The Ringling to Host Wonder Symposium

May 29, 2024 | Sarasota

The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art (The Ringling) will host a symposium to celebrate and discover the importance of WONDER in the arts. This three-day gathering will bring together voices from academic and artistic communities in a multi-faceted exploration of wonder, beginning with the question: What is wonder and how do the arts evoke wonder in the artist and audience?

The symposium will delve into the concept of wonder and the arts through presentations, interactive experiences, three major keynotes, and a free WONDERground party in the Museum of Art Courtyard (named with a nod to the Ringling Underground concerts that happen monthly from the fall through spring each year) at 8 p.m. on Friday, June 7.

The three keynote speakers highlight the evenings of the symposium days. These are open to the public and are ticketed individually.

• On Thursday, June 6, at 6 p.m., the director of the National Gallery of Art, Kaywin Feldman, will draw from her thirty years of experience as a museum director to speak to the power of art to connect us to our capacity for wonder.
• On Friday evening, June 7, artist Shinique Smith, who currently has an exhibition on view in the Museum of Art, will take attendees on a journey along her path to maintain wonder alongside the beautiful and harsh realities of life.
• On Saturday, June 8, neuroscientist Erin Clabough, PhD, will offer a neuroscience perspective on wonder and explore topics such brain development, synaptic plasticity, and ways to enhance well-being.

Along with scholars, curators, archivists, writers and museum professionals, many artists, dancers, circus performers, and yogis will guide symposium participants in both an academic and artistic exploration of wonder. The diverse expertise of the presenters reflects how wonder is embedded within our cultural imagination and its various forms.

“The concept of wonder is wide-ranging, and this symposium represents a spectrum of viewpoints while also being both informative and experiential,” says Jennifer Lemmer Posey, The Ringling’s Tibbals Curator of Circus, at and co-organizer of the symposium.

Broad topics to be addressed will include wonder and the self (how one experiences wonder physically, mentally, and emotionally); wonder as a medium (how wonder is created by artists and received by audiences); the architecture of wonder (how spaces can induce or incubate wonder); and wonder as action (how experiencing wonder might be extrapolated further).

“The Ringling is a site ripe with the provocation of WONDER. With visual arts, circus history and performing arts integrated across a lush tropical landscape, it’s an ideal host for such a convening,” says Katie Nickel, Ed.D., Head of Educational Programs at The Ringling and co-organizer of the symposium. “This symposium is an incredible opportunity to celebrate the wonder visitors experience at The Ringling every day and push the concept even further, thinking about its implications for the arts, museums, and cultural sites more widely.” 

Nickel, who is collaborating with Jennifer Lemmer Posey to plan the symposium, also notes that The Ringling’s own internal dedication to cross-departmental collaboration will make for a truly interdisciplinary event saying, “Museum staff from all departments and all levels of work have collaborated to plan and manage this three-day symposium, demonstrating a lived commitment to the power of wonder to unite and inspire us.”

Event links with additional information:

• Symposium: ringling.org/wonder-symposium/
• WonderGround: ringling.org/event/ringling-wonderground/
• Family Art Making: Wonder Walk: ringling.org/event/family-art-making-wonder-walk/
  • Family Art Making hours on Saturday morning, June 8, will offer families who register free admission, a self-guided Wonder Walk activity, and small sketchbooks. Each child will also be able to pick out a free book at the Free Book Market.
• For media inquiries, contact Bethany Ritz at bethany.ritz@ringling.org.

WONDERground Event Details:

8 p.m. Friday, June 7; Free, registration required.

A twist on the popular Ringling Underground hosted in the Museum of Art Courtyard, WONDERground will feature local, regional, and national musical acts. Contemporary Artist Sarah Santiago, Florida-favorite NoFilter, and the drum line and dancers from the Brooklyn United Music and Arts Program will light up the main stage. Local circus artist, Cirque Vertigo, and other entertainers will round out the evening’s events.