RIAF 360° ROUNDS OUT PROGRAMMING FOR

THE RINGLING INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL

    Sarasota, FL —Aug. 29, 2011 — With Opening Night still almost two months away, sales for the upcoming Ringling International Arts Festival have prompted organizers to increase the array of the festival programming with RIAF 360º  - “everything before, after, during, and all around RIAF 2011.”

            The Ringling International Arts Festival, launched in 2009 and now known popularly as RIAF, is presented by The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art and the Baryshnikov Arts Center of New York.  From October 11-16, the theaters, galleries, and grounds of the Ringling Center for the Arts in Sarasota are the setting for six days of music, theater, dance, art exhibitions and more.  The powerful combination of relatively brief programs (most performances last 60 minutes or less) and affordable pricing (tickets start at just $20) is credited by many as the cause for the new festivals early success.

            “We still have hundred of great seats,” said Dwight Currie, Festival Director, “but tickets are going fast.  In the past month, we have seen a jump in ticket buying for all eight core productions, but every seat in these theaters is a good seat.”

            With the anticipation that festival stage productions will be sold out, organizers have in turn increased ancillary programming and reduced museum admission prices so that more people can experience RIAF 2011.  Oct. 12 through Oct. 16, admission to all the venues of the Ringling Museum is only $10 for adults and $5 for children 5-16. The ticket includes the RIAF 360º Experience of exhibitions, performances, forums and tours that occur before, during, and after the stage productions. 

             For RIAF 2011, the 360° offers a showcase exhibition of the mechanized kinetic sculptures of Swiss artist Zimoun, the Festival Forum with the Ringling Museum’s new Executive Director Steven High moderating two panels of arts professionals about the rewards and risks of creating, producing, and presenting contemporary visual and performance art; Jazz Sunsets on the Bay presented by the Jazz Club of Sarasota; Ringling Legacy/ RinglingVision a special estate tour celebrating the 100^th anniversary of John and Mable Ringling’s arrival in Sarasota, and Sculpting Sound / Sculpting Light a lively and interactive exploration of kinetic sculpture and dance in the Courtyard of the Museum of Art. 

            “We wanted to make RIAF and the 360º Experience accessible and affordable for practically anyone,” said Currie. “For as little as $10 festival patrons can experience the electric atmosphere, and excitement of this festival.”

            The Ringling International Arts Festival is part of the Ringling Museum’s Art of Our Time initiative and its renewed commitment to modern and contemporary art, encompassing performing and visual art.  To purchase tickets, contact The Historic Asolo Theater Box Office at 941.360.7399 or visit www.ringlingartsfestival.org

General Admission includes the Ringling Museum