I am pleased to present the Annual Review of The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art for the 2024–25 fiscal year.
The year started with strong attendance and income matching the 2023–24 record year. But by October, Hurricanes Helene and Milton had devastated our estate and damaged the sea wall, Bolger Promenade, and Ca’ d’Zan’s marble-tiled dock, HVAC, and electrical equipment. With Florida State University’s (FSU) support, we craned in AC units, generators, and ductwork within 24 hours to keep Ca’ d’Zan from developing damaging mold and mildew. FSU supported teams who spent 2 months clearing significant tree damage and post-storm restoration. We’re glad to be entering this new season under FSU’s stewardship, which was in question earlier this year. Thankfully, the legislature saw how independent institutions in this cultural corridor can achieve greater resilience. The Ringling and FSU alliance brings critical resources and expertise, benefiting not just our museum, but our entire community.
Despite the storms, our exhibitions and programming excelled. The Art of Performance (AOP) annual season kickoff party in collaboration with UnidosNow featured 2 bands, Bomba Yemayá and the 79rs Gang. Throughout the season, AOP hosted an Eco-Performance Fest on the grounds and Global Jazz in the Historic Asolo Theater (HAT).
Exhibitions included Skyway 2024: A Contemporary Collaboration; Radical Clay: Contemporary Women Artists from Japan; Jess T. Dugan: I want you to know my story; Enduring Light: Photographs by Roy DeCarava and Danny Lyon from the Sandor Family Collection; Catch of the Day: Flying Fish from Modern Japan; Robert Rauschenberg: A Centennial Celebration; and Conjuring the Spirit World: Art, Magic, and Mediums. The Kotler-Coville Glass Pavilion and the Tibbals Poster Gallery featured exhibitions highlighting our glass and circus collections. Our remarkable curatorial team developed all our exhibitions, except for Conjuring the Spirit World, which was from the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA and Radical Clay which was organized by the Art Institute of Chicago.
Joseph’s Coat: A Skyspace by James Turrell closed for 6 months while we refreshed the space. We also advanced 2 major improvement projects: the replacement of Ca’ d’Zan’s roof and the restoration and new roofing of the Museum of Art, both to be completed in early 2026. Efforts began to restore the former Banyan Café to its original 1961 design by architect William Rupp. Once work is completed next spring, the Rupp Pavilion will add to our collection of outstanding historical and contemporary buildings.
After a slow but diligent recovery, we ended the year with 370,596 visitors and a balanced budget—not bad considering the challenges we faced. The Bayfront Gardens have recovered nicely; Mable Ringling’s Rose Garden is now accessible to our visitors; and we are closer to installing new equipment at Ca’ d’Zan.
I want to acknowledge FSU’s President Richard McCullough, Provost James Clark, Senior VP for Finance and Administration Kyle Clark, and their staff who helped us during the past year. Special thanks to The Ringling’s Board of Directors for their support. To our volunteers and members, I want to personally thank you for your continued support throughout the past year. Your commitment to The Ringling is phenomenal. I hope to see you here soon!
Steven High Executive Director
FINANCES
ATTENDANCE
370,596 VISITORS IN TOTAL $24.25 M REVENUE WITH DRAW FROM CASH RESERVES $24.25 M EXPENSES
The Ringling welcomed 370,596 visitors this year. While December and June marked our highest monthly attendance ever for those months, October marked our lowest monthly attendance ever for that month—a reflection of the devastating 2024 hurricane season. The Ringling was closed for 8 days after Hurricane Milton, and Ca’ d’Zan did not reopen to our visitors until the end of December due to damage from Hurricane Helene. Nevertheless, our admissions income was $5.1 million, representing the third-largest in our history. Our revenue with draw from cash reserves was $24.25 million, and our expenses were $24.25 million The Ringling was financially prepared to respond to this challenging year, having carefully built sizeable cash reserves by putting aside annual surpluses.
ENDOWMENTS
The Ringling’s combined endowments (The John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art Foundation and the Florida State University Foundation) at year-end totaled $65.15 million with annual draw from endowments of $2.6 million equaling a 4% draw from the endowment.
There is a saying that good operations are invisible—until they aren’t. Operational excellence underlies all aspects of a positive visitor experience at The Ringling. We keep the estate welcoming, secure, and beautifully maintained so that our visitors can enjoy an environment that inspires, educates, and entertains. Facilities, Security, Visitor Services, IT Services (ITS), Events, and Finance comprise Ringling operations.
In Facilities, strong support from FSU has enabled The Ringling to make progress on a wide range of projects. Our 2 major roofing projects, the Ca’ d’Zan roof and the Museum of Art roof, which received deferred maintenance funding totaling around $5 million from FSU, are scheduled for completion in 2026. The lighting upgrade of Joseph’s Coat: A Skyspace by James Turrell was completed this past year. We also finished the design phase for the former Banyan Café, which will return to its original 1961 William Rupp design. Our grounds remain certified as a Level II arboretum by ArbNet. Following significant losses from the 2024 hurricane season, we strengthened our landscaping efforts, and the estate has recovered with spectacular results.
Security staff are often the first point of contact for guests, and they continue to model professionalism and clear communication. Security completed a Museum Fire Emergency Plan Assessment, reflecting best practices. Working collaboratively with Facilities and ITS, Security also implemented a more robust emergency power system for the Security Operations Center to see us through future hurricane seasons.
Visitor Services welcomed over 370,000 visitors this year through the Visitors Pavilion. Behind the scenes, the team worked with ITS to upgrade our ticketing system, extended Museum Store hours for member previews and events, and launched a successful seasonal Trunk Show promotion
The Ringling estate continues to be in demand, and our Events team has steadily grown our venue rental program to generate over $1 million annually. Events maintained high standards despite significant challenges created by the 2024 hurricane season. Our internal events culminated successfully in our annual Wine & Roses celebration.
Ringling ITS worked with FSU to implement a new backup solution that will give us a more robust backup infrastructure, better malware resistance, and superior technology. The team also managed our technology infrastructure in order to replace any end-of-life systems and remediate vulnerabilities.
EXHIBITIONS
Sandy Rodriguez: Currents of Resistance
APRIL 5 – AUGUST 10, 2025
Sandy Rodriguez (b. 1975) is a Los Angeles-based Chicana artist and researcher whose practice engages historical materials and techniques of the Americas to paint visual histories. Currents of Resistance was the culminating exhibition of her 2023 Hermitage Greenfield Prize commission. The installation investigated resistance to colonial and environmental exploitation through an interdisciplinary lens and made visible the Gulf region’s intertwined histories of cultural resilience and ecological transformation.
Curated by Christopher Jones and commissioned by the Hermitage Greenfield Prize and the Hermitage Artist Retreat in collaboration with The Greenfield Foundation.
Conjuring the Spirit World: Art, Magic, and Mediums
MARCH 15 – JUNE 24, 2025
Conjuring the Spirit World: Art, Magic, and Mediums explored the essential role art and objects played for mediums and magicians “communicating” with the dead during the 19th- and 20th-century Spiritualism movement in the US and Europe—a time when people actively debated and wondered, “Can spirits return?” Visitors, from believers to skeptics or somewhere in between, gained a new perspective on the timeless draw of mediums and magicians, séances, and magic shows.
