The Ringling has always been one of my favorite Florida spots. Growing up, my parents would take me there for long summer days, running around the gardens, sketching the statues, and admiring the paintings. It was a haven for the arts and introduced a whole new world to me. It has affordable prices and various exhibits, such as the John and Mable Art Museum, the Ringling Circus Museum, and the Ca’D’Zan.
Since 2000, FSU has overseen the care and upkeep of the museum. Before this takeover, the museum was falling into disrepair, but under the direction of FSU and the support from the community, it was restored to its former glory with new additions that improved guest experiences.
FSU also operates multiple programs through The Ringling Museum. One is the FSU Center for the Performing Arts, which includes the Asolo Repertory Theatre, The Sarasota Ballet, and the FSU Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training. The Asolo is home to FSU’s graduate acting program. FSU’s Museum and Cultural Heritage Studies Graduate Program is also partially located at The Ringling.
However, in the past month, Ron DeSantis’ proposed budget suggests transferring the Ringling to The New College of Florida. The New College of Florida has been Ron DeSantis’ pet project, firing its President and handing the position to Richard Corcoran, who served as Florida’s Education minister and aligns with DeSantis’ politics.
Corcoran is working to make the school into a sports college, firing much of the staff and handing out many sports-based scholarships to alter the student population.
POTENTIAL CONSEQUENCES
Despite DeSantis taking special interest in the New College of Florida, it’s a small liberal arts college with about 800 students that likely doesn’t have the infrastructure to run a museum of The Ringling’s size.
This is not sitting well with many people and has led to public pushback, specifically from former chairs and board members. They’ve started a website to raise awareness about this possible change in power, encouraging people to take action or donate.
While the New College is closer to The Ringling, there are many more factors that should go into this decision. They heavily emphasize the burden that will be placed on taxpayers as a result of this. Since the New College cannot afford the upkeep of The Ringling, there are concerns that this will be a financially costly changeover that will be felt in the pockets of Florida taxpayers.
There are also concerns about exhibits since the New College would have the ability to sell and get rid of any artwork made after 1936. Additionally, the FSU faculty currently working there would likely lose employment. These are just a few of the concerns that Citizens to Protect the Ringling have raised.
FSU isn’t ready to give up just yet. While President McCullough has said little on the matter, in a meeting with faculty, he emphasized his desire to keep the management under FSU and told faculty that the change would require a lot of approval to go through. He also asserted that the FSU programs that were run through the museum would not end even if management transferred to the New College.
The Ringling has been such a fundamental part of my life and so many around Florida. It’s also one of the top six art museums in America for visitor experience. If this plan succeeds, it will go into effect on Aug. 1. Students get a ticket discount, so I encourage everyone to take a day trip to Sarasota and experience all the beauty The Ringling has to offer before it’s too late.
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