John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art

John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art is a major cultural institution in Sarasota, Florida, founded by the famed circus magnate John Ringling and his wife Mable Ringling. Established in 1927, the museum complex encompasses a world-class art collection, the historic Ca' d'Zan mansion, the Circus Museum, and expansive bayfront gardens. As the official state art museum of Florida, it is administered by Florida State University and serves as a premier destination for the study and appreciation of art, history, and performance.

History

The museum's origins are tied directly to the legacy of John Ringling, a principal owner of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Following the death of his wife Mable Ringling in 1929, John Ringling continued to develop the institution, though his own fortunes declined after the Wall Street Crash of 1929. Upon his death in 1936, his estate, including the unfinished museum and the Ca' d'Zan, was bequeathed to the State of Florida. Legal battles and financial difficulties stalled development until the Florida Legislature transferred control to the University of Florida in 1946. In 2000, governance was shifted to Florida State University, which initiated a major revitalization, including the construction of the Searing Wing and the Tibbals Learning Center. Key figures in its development have included directors A. Everett Austin Jr. and John Wetenhall.

Collections

The museum's core holdings are the impressive collection of Baroque art assembled by John Ringling, particularly strong in works by Peter Paul Rubens, including the monumental *The Triumph of the Eucharist* tapestries. The collection features significant Old Master paintings by artists such as Diego Velázquez, Paolo Veronese, Nicolas Poussin, and Anthony van Dyck. Later expansions have added notable works from the Renaissance, modern, and contemporary periods, including pieces by Thomas Gainsborough, François Boucher, and Édouard Manet. The Circus Museum houses the Howard Bros. Circus Model, a vast miniature created by Howard C. Tibbals, alongside historic circus wagons, posters, and costumes. The Museum of Art also maintains a growing collection of Cypriot antiquities and Asian art.

Architecture and grounds

The centerpiece of the 66-acre estate is the Venetian Gothic mansion Ca' d'Zan, designed by Dwight James Baum for the Ringlings and completed in 1926. The main Museum of Art building, opened in 1931, is a grand, pink Palazzo-style structure modeled after the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, surrounding a central courtyard with a bronze cast of Jean Bologne's *Mercury*. The grounds feature the meticulously maintained Mable Ringling's Rose Garden and the historic Secret Garden. Modern additions include the Searing Wing designed by Yann Weymouth of HOK, the Circus Museum's Tibbals Learning Center, and the Kotler-Coville Glass Pavilion. The estate overlooks Sarasota Bay.

Governance and operations

The museum is an administrative unit of Florida State University, operating under the guidance of a professional director and a board of trustees. It is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and receives funding from the State of Florida, Florida State University, endowment income, and private donations through the Ringling Museum Library Association. The institution's operations include extensive conservation labs, a research library, and the FSU Center for the Performing Arts, which presents performances in the historic Asolo Repertory Theatre. It hosts major traveling exhibitions and educational programs serving K–12 students, university scholars, and the general public.

In popular culture

The iconic Ca' d'Zan and the museum's lush grounds have served as a filming location for several productions, including episodes of the television series *The Amazing Race* and the film *The Greatest Showman*, which dramatizes the life of P. T. Barnum, a figure closely associated with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus legacy. The estate's distinctive architecture and circus history have been featured in documentaries on networks like PBS and the BBC, and it frequently appears in travel media promoting Florida's Gulf Coast.

Category:Art museums in Florida Category:Florida State University Category:Museums established in 1927 Category:Baroque art