Organized by the Peabody Essex Museum, Salem, Massachusetts.
Robert Rauschenberg: A Centennial Celebration
MARCH 1 – AUGUST 3, 2025
The Ringling joined an international roster of institutions honoring Robert Rauschenberg’s Centennial for a year of global activities and exhibitions that examined the artist through a contemporary lens, highlighting his enduring influence on generations of artists and advocates for social progress.
Curated by Ola Wlusek, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art.
OPPOSITE PAGE
Sandy Rodriguez: Currents of Resistance, installation view
THIS PAGE, TOP TO BOTTOM
The Otis Lithograph Company (American), Thurston The Great Magician—Do the Spirits Come Back?, 1929. Lithograph, 86 ½ x 47 ½ in. Tibbals Circus Collection, ht2005133
Reaching speeds of 35 miles per hour and able to propel itself meters over the water, the flying fish seems to defy the laws of nature. Seen only occasionally in Japanese visual culture of earlier eras, images of flying fish began to proliferate in decorative arts during the 1930s and 40s, where they suggested agility, power, and new possibilities. This small exhibition enchanted visitors through an exploration of the flying fish motif in Japanese art.
Curated by Rhiannon Paget, Curator of Asian Art.
Enduring Light: Photographs by Roy DeCarava and Danny Lyon from the Sandor Family Collection
SEPTEMBER 21, 2024 – FEBRUARY 9, 2025
As part of a generous gift of photographs from Richard and Ellen Sandor, The Ringling received 2 significant portfolios: Twelve Photogravures by Roy DeCarava (American, 1919–2009) and Memories of the Southern Civil Rights Movement by Danny Lyon (American, b. 1942). These bodies of work by 2 of America’s most consequential photographers offer distinct but complementary expressions of Black life and the struggle for civil rights in the US.
Curated by Christopher Jones, Stanton B. and Nancy W. Kaplan Curator of Photography and Media Arts; Natalia Benavides, The Ringling’s Warren and Margot Coville Undergraduate Photography Curatorial Intern; and Jevon Brown, The Ringling’s Eleanor Merritt Fellow.
Jess T. Dugan: I want you to know my story
AUGUST 17, 2024 – FEBRUARY 23, 2025
St. Louis-based contemporary artist Jess T. Dugan explores facets of identity through their photography, video, and writing. Grounded in their own experience as a queer, nonbinary person, Dugan’s work addresses the universal human need to understand, express oneself, and connect with others.
Curated by Christopher Jones, Stanton B. and Nancy W. Kaplan Curator of Photography and Media Arts.
THIS PAGE, TOP TO BOTTOM
Isozaki Yoshitsugu (Bia) (Japanese, 1884–1949), Vase with Flying Fish Design, ca. 1930s. Silver with gilding, 12 x 8 2/5 in. Private Collection.
Tanaka Yu (Japanese, b. 1989), Bag Work (Fukuromono), 2018. Glazed Shigaraki stoneware, 24 1/2 × 21 1/2 × 14 1/2 in. Carol & Jeffrey Horvitz Collection of Contemporary Japanese Ceramics. Performing for Curiosity: Exploring Stories of Human Display, installation view. Photo by Chris Lunardi.
Radical Clay: Contemporary Women Artists from Japan
JULY 27, 2024 – MAY 11, 2025
Radical Clay was an exhibition of 41 ceramic sculptures by 36 contemporary Japanese artists, all of whom happen to be women. It spanned veterans of the field, such as Tsuji Kyō (1930–2008), Mishima Kimiyo (1932–2024), and Tsuboi Asuka (1932–2022), to emerging artists such as Mori Aya (b. 1989) and Kawaura Saki (b. 1987). Encompassing a breathtaking range of styles, conceptual approaches, and techniques, the exhibition celebrated their individual and collective triumphs and broader impact.
Curated from the collection of Carol and Jeffrey Horvitz by Dr. Janice Katz, Roger L. Weston Curator of Japanese Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, and organized by the Art Institute of Chicago with generous support from Carol & Jeffrey Horvitz and the Japan Foundation.
Performing for Curiosity: Exploring Stories of Human Display
FEBRUARY 2025 – SEPTEMBER 2025
Visitors were invited to wonder about the legacy of human display through the complex stories of individuals, such as Afong Moy, the first recorded Chinese woman to enter the US, who was brought for public display. Curated by students from Florida State University’s (FSU) Museum and Cultural Heritage Studies program, this exhibition explored how understanding Afong Moy’s experience is contingent on understanding 19th-century American expectations in entertainment, education, and politics.
Curated by FSU students Jacqueline Reaves, Sarah Moloney, and Jessica Salaun, under the supervision of Tibbals Curator of Circus Jennifer Lemmer Posey.
Exhibitions were made possible by the following endowments: Ringling Museum General Development Fund, John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art Endowment, Arthur F. and Ulla R. Searing Endowment, Publix Supermarket Charities Endowment, Chao Ringling Museum Endowment, Bob and Diane Roskamp Endowment Fund, Selby Foundation Ringling Museum Endowment, Peter & Mary Lou Vogt Museum-Generated Exhibition Fund, and the Amicus Fund. Circus exhibitions were funded by the Brunckhorst Endowment, Gulf Coast Community Foundation–Ringling Museum Endowment, and Arnold and Priscilla Greenfield Endowment Fund. Other exhibitions were made possible by the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Florida Division of Arts and Culture, Sarasota County Tourist Development Tax, Gulf Coast Community Foundation, and Community Foundation of Sarasota County.
PERFORMANCE
18
ARTIST COMPANIES
4 SHOWINGS OF NEW PERFORMANCES BY MANASOTA MICROWIP ARTISTS
10 COUNTRIES REPRESENTED
26
TOTAL PERFORMANCES
4,976
AUDIENCE AT ART OF PERFORMANCE SHOWS AND FILMS
22,445 AUDIENCE AT SUMMER CIRCUS SPECTACULAR 2024
35 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES
1,053 ATTENDEES IN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EVENTS
4 ARTISTS-IN-RESIDENCE
6
FILM SCREENINGS
• The SunHAT Eco-Performance Fest—Sarasota’s only dedicated ecoperformance event—featured an estatewide celebration of art and ecology that ran for 6 days with 9 performances, 2 artist talks, 1 walk, and 1 mushroominspired dinner and performance.
• Through MicroWIP, The Ringling supported 4 local performance practitioners with works-in-progress showings and professional development.
• Global Jazz Series, which featured 6 distinct artist companies who explored Jazz Fusion with global traditions, hip-hop, and tap dance.
• Summer Circus Spectacular enlivened the HAT for 9 weeks in 2024, bringing live circus to The Ringling for local and visiting families and circus lovers.
• The National Dance Project, National Theater Project of New England Foundation for the Arts, South Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts gave prestigious project awards to The Ringling to present Art of Performance events.
• The Ringling presented All is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914 in collaboration with Asolo Repertory Theatre.
