21 galleries of European paintings, as well as antiques from Cyprus, American paintings, Asian art, and contemporary art, featuring an Old Master collection of 750 paintings that includes rare and celebrated Italian works.  Some of the notable artists whose works are exhibited in the museum include Cranach, Guercino, Hals, Poussin, and Van Dyck, as well as many other distinguished names.  In addition to the fine galleries, the museum houses an art conservation laboratory, a large archival facility, and an art library with over 65,000 volumes.
 

The museum is located on Sarasota Bay, on a beautiful 66-acre estate.  The estate additionally includes the Rose Garden of Mable Ringling and the Circus Museum, which displays costumes, wagons, performance equipment, and other circus-related items.  The Cà d'Zan, or "House of John," the Ringlings’ Venetian Gothic mansion, architecturally based on two Venetian hotels, features terra cotta decorative accents on both the exterior and interior, a roof of red barrel tiles imported from Barcelona, and a 60-foot tower.  The expertly landscaped estate has palm trees and numerous native and exotic plants; a restaurant, a café, and two gift shops are also located on the property.

Recent additions to the museum facilities include several new galleries, a Visitors Pavilion with the newly refurbished European-style Asolo Theater, the Tibbals Learning Center at the Circus Museum, and an education center.

The museum offers a variety of cultural opportunities.  "Third Thursdays" is a series of socials occurring on the third Thursday of every month offering cocktails and camaraderie on the terrace of the Cà d'Zan.  Museum patrons also can take advantage of educational lectures, tours, film, theater, workshops, and children’s and family programs.

Current and upcoming featured exhibitions at the museum include "Encouraging American Genius: Master Paintings from the Corcoran Gallery of Art;" "Bedazzled: 5000 Years of Jewelry from the Walters Art Museum;" and "In Our Time: The World as Seen by Magnum Photographers."

The John and Mable Ringling Museum and estate grounds are located in Sarasota, at 5401 Bay Shore Road.  The museum is open daily (excepting Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day) from 10:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with the estate grounds remaining open until 6:00 p.m.  Admission is $15.00 for adults, $13.00 for seniors and military, and $5.00 for students and Florida state teachers with valid identification; there is no charge for children five years and under and Museum members.