The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, operated by The Florida State University in Sarasota, Florida, and New York’s Baryshnikov Arts Center have partnered for the launch of the Ringling International Arts Festival, October 7-11, 2009. The festival will take place throughout the Ringling Museum of Art’s 66-acre waterfront cultural estate on Sarasota Bay.
The unique partnership will bring together more than 100 artists from the United States, Australia, Canada, England, Israel, Scotland, and Spain will come together to share the rich diversity of ideas and forms at play in the world.
The festival will celebrate its debut with a special opening night concert featuring renowned conductor Robert Spano, the Florida State University Symphony Orchestra, and pianist Pedja Muzijevic. The excitement continues with performances in music, theater and dance, including the U.S. premiere of Peter Brook’s Love is my sin; Ella’s Hickson’s award-winning play Eight; Elevator Repair Service in their new The Sun Also Rises, First Part (workshop premiere); the extraordinary Meow Meow in Beyond Glamour: The Absinthe Tour; a world premiere by choreographer Aszure Barton; the U.S. premiere of María Pagés’s Flamenco y Poesía; emerging dance companies Deganit Shemy & Company and OtherShore; and two chamber concerts, each featuring a new commissioned work by composer Mason Bates.
In addition to the performances, the festival will feature three major art exhibitions: Louise Fishman Among the Old Masters, Venice in the Age of Canaletto, Path to the Paradise: The World of Buddhism. Between stage performances, museum tours, and strolls through the gardens, patrons can enjoy free performances in the Festival Café, artist talks, an Asian Cultural FunFest for families, late evening jazz concerts, and more.
All performances, with the exception of the opening night concert, are offered at multiple times over the five days.
Single ticket prices range between $10-$30 for each of the one-hour mainstage performances in theater, music and dance, with the exception of the opening night concert. Festival subscription packages include prime seating for a choice of four, six, or eight Festival performances, as well as admission to the Ringling Museum Estate. Single tickets and subscription packages can be purchased through the Historic Asolo Theater box office at the Ringling Museum of Art: 1.800.660.4ART (4278), 941-360-7399, or at www.ringlingartsfestival.org.
The Baryshnikov Arts Center opened its doors in New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen in November 2005. BAC serves as a creative laboratory, meeting place, and performance space for a vibrant community of artists from around the world. BAC is also dedicated to building audiences for the arts by presenting contemporary, innovative work at low or no cost to ticket buyers. For more information about the Baryshnikov Arts Center, please visit www.bacnyc.org.
The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, The Florida State University, is one of the largest museum/ university campuses in the nation. It preserves the legacy of John and Mable Ringling by educating and enabling a large and diverse audience to experience and take delight in a world-renowned collection of fine art; Cà d’Zan, the Ringling historic mansion; the Circus Museums; the Historic Asolo Theater; as well as the historic architecture, courtyard, gardens and grounds overlooking Sarasota Bay on Florida’s gulf coast. For more information about The Ringling Museum of Art, please visit www.ringling.org.