The Ringling Launches Virtual Programs

The John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art  announced a series of programs that will allow visitors to engage with the museum during the closure due to COVID-19. Visitors can experience The Ringling’s collections online through a virtual museum. Children, parents and educators can participate in learning and art making activities and those at home can enjoy the beauty of The Ringling’s gardens.

The Ringling’s vast collections, including artworks, furnishings, objects, circus posters, photographs, and ephemera are available to be viewed online via the E-Museum at emuseum.ringling.org/emuseum/collections. Visitors may search for and learn about over 28,000 objects.

The Ringling’s 66 acres of beautiful grounds and gardens can also be visited virtually Kai Sacco, Horticulturist of The Mable Ringling Rose Garden has instituted video grounds tours and will premier a new one every Friday on The Ringling’s Instagram platform. Kai is also responsible for tracking the 100+ species of trees using TreeKeeper, which is an app that is available to the public. The Ringling is certified as a Level II Arboretum and plans are being made to highlight additional tours and video classes presented by the horticulture staff.

Additionally, the museum’s education staff has created Learn from Home with The Ringling. Visit ringling.org/learnfromhome to find art making projects families can do at home, lesson plans for teachers, and other activities for students to learn from home with The Ringling. Parents are encouraged to join The Ringling’s Family Programs Facebook Group where they will discover fun, educational and creative projects every week.

ROAR, (Ringling Order of Art Readers) is one of the museum’s most popular programs and is dedicated to providing a story time and art making experience for early learners and their adults. ROAR has been redesigned as Read Along with The Ringling and can be found posted on Ringling.org/learnfrom home.

The Ringling staff, most of whom are working remotely, are dedicated to continuing the work of the museum as they continue to inspire a love of art and learning even while their doors are closed. They are planning to expand their offerings weekly and will be sharing exhibitions, collections, programs for children and adults, and the beauty of The Ringling digitally.