Citizens Rally to Protect The Ringling Museum’s Legacy and Preserve FSU Partnership

March 7, 2025 | Sarasota

A powerful coalition of community leaders, concerned citizens, and former board chairs, trustees, and donors has mobilized to protect the legacy of The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art from what they recognize as an ill-conceived, costly attempted takeover by New College of Florida. The newly formed Citizens to Protect the Ringling is working to preserve the museum’s 25-year, financially effective partnership with Florida State University (FSU), which would end under a recent proposal to transfer the museum’s stewardship to New College – Florida’s smallest public college with an enrollment under 800 students.

Since 2000, FSU’s management and infrastructure support have helped transform The Ringling into one of America’s premier cultural institutions – ranked among the top six art museums in the U.S. for visitor experience, according to TripAdvisor, and attracting over 400,000 visitors annually. Together with FSU’s support and resources, The Ringling Foundation has successfully safeguarded and enhanced the museum’s vast collection of internationally recognized art. Under the current legislative proposal, however, the Foundation Board would be immediately dissolved.

The museum also advances the career development of emerging arts and museum professionals by hosting graduate studies programs with in-residence internships for students from FSU’s College of Fine Arts, one of Florida’s top graduate arts schools based on the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings. The museum serves as both a significant tourism driver for Sarasota and a vital educational resource that New College – with no equivalent programs – cannot replicate.

In February, the Governor proposed transferring management of The Ringling to New College by Aug. 1, 2025. The loss of FSU’s stewardship would jeopardize The Ringling’s operations across its 66-acre campus, which includes Ca’ d’Zan (the Ringling mansion), the Museum of Art, the Circus Museum, the Historic Asolo Theater, Bayfront Gardens, and other buildings and grounds.

The decision on the transfer is scheduled to take place during Florida’s 2025 legislative session, which began March 4 and runs for 60 days.

“This attempted takeover is like a guppy trying to swallow a whale,” said Nancy Parrish, former board chair of The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art Foundation and president of Citizens to Protect the Ringling. “New College lacks the capacity, expertise, infrastructure and financial stability to steward this vast, multi-faceted and historic cultural complex. The fiscal impact on taxpayers is equally concerning, since New College does not have the manpower, knowledge or funding to take on an entirely new line of business, nor is this even in its five-year strategic plan. Attempting to recreate the sophisticated level of museum management FSU and The Ringling have developed over 25 years would cost taxpayers millions while jeopardizing an irreplaceable cultural treasure.”

Key risks of the proposed transfer include:

• Financial Impact on Taxpayers and Donors:
  • The transition would require significant new state funding to replicate FSU’s existing management infrastructure.
  • Potential lawsuits from donors who are among those who have invested $200 million in support of The Ringling to FSU’s endowment.
  • Key donor relationships are at risk, with many significant contributors indicating they will withdraw financial support and collections, and remove The Ringling from their estate plans.
• Threat to Collection Integrity, Asolo Relationship and Economic Impact:
  • The museum’s post-1936 art collection and some buildings could be sold or repurposed as The Ringling Foundation Board, whose responsibility is to protect them, is immediately dissolved.
  • Change in management of the FSU Performing Arts Center, which houses the Asolo Repertory Theatre and the Sarasota Ballet. This responsibility would transfer to New College.
  • Disruption of professional exhibitions, performances and programs that drive tourism.
  • Risk to The Ringling’s prestigious national museum accreditation.
• Loss of Critical Professional Expertise:
  • Elimination of FSU’s arts administration and museum studies programs that provide professional staffing support.
  • Loss of FSU’s specialized facilities management expertise crucial for maintaining historic structures like Ca’ d’Zan.
• Compromised Emergency Disaster Response:
  • New College lacks FSU’s emergency response capabilities, which were demonstrated by FSU during the 2024 hurricanes, when rapid deployment of resources prevented catastrophic damage to collections.

“The smallest college in Florida, New College has well-documented deficiencies managing and preserving its historic I.M. Pei-designed campus and no financial commitments to pay the $50 million-plus needed just to get its Pei dorms habitable again,” said Parrish. “Ringling donors are extremely worried this vague legislation incentivizes New College to use Ringling assets to help solve some of its myriad financial difficulties, problems which the legislature has to-date not been keen to underwrite.”

Citizens to Protect the Ringling has launched a comprehensive community education campaign about the proposed change and is providing resources for concerned citizens to take action. The organization’s website – protectringling.org – offers guidance on contacting state legislators, including customizable email templates and direct links to elected officials.