2024–2025 ART OF PERFORMANCE SEASON
SunHAT Eco-Performance Fest NOV 13–18
• You Look Like a Fun Guy by Dance Heginbotham NOV 13 & 14
• Moonrise Party with DJ Cavem NOV 14
• Sakasaka by Compagnie Zolobe NOV 15–18*
• Art vs. Extinction SunHAT Keynote with Moira Finucane NOV 16
• Morning // Mourning by Gelsey Bell NOV 15 & 16
• Invisible Rivers by Mondo Bizarro NOV 16 & 17
NocheUnidos Season Kickoff Party in collaboration with UnidosNow JAN 31
MicroWIP 2025 JAN 24
Nélida Karr FEB 13 & 14
Amir ElSaffar & The Two Rivers Ensemble FEB 15 & 16
Alain Pérez Quintet FEB 21 & 22
Brinae Ali’s The Baby Laurence Legacy Project MAR 14–17
Losing My Religion by Rennie Harris PureMovement
APR 4 & 5
*Free student matinees offered for local public schools and colleges
ARTISTS-IN-RESIDENCE
• Dr. Chris Omni
• LaMichael Leonard Jr.
• Groundwater Arts Playwrights Council with Annalisa Dias and Tara Moses
• Mondo Bizarro
MASTERCLASSES
• Contemporary Movement with LaMichael Leonard Jr. / Masterclass Series
OFF-SITE WORKSHOPS WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS
• In-school Concert with DJ Cavem at Booker High School
• Vegan Cooking Masterclass with DJ Cavem / Chef Ietef at Booker High School’s Kitchen
• Bomba Dance and Music Workshop at Sarasota High School with Bomba Yemayá
• Rhythm & Tap with Brinae Ali Masterclass at Booker High School
• Improvisation in Jazz Masterclass with Brinae Ali at State College of Florida
ARTIST TALKS + COMMUNITY GATHERINGS
• Black Joy Artist Talk with Dr. Chris Omni
• Waterkeepers Community Breakfast
• Mushroom Dinner and Artist Talk with John Heginbotham
• Nature Provides Herb Walk with Bob Linde
• Eco-Performance Institute Artist Workday
• MicroWIP Community Reception
PARTNERSHIPS
• Asolo Repertory Theatre
• Booker High School
• Circus Arts Conservatory
• Hermitage Artist Retreat
• State College of Florida
• UnidosNow
OPPOSITE PAGE
Summer Circus Spectacular 2024 audience
ABOVE, LEFT
Rhythm and Tap Masterclass with Brinae Ali and Booker High School Dance students
ABOVE, TOP TO BOTTOM
Nélida Karr on HAT Stage; Brinae Ali / The Baby Laurence Legacy Project, photo courtesy of the artist; Dance Heginbotham / You Look Like a Fun Guy / SunHAT EcoPerformance Fest; DJ Cavem Student Performance at Booker High School / SunHAT Eco-Performance Fest
Photos: Elizabeth Doud unless otherwise noted
EDUCATION
45,770 TOTAL EDUCATION VISITORS
13,157 PUBLIC TOUR PARTICIPANTS
8,588 SCHOOL TOUR PARTICIPANTS
11,462 FAMILY PROGRAMS PARTICIPANTS
8,134 OUTREACH PROGRAMS PARTICIPANTS
1,999 ADULT PROGRAMS PARTICIPANTS
1,441 ARTS & HEALTH PARTICIPANTS
502 LIFELONG ARTS PARTICIPANTS
$126,000 IN GRANTS AWARDED FOR EDUCATION PROGRAMS
The reach and impact of TOURS expanded, despite Ca’ d’Zan’s closure last October, concluding regular tours there. So, we created The Legacy Tour, a 70-minute estate-wide revenue-generating experience that continues to educate, engage, and share the Ringlings’ legacy. Guides trained for this tour and special exhibitions, ensuring strong content interpretation. We trained and onboarded 9 Teen Guides. At 3 professional conferences, we shared our training module with fellow museums.
• 5 large-scale guide trainings
• 4 special exhibition guide trainings
• Multiple guide workshops
SCHOOL AND TEACHER PROGRAMS served visitors through on-site and virtual school tours, teacher workshops, and school tour programs. 53 Title I schools visited, and 1,669 students visited Ca’ d’Zan.
FREE FAMILY PROGRAMS had their highest attendance, growing over 100%. Programs like ROAR! and Family Art Making continued. Newer programs grew, such as summer’s Open Studio Program, Family Nights @ Art After 5, and Teen Mindfulness with Girls Inc.
New highlights:
• Collaborations with partners like Blue Butterfly Grief Care and ALSO Youth
• Messy Art for Babies
• Halloween @ The Ringling event
• Family Programs Volunteer Team growth
COMMUNITY OUTREACH connects with children and families across libraries, schools, and nonprofits in 4 counties. Teaching Artists fostered creativity, emotional intelligence, and visual literacy. Focusing on equity and accessibility, we expanded our reach and strengthened long-standing partner relationships.
• 33% programming increase, with 74% recurrence rate in recurring programs
• 2,172 art kits and 615 books distributed
THE COMMUNITY GALLERY showcases exhibitions by local nonprofit and community organizations, amplifying their voices. Exhibitions:
• Sumi-e: East Asian Ink Painting by the Sarasota Chapter of the Sumi-e Society of America
• Mid-Century Modern Astro-Futurism by the South Sarasota Modern Quilt Guild
• Art from the Heart: CONNECTIVITY by Streets of Paradise Inc.
In ADULT PROGRAMS, Gallery Talks, Viewpoint Lectures, and Workshops continued. The second Wonder Symposium, Wonder: Art + Healing Symposium, highlighted the intersection of arts and health, with keynote sessions, public programs, and sessions and workshops that engaged local leaders, organizations, artists, and community members.
Highlights:
• 420 participants in 9 Viewpoint Lectures with international speakers
• 100 participants in a live concert featuring the Windjammers Unlimited
• 210 participants in a live performance by Shinique Smith
ARTS & HEALTH harnesses creative engagement to support healthcare training, lifelong learning, and community well-being. The Art of Caring and Artful Leadership, in partnership with Sarasota Memorial Health Care System (SMHCS), provide artsbased observation and communication training for new nurses, medical staff, and leaders. Student Training Workshops build similar skills for FSU and University of South Florida (USF) medical students. We engage with SMHCS through Holistic Care Team Presentations and medical education initiatives. The Lifelong Arts Program, funded by E.A. Michelson Philanthropy, offers free or low-cost workshops for adults 55+, fostering community and wellbeing. The first wellness program piloted on-site, the Laughter Yoga Workshop promoted laughter’s physical and emotional benefits.
• The Art of Caring engaged 169 nurses from Sarasota and Venice hospitals.
• Artful Leadership served 7 Venice SMHCS clinic participants.
• 19 FSU College of Medicine and 12 USF Honors College participants completed student training workshops
• 30 medical professionals attended SMH Holistic Care Teams presentations
• 46 participants attended Laughter Yoga
Within ACCESSIBILITY, Ringling Reflections offers relaxed, conversation-based tours for people with memory loss and their care partners, followed by art making inspired by museum pieces. Reflections on the Road brings this experience to memory care facilities through hands-on activities and robot tours or printed artwork discussions. Accessibility Tours provide tailored experiences such as tactile, verbal description, ASL-interpreted tours, and puppy-in-training visits. Robot Tours connect SMH patients to the museum virtually. An upcoming American Alliance of Museums Press publication will feature this inclusive program.
• 112 memory care facility participants attended Ringling Reflections
• 99 Sunnyside Village Memory Care participants joined Reflections on the Road
• 64 individuals experienced the museum through Accessibility Tours
• 47 SMH patients participated in Robot Tours
COLLECTIONS
The Collections Department oversaw the planning and execution of 21 exhibition projects. Of those, 20 were organized in-house by Ringling curators, and 1 was a traveling project circulated by an outside institution.
21
• Exhibitions of note included: Nature and Architecture: Postwar Creative Prints of Japan; Yoshida Hiroshi: Journeys through Light; Juana Romani: Forgotten No More; Seventeenth-Century Dutch Paintings from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Sawdust Melodies: The Circus & Its Music; Sandy Rodriguez: Currents of Resistance; Conjuring the Spirit World: Art, Magic, and Mediums; Performing for Curiosity: Exploring Stories of Human Display; Robert Rauschenberg: A Centennial Celebration; Catch of the Day: Flying Fish from Modern Japan; Enduring Light: Photographs by Roy DeCarava and Danny Lyon from the Sandor Family Collection; Dancing Dogs & Other Clever Canines; Jess T. Dugan: I want you to know my story; and Radical Clay: Contemporary Women Artists from Japan
• Staff continued to support our regularly scheduled gallery rotations of lightsensitive material in the Chao Galleries in the Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Center for Asian Art, the Costume and Timeline Galleries of the Tibbals Learning Center, and The Kotler-Coville Glass Pavilion
The Collections team facilitated loans of 16 objects from the permanent collection.
• Of the 16 objects lent, all traveled domestically within the lower 48 states.
• These objects account for 4 individual loans with 4 different borrowing institutions.
• Notable loans include Sleep by Christina Bothwell (2020.19.3), loaned to the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA; and Acrobats by Henry Ernest Schnakenberg (SN11115), loaned to the Museum of Contemporary Art Jacksonville at the University of North Florida.
The Ringling continues 3 long-term loan programs with our partners at the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, and the College of Medicine and President’s House at Florida State University (FSU).
The Ringling added 333 works of art to the collection. Of those works, 289 include gifts from donors. The remaining 44 objects were acquired via purchase.
• Impactful acquisitions by donation included: a wood and lacquer sculpture of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara from Vietnam’s Mạc dynasty (1527–1677) donated by Dr. Matthew Edlund; 14 photographic works and artist books by Bea Nettles; 90 photographs by a variety of significant artists of the 19th and 20th centuries donated by Kalman Schoor; over 25 Japanese scholars’ rocks donated by Thomas Goldbaum, MD, and Frances Wetzel; a pivotal gift of over 20 works including modern and contemporary pieces, contemporary glass, and Asian prints and paintings from Leon and Margaret Ellin; 7 large- and small-scale works on paper by Yoshida Tōshi from Bill and Roberta Stein; a selection of over 50 Japanese prints from donors Charles and Robyn Citrin; an impactful grouping of Barnum & Bailey circus posters from Janice Tibbals Mobley; and a variety of items from the wardrobe of noted circus performer Josephine Berosini.
Impactful acquisitions by purchase included: work on paper by Rico Gatson, Michele Oka Doner, Joo Woo, Elisabeth Condon, and Dyani White Hawk; photography by Jess T. Dugan, Betty Hahn, Bea Nettles, Saumitra Chandratreya, and Ralph Eugene Meatyard; a variety of circus costumes, including that of performers Manuel “Junior” Ruffin, Charles Edmund Weatherby, Russell “B” Brown, Vanessa Thomas, and Tosca Zoppé; a selection of woodblock prints by Utagawa Kunisada II, Utagawa Kunisada IV, Ebata Yoshiichi, Utagawa Kuniyasu, Yoshida Fujio, and Yoshida Chizuko; textiles by Lorna Bieber and Asakura Mitsuko; mixed media and paintings by Nishiyama Hōen; and glasswork by Sidney Hutter, Gabriel Argy-Rousseau, Daum Frères, George William Bell, and Roberta Mason.
Deaccessioning Project: Curatorial and Registration staff collaborated on the research, appraisal, and presentation to the Board of Directors for the deaccession of a group of 115 Chinese ceramics from the collection.
TOP TO BOTTOM
Randal Levenson (American, 1946–2022), Al Moody's Freak Animal Show, Berea, Ohio, 1973–1982. Vintage gelatin silver print on Portriga paper, Sheet: 15 13/16 × 19 13/16 in. Gift of Rustin Levenson, 2024. 2024.43.8
Stephen Rolfe Powell (American, 1951–2019), Suspicious Cleavage Jones, 1995. Blown glass with murrini. 33 1/2 x 19 1/2 x 11 in. Museum Purchase with funds from Edris Weis and an anonymous donor, 2023. 2023.23
Marcus Jansen (American, b. 1968), A Look in the Mirror, 2022. Oil enamel, pastels, spray paint on ARCHES® paper, Sheet: 30 × 22 1/2 in. Gift of the Marcus Jansen Foundation, 2025. 2025.20.2
CONSERVATION
STAFFING IN CONSERVATION
With a grant from the Samuel H. Kress Foundation and the Foundation for Advancement in Conservation, Object Conservation Fellow Tara Johnston was able to continue in her second Fellowship year in 2024–25, as the Kress Objects Conservation Fellow. Conservation welcomed a new fulltime Conservator of Paintings, Ivana Jerdonekova, in April 2025. The T&L Garden Conservation Fellowship Fund was established, with support to date for the first 12-month Conservation Fellowship in 2025–26.
IN-HOUSE EXAMINATION AND TREATMENT
Staff conservators examined several hundred objects for exhibition, installation, loan, and the majority for acquisition. Johnston and Conservator of Sculpture and Decorative Arts Emily Brown treated the last few Cypriot objects for installation in Gallery 12. Johnston carried out examination and testing of marble busts, stained glass, and Inuit objects. Jerdonekova assessed numerous paintings and treated several for the Juana Romani: Forgotten No More exhibition. Johnston routinely monitored environmental conditions in Ca’ d’Zan following impacts of the 2024 hurricanes. Brown coordinated planning of an inventory and survey of about 150 outdoor sculptures.
SPECIAL PROJECTS
Chief Conservator Barbara A. Ramsay worked with Stevenson Architects to advise on the selection of appropriate barrel roof tiles for installation at Ca’ d’Zan. She also consulted on proposals impacting historic material during the Museum of Art roof repair project.
ABOVE, TOP TO BOTTOM
Ca’ d’Zan after Hurricanes Helene and Milton 2024 with damage to marble-tiled staircase and air hoses from temporary HVAC system. Tara Johnston treating a Cypriot object prior to installation.
Ivana Jerdonekova inpainting Saint Cecilia prior to loan.
Photos: Barbara A. Ramsay
CONTRACTED CONDITION ASSESSMENTS
Contracted conservators provided condition assessments, treatment proposals, and cost estimates for a variety of objects. EverGreene Architectural Arts completed major condition assessments: Ca’ d’Zan’s marble-tiled dock and staircases that were heavily damaged during Hurricanes Debby, Helene, and Milton; the Museum of Art east courtyard Fountain of the Tortoises and Fountain of Oceanus; and Ca’ d’Zan’s Tap Room decoration. Sonja Jordan-Mowery conducted assessments of 58 works on paper and photographs. ArtCare Conservation submitted a proposal for major treatment of the Peter Paul Rubens painting, The Triumph of Divine Love.
CONTRACTED CONSERVATION TREATMENTS
EverGreene completed several projects: major treatment of the Museum of Art West Courtyard Fountain including reintroduction of the water features; installation of 19,000 custom-made blue porcelain tiles in the Bolger Family Reflecting Pool; and the pilot conservation treatment of the Astor Cream Salon in the Museum of Art. Steel City Art Conservation, Pittsburgh, treated 3 photographs and Sonja Jordan-Mowery completed treatment of 50 works on paper and photographs.
OUTREACH
Brown and Johnston presented “A Treatment Odyssey: The Preparation of 201 Ancient Cypriot Objects for Permanent Display” at the American Institute for Conservation Annual Meeting in Minneapolis, MN, in May 2025. At the same conference, Ramsay co-authored a presentation with Brooke Russell, Mary Slater, and Laurie Ossmann titled “Just Like the Real Thing: Jules Allard et Fils Reproduction Boiserie Period Rooms at the John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art.” Ramsay served on an Advisory Panel evaluating scientific testing of the stability of a Constantino Brumidi frescoed ceiling in the President’s Room of the US Capitol.
DEVELOPMENT
Our application to the Florida Department of State’s Division of Historical Resources for a Special Category Grant of $1M—for conservation of Ca’ d’Zan’s windows, doors, and terra cotta—was ranked first of 54 applications. As the state did not approve any funding for this program for FY26, our application will be resubmitted for possible FY28 funding.
BELOW, LEFT TO RIGHT
Detail of Astor Mansion Cream Salon panel after pilot conservation treatment.
Photo: EverGreene Architectural Arts
Bolger Family Reflecting Pool after installation of blue porcelain floor tiles. Photo: Barbara A. Ramsay
Museum of Art west courtyard fountain after installation of hippocampi and activation of water feature. Photo: Barbara A. Ramsay
CURATORIAL
Curator of Asian Art Rhiannon Paget’s Year of the Cat continued with the release of Polish-, French-, and Italian-language editions of her 2023 book Divine Felines: The Cat in Japanese Art. Rhiannon spoke on this subject at Royal Ontario Museum; the MFA, Houston; the Saint Louis Art Museum; The University of Sydney; and the Elling Eide Center
Chief Curator and Ulla R. Searing Curator of Collections Sarah Cartwright published the Shinique Smith: PARADE exhibition catalogue; hired the first David W. and Mary S. Benfer Curatorial Research Fellow, Lindsey Hewitt; and lectured at The Dalí Museum and the Newport Piccolo Simposio in Newport, RI.
Jennifer Lemmer Posey, Tibbals Curator of Circus, presented on the work of preserving circus history at the Fédération Mondiale du Cirque’s annual meeting in Monte Carlo. Jennifer also collaborated with Head of Educational Programs Dr. Katie Nickel to host the second Wonder Symposium (Wonder: Art + Healing Symposium), an exploration of the importance of awe in the work of cultural institutions.
Christopher Jones, Stanton B. and Nancy W. Kaplan Curator of Photography and Media Arts, oversaw the publication of the exhibition catalogue for Sandy Rodriguez: Currents of Resistance. He co-coordinated the Side by Side research project focused on The Ringling’s stereograph collection. The Mellon Foundation partially funded this collaboration with art professor Kim Anderson, which contributes to ongoing research for a 2027 stereography exhibition.
Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art Ola Wlusek received a grant and an archives research residency from the Robert Rauschenberg Foundation, a grant from the Terra Foundation for American Art to support the Ancestral Edge exhibition and catalogue; and a grant from Teiger Foundation to present Andrea Carlson’s touring exhibition, organized by the Denver Art Museum. She presented her research at the 113th Annual Conference of the College Art Association in New York City and the 17th International Conference on the Inclusive Museum in Vienna.
Curator of Ca’ d’Zan and Decorative Arts Marissa Hershon played a pivotal role, along with Chief Archivist Heidi Connor, in the major acquisition of the Dwight James Baum Business Records, bringing extensive 1920s correspondence to The Ringling Archives. For The Ringling’s forthcoming documentary on Ca’ d’Zan’s Aeolian organ restoration, she facilitated interviews and footage filmed at Parsons Pipe Organ Builders in Canandaigua, NY.
Marissa Hershon spoke about her curatorial vision for the museum’s studio glass collection and The Kotler-Coville Glass Pavilion at the inaugural Curatorial Convening held at the Corning Museum of Glass in New York. She lectured on “María Magdalena Campos-Pons and Berengo Studio: Collaborations in Glass” at the Boca Raton Museum of Art for the exhibition Glasstress Boca Raton 2025
Elizabeth Doud, Currie-Kohlmann Curator of Performance, curated the inaugural SunHAT Eco-Performance Fest, an estate-wide celebration of live arts and ecology that ran for 6 days, which received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. The International Association of Theatre Critics journal Critical Stages published her “Florida EcoPerformance Manifesto, ” as part of their special publication on Performance, Climate, and Conflict Transformation.
ABOVE, LEFT TO RIGHT
The Shinique Smith: PARADE exhibition catalogue; the Polishlanguage version of Divine Felines: The Cat in Japanese Art; Jennifer Lemmer Posey speaking at the second Wonder Symposium; and a stereograph image from Chris Jones's Side by Side research project. Léon & Lévy (French, active 1864–1913), Pavillon de Flore, Palais des Tuileries from Ruines de Paris, 1871. Glass stereograph, 2 1/3 x 6 3/4 in. Gift of Rona Shays in Memory of Henry "Charlie" Shays, 2016. SN11549.779
OPPOSITE PAGE, LEFT TO RIGHT
A newly discovered document from the Baum Business Records, acquired by the Archives; Design Drawing by Jerry Bangs, Tibbals Circus Collection
ARCHIVES
The Archives continues to make The Ringling’s resources accessible to staff and researchers on-site and beyond through digitization of materials and collaboration with Florida State University’s Special Collections Library (FSUSCL) to host our collections on FSU’s worldwide catalogue. We define digitization projects based on the materials’ intellectual and physical nature, number and location of potential users, and the project’s cost and benefits. Creating digital assets for online access is complex, encompassing the implementation of best practices for digital capture, labeling, cropping, metadata, format conversion, optical character recognition, and uploading files. The Digitization Team includes Archives staff, 4 volunteers, 3 on-site interns, 1 virtual intern, and 1 contract photographer for the Tibbals Circus Collection of Couriers and centennial materials. Ringling IT has provided processes and procedures for preservation and extended access to our digital assets.
We have embraced recent collection management practices which emphasize collection-wide storage and handling practices that slow deterioration and stabilize collections. We arrange circus programs across 3 divisions: American, International, and Shrine, placed in alphabetical order by circus name and year. Approximately 30% of the collection is complete. 3D objects have been removed from the compact shelving ranges and are boxed, labeled, and stacked for management by the Circus Registrar. We arrange the museum’s archival photography collection by subject in hanging files in cabinets and hold oversized photographs in boxes. Acquisition guidelines and collecting strategies have come to the forefront and have been addressed since assigning an accession number to all holdings and arranging them in numerical order by accession.
Our goal is to facilitate ready access to resources celebrating the Centennial of Ca’ d’Zan, the Museum of Art, and the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey® Winter Quarters Efforts include:
• building a Ca’ d’Zan Centennial portal on FSUSCL to host materials
• digitizing 2,599 Ca’ d’Zan items
• digitizing the John N. Ringling Records of Julius W. Böhler and hosting them on FSUSCL
• arranging the museum’s collection of images of the Ringlings Ca’ d’Zan Museum of Art, and Winter Quarters for ready access
digitizing John Ringling’s collection of auction catalogues and hosting them on FSUSCL
17,458
DIGITAL ASSETS
2,238
METADATA RECORDS
These figures represent digital surrogates of photography, recorded sound, moving images, and printed materials as listed below. Assets were created for research requests as well as new collections and additions to existing materials hosted online by FSUSCL.
Digital Surrogates
1,147 Research Requests
145 The Ringling’s Institutional Records, Florida Board of Control Records
3,562 The Ringling’s Manuscript Collection, John N. Ringling Records of Julius W. Böhler
130 The Ringling’s Manuscript Collection, Papers of William Hobson
31 The Ringling’s Postcard Collection, Nathan’s Postcards
2,599 The Ringling’s Centennial Collection
18 The Ringling’s Collection of Moving Images
878 Tibbals Circus Collection of Joseph L. Tracy Scrapbooks
8,808 Tibbals Circus Collection of Couriers
115 Tibbals Circus Collection of Booklets
23 Tibbals Circus Collection of Moving Images
Metadata completed from July 2024 to July 2025 for future uploads to FSUSCL included: 1,393 Tibbals Circus Collection of Allen J. Lester Collection (photographs)
250 Tibbals Circus Collection of Trade Cards
100 Museum Centennial Collection
100 Tibbals Circus Collection of Circus Programs
145 Florida Board of Control Record
250 John N. Ringling Records of Julius W. Böhler
ACADEMIC AFFAIRS
Governed by Florida State University (FSU), The Ringling offers critical year-round academic and professional development opportunities for emerging museum and cultural heritage professionals, providing skill advancement, research development, and hands-on training within one of the largest university museums in North America. Our academic programs expanded their reach, hosting 4 fellowships and 35 internships, compared to 2 and 29 last year, respectively.
FELLOWSHIPS
4
FELLOWSHIPS
35
INTERNSHIPS
Ringling fellowships offer unique full-time visiting appointments to emerging professionals, giving them hands-on experience and training in museum operations, research, curation, and community engagement. The Ringling hosted 4 fellowships:
• The Kress Objects Conservation Fellowship from the Samuel H. Kress Foundation, administered by the Foundation for Advancement in Conservation
• The David W. and Mary S. Benfer Curatorial Research Fellowship
• The David W. and Mary S. Benfer Circus Curatorial Fellowship
• The Eleanor Merritt Fellowship
INTERNSHIPS
In its 25th year of FSU stewardship, The Ringling hosted 35 internships across 9 departments, bringing the total number of Ringling interns to 367 since coming under FSU governance. As an institution accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, The Ringling follows best practices for internships that include either paying a salary or offering college credit to students for their internship experience, preferably both.
Of the 35 student-interns at The Ringling:
• 92% were paid
• 57% earned college credit
• 51% were paid and earned college credit
• 68% were from Florida colleges and universities
• 32% were from colleges and universities outside Florida
FSU MUSEUM AND CULTURAL HERITAGE STUDIES
3 FSU students completed their Master of Arts degrees at The Ringling via The Ringling Track, a second-year option of the Museum and Cultural Heritage Studies (MCHS) program
During this in-residence opportunity, students completed 2 graduate course seminars focused on visitor-centered exhibitions and public programs, internship rotations through 9 Ringling departments, and graduate research capstone projects—all while fulfilling duties as graduate research assistants for Ringling staff. These students also co-curated the exhibition Performing for Curiosity: Exploring Stories of Human Display in the Historic Circus West Gallery. This exhibition complemented the play The Chinese Lady, performed by FSU/Asolo Conservatory for Acting Training students in the adjacent Wagon Room.
The Ringling’s Art Library, founded in 1946, is a large and comprehensive art research library located in the Johnson-Blalock Education Center. Its collection of over 74,000 items includes everything from rare books and auction catalogues to specialized art databases and John and Mable Ringling’s personal library. The Library is open to the public for research and browsing, with some materials available to universities via Interlibrary Loan. Its strengths align with our collections, focusing on European art (especially Renaissance and Baroque), the circus, studio glass, and Asian art.
RESOURCE SHARING*
MATERIALS LOANED
*The
MATERIALS BORROWED
Art Library collection only circulates within university and museum libraries.
223
MATERIALS ADDED
61 GIFTS + DONATIONS
725
LIBRARY VISITORS
208
VOLUNTEER HOURS
LITERATI BOOK CLUB
18 EVENTS (IN-PERSON AND VIA ZOOM)
180 PARTICIPANTS
Ringling
AUDIENCE RESEARCH
SURVEYS
BY PROGRAM
4
RINGLING EXPERIENCE
1,379 Responses
17 EXHIBITIONS
2,832 Responses
7
ART OF PERFORMANCE
524 Responses
3
EDUCATION, EVENTS, + MEMBERSHIP
736 Responses
The Ringling's Audience Research program is embedded within the Academic Affairs department and supports our Strategic Plan commitments using audience feedback. Listening to and learning from visitors is a vital part of our first commitment to broaden and deepen our impact. This research helps staff and volunteers fulfill our mission to inspire, educate, and entertain while striving toward our vision to be more relevant and accessible to all.
Since 2007, The Ringling has gathered 38,709 guest responses collected primarily using electronic surveys (distributed via email and on iPad kiosks across the estate) and through academic visitor studies conducted by Florida State University (FSU) graduate students. In FY 2024–25, Ringling guests provided 5,471 survey responses. This fiscal year, for the first time, The Ringling introduced 3 new surveys for guests of Ca' d'Zan, The Ringling Legacy Tour, and our annual Summer Circus Spectacular. Audience research also helps support our external funding reporting requirements and future requests for grants from public sources such as the Sarasota County Tourism Development Council and private foundations.
Was your Ringling experience artistically or culturally meaningful to you?
MOST FREQUENTLY USED WORDS IN GUEST COMMENTS
The Ringling thrives because of the passion and support of our members and donors! Your generosity fuels our ability to share world-class art, preserve our historic treasures, and create meaningful experiences for our community. This past year, your support has allowed us to conquer several challenges, including restoring our 66 acres of grounds and gardens following extensive hurricane damage. Additionally, you have helped us welcome new audiences, expand our collections, and nurture innovative programs.
Membership contributions again provided a vital foundation of more than $1.5 million, while gifts above and beyond membership enabled us to respond to urgent needs and invest in bold new initiatives. Whether you champion exhibitions, performance, conservation, or education, your commitment makes The Ringling a vibrant, dynamic place for discovery and inspiration. During the 2024–2025 season, you:
• Provided critical resources to help restore and revitalize our grounds and gardens following the 2024 hurricane season
• Funded and helped us open Conjuring the Spirit World: Art, Magic, and Mediums, organized by the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts
• Supported our collaboration with UnidosNow to host the 3rd annual NocheUnidos in the Museum of Art Courtyard
• Added the 1922 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost Paddington Limousine owned by John Ringling to our permanent collection
• Provided extensive Conservation support for projects including the pilot treatment of the Astor Cream Salon in Gallery 19
• Funded new internships and fellowships
• Elevated Circle Member engagement, with more than 350 guests attending 5 signature events, along with behind-the-scenes experiences, private tours, collector-focused salons, and curator-led programs
• Supported our Art of Performance season, which hosted 4,976 audience members at shows and films and offered 35 Community Engagement Activities with 1,053 participants
• Helped us host another enchanted Wine & Roses event
• Funded our Education and Outreach programs in collaboration with 12 community partners, impacting 8,134 outreach program participants, with 74% participant retainment
• Provided 2,172 Ringling-branded art kits to children in our community, giving them the opportunity to continue exploring their creativity and building their skills at home
Your passion and generosity help shape the future of The Ringling, ensuring it continues to thrive and inspire for generations to come. Thank you!
8,066 MEMBERSHIP HOUSEHOLDS 167 CIRCLE & PARTNER MEMBERSHIP HOUSEHOLDS IN TOTAL @ THE RINGLING $4.96 M RAISED
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
ANNUAL
GIVING JULY 1, 2024 – JUNE 30, 2025
$1,000,000+
Florida State University
Florida State University Foundation
The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art Foundation
$100,000–999,999
Bank of America Charitable Gift Fund
Leon R. and Margaret M. Ellin
Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund
Gulf Coast Community Foundation, Inc.
Mark and Meg Hausberg
Stan and Nancy Kaplan
Charlie Klippel
Northern Trust Charitable Giving Program at the Chicago Community Foundation
Kalman Schoor
Stephen G. and Judith F. Shank/ The Shank Family Foundation
Keebler J. Straz/Straz Family Foundation
Janice S. Tibbals Mobley and D. Gary Mobley
Tibbals Foundation/The Trust Company
$25,000–99,999
Mirella Cimato Smith
Community Foundation of Sarasota County, Inc.
Warren R. and Marie J. Colbert
DAFgiving360/Schwab Charitable
Linnie E. Dalbeck Memorial Foundation
First Horizon Bank
Thomas L. and Linda S. Garden
Thomas Goldbaum
Roy and Robin Grossman
Samuel H. Kress Foundation, Inc.
J. Richard and Cornelia Matson
The New York Community Trust
Next Marketing
Sarah H. and George* Pappas
Frederic D. and Janet L. Pfening
Naomi Rutenberg
Sarasota County TDC
Terra Foundation for American Art
$10,000–24,999
James A. and Maryann P. Armour/ James and Maryann Armour Foundation
Robert G. and Sara R. Arthur
Adele F. and Lawrence S. Bacow
Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation
Gerald L. and Sondra K. Biller
Michael and Kathy Bush/Home Resource Inc.
Robyn L. and Charles M. Citrin
E. Marie McKee and Robert H. Cole
Collinsworth Family Foundation
Warren and Margot Coville Legacy Fund of Gulf Coast Community Foundation
Candace Cox and Francis L. Crimmins/ The Cox/Crimmins Family Fund
Arthur T. Esslinger Memorial Fund
Moira and Mark Hintsa/The Midvale Foundation
The Dale And Patsy Hosman Family Foundation
Ann R. Jackson
Dorothy and Charles Jenkins, Jr.
Jeffrey J. and Claudia J. Keenan
William L. and Jane T. Knapp
The Kors Le Pere Foundation
Eugene W & Gloria Landy Family Foundation
Michael P. Landy and Barbara X. Landy
Marietta F. Lee
Robert A. and Mary Levenson
Ludmilla P. Malmberg
Joy McCann Foundation
Ingrid C. Nutter
Rauschenberg Foundation
Michael D. and Chandra K. Rudd
Richard L. and Ellen R. Sandor/
Richard and Ellen Sandor Family Foundation
$10,000–24,999 (continued)
John F. and Mayra N. Schmidt
Edward M. and Mary M. Schreck
Walter D. Serwatka and Constance L. Holcomb
Edris C.and David H. Weis
$5,000–9,999
Peggy C. Allen and Steven C. Dixon
Alzheimer's Foundation of America
Harvinder P. Anand and Jasleem Anand
Dennis W. and Trudy D. Archer
David W. and Mary S. Benfer
George A. Bikos
Jon A. and Donna L. Boscia/ Boscia Family Foundation
Barbara U. Campo
Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan
Neil P. and Sandra W. DeFeo/ Neil & Sandra DeFeo Family Foundation
Rebecca Donelson and Robert C. Blattberg
Duke Energy Corporation PAC
Josephine C. and Fred C. Falkner/ Josephine C. Falkner Revocable Trust
Jan and Bill Farber
Patricia F. Fjetland and Linda Newton
Allison L. Gregory and Peter J. Offringa/ Madrian Capital Llc
Steven High and Lisa Lee-High
Michele Hooper and Lemuel Seabrook, III/ Hooper-Seabrook Family Charitable Fund
Jeffrey R. Hotchkiss and Betsy W. Winder
Benjamin and Giselle* Huberman
The Huisking Foundation, Inc.
Icard Merrill
Ronald A. Johnson and Irene Oakley-Johnson
The Metropolitan Center For Far Eastern Studies/ Harry G.C. Packard Charitable Trust
Joseph Militello
Keith D. Monda and Veronica B. Brady
National Philanthropic Trust
New England Foundation for the Arts, Inc.
Karl E. and Ann Newkirk
Harold E. and Ruth M. Niles Fund
Richard H. and Betty Watts Nimtz
O'Brien Antoine Fund at the Community Foundation of Sarasota County
Gregory and Kimberly D. Parris
Peck Stacpoole Foundation
Peter S. and Joanne Powers
Margaret A. Rolando
Kelly A. Romanoff
Stephen W. Sanger and Karen Sanger
Anthony and Anne Serdula
Les and Judy Smout/
Les and Judy Smout Foundation Inc.
Mercedes Soler-Martinez and Tomas A. Martinez/ Solmart Media
Roy and Patrice Sommerhalter
James B. Stewart and Caryl J. Sheffield
Robert J. and Sally Theis
Two-Generation Approach Fund
Vanguard Charitable
Paul C. and Carolyn D. Vegliante
Kirk K. and LeAnn Wang
Larry A. Wickless and Carole Crosby
$2,500–4,999
American Endowment Foundation
Alexandra Armstrong
Sara A. Bagley
Sylvia S. Barber
Brent L. Henry and Minnie V. Baylor-Henry
John Bean and Alexandra Jupin/ The Ideal Foundation
Gilbert B. Bosse, Jr.
Murray H. Bring and Kathleen H. Delaney
Larry Cuervo, Jr. and Jennifer D. Cuervo
$2,500–4,999 (continued)
Donna Dana
Daniel J. Denton
Julius A. and Susan G. Desantis
Frances D. Fergusson and John D. Bradbury
Lois H. Gelatt*
Lawrence W. and Jennifer C. Goichman
Patricia L. and George I. Gondelman/ The Gondelman Foundation
Scott Gurr
Terry A. and Jane E. Hamlin
Joseph Hargrove and Tina Stark
Paul G. and Jenni L. Hudson
Mary A. Findling and John C. Hurt
Erika J. Ivanyi and Mathias Schubnell
Lance A. Karp and Lisa A. Klein
Kenneth H. and Gwendolyn H. Katz
Carl Knos and Michele Zebich-Knos
Krivi Arts Humanities and Sciences Fund at Bank of America Charitable Gift Fund
Diana Lager/Peterson-Lager Education Fund
Steven J. and Karen A. Lee/Lee Family Foundation
Barry K. and Evelyn A. Levin
James M. and Patricia R. Lombard*
Gerda Maceikonis
F. Sebastian Marino and Mirabai Holland
Donald D. and Marcia L. Miller
Jonathan E. and Michelle Mitchell
Richard A. and Pamela R. Mones
Xochitl Napoles and Gregory Mallek
Howard and Barbara Noble
Nonnee, Llc
Northern Trust Bank
John Norton and Simone Friend-Norton
Charles M. and Nancy J. Parrish
The Patterson Foundation
Robert and Hillary Pease
Michael R. and Marie L. Pender
Robert R. Radin and Georgia M. Court
James F. and Deborah L. Reda
Rosemary Reinhardt and David P. Welle
Alice H. Rice and Mark C. Perkins/ Genie and Donald Rice Charitable Trust
Ringling College of Art and Design
Jennifer and Blake Rolley
Burton M. and Gail P. Sack
Nancy Schneider Treib Memorial Fund
Judith Schwartzbaum & The Schwartzbaum Urfer
Group at Morgan Stanley
Candra Seley
Barbara J. and Arnold B. Siemer/Siemer Foundation
P & S Smith Family Charitable Fund
Lois S. Stulberg
Michael G. and Madelyn K. Tetmeyer
The U.S. Charitable Gift Trust
R. Elton and Gordon A. White
$1,000–2,499
John and Christine Balakar
John E. Baum and Melinda Baum
Benevity Community Impact Fund
Robert G. and Marlene C. Blalock
Robert C. Blattberg and Rebecca Donelson
Terry O. Brackett
Patrick J. Bradley and Patty A. Carney-Bradley
Francis N. and Catherine M. Burzik
Miles S. and Barbara J. Capron
Craig and Karen Christianson
Dani Clevens and David M. Epstein
Manny & Ruthy Cohen Foundation
Kent K. Conrad and Lucy J. Calautti
Karl A. Copas
Thomas and Stephanie Costello
Beth Cotner and John M. Alogna
Kenneth S. and Anne O. Culotta
Anna T. and R. Michael M. Day
Thomas J. Degnan, III and Deborah W. Degnan
$1,000–2,499 (continued)
Eugene G. and Fiona Doughert
Fred J. and Donna K. Ebeling
Roger C. and Sally I. Effron
Edward D. and Annette M. Eliasberg
David L. Emison and Elizabeth J. Emison*
Robert A. and Anne M. Essner
Toby A. and Alex J. Etkin
Margo F. Evans
Orlis Fossum
Pamela A. Garvin
David and Becky Gochman
Jane C. Gould and Stephen W. Fillo/ Stony Brook Foundation
Raymond S. and Leah D. Greenberg
Tammi Hall and James L. Nichols
Robert Hassmer Charitable Fund of Gulf Coast Community Foundation
Lynn Hendershot and Roger Wilson
Susan N. Heyman and Michael M. White
Rebecca Hing and Mark A. Zarb
Lee F. and Clifford* R. Hinkle
Deborah B. Hirschey/Nothern New York Community Foundation, Inc.
Everette I. Howell, Jr. and Sherry Howell
Jeanne C. Hutchison and John C. Mayer
Carl R. and Mary Johnson
Heather L. and Paul Kennell
Frank D. Kistler
Peter Kleinhenz and Judith O'Brien
William A. and Catherine C. Klettke
Tom and Carla S. Kortendick
Thomas H. LeFevre
Arlyne J. and Richard Lepie
H. Lee Levins
George F. and Susan D. Loesel/ Doll-Loesel Foundation
Judith Lomax and Stephen Cooley
John F. and Sandra Long
Robert L. and Sara J. Lumpkins
Peter J. and Janice Mattina
James W. and Meg M. McLane
Gregory S. and Lori A. McMillan
Cynthia L. Miller
Marcia L. and Donald D. Miller
Ronald E. and Jean Milligan
Deepak G. and Alka Nair
Nancy Newcomb and Gerald H. Werfel
Terrell R. and Beverly K. Oetzel
Nancy H. Petree
Nancy J. Platkin/Platkin Family Foundation, Inc.
Robert D. Potts and Laurie Lafontaine
Robert C. and Elizabeth K. Pozen
Uzi and Varda Ruskin/U.M.R. Foundation, Inc.
James E. and Roberta Rutrough
Robert and Marcia Schaub
Jill Serling/Charles S. Raizen Foundation Inc.
Ronald and Mary Simon
Stuart Sinai and Carole M. Shaw
Jan S. Sirota and Alison M. Gardner
Les and Judy Smout Foundation, Inc.
South Arts
Willie M. and Rosa L. Stanfield
Barbara A. Swan and Robert L. Swan
Hobart K. and Janis F. Swan
United Jewish Foundation
Charles B. and Betsy H. Watkins
John H. Whitfield
Emilie Wood Robinson Fund
and those who wish to remain anonymous.
*Deceased
Media In-Kind Partners
Gulfcoast Media
Observer Media Group
Sarasota Magazine
Scene Magazine
Solmart Media
SRQ Media Group
WUSF
Hospitality In-Kind Partners
Beneval Flowers
Culinary Creations by Metz
Hyatt Place
JD Productions
So Staged - Event Design + Rentals + Florals
Stella Rose Events
Total Wine & More
US Tent
LEGACY SOCIETY
Stephen Leonard Johnston Adam Trust
Martha J. Allen
Miranda T. and Robert B. Anderson
Barbara J. and Martin* Arch
Judy Axe*
Janet N. and Larry R. Bandera
Sylvia S. Barber
Ellen Berman
Madeleine H. and Mandell L. Berman*
Ruth D. Bernat
Susan Berg Besemer and Gary* Besemer
Mary T. Bessemer*
Robert G. and Marlene C. Blalock
Barrie Blue
Francine J. Blum
Dr. Susan M. Brainerd* and Alan R. Quinby
Michael and Kathy Bush
Domenica T. Cipollone and Henry E. Warren
Robyn L. and Charles M. Citrin
Eleene L. Cohen*
Collinsworth Family Foundation
Thomas E. Coundit
Warren and Margot Coville*
Herta K. Cuneo*
John F. Cuneo Jr.*
Linnie E. Dalbeck Memorial Foundation
W. H. Chris Darlington and Eleanor L. Merritt-Darlington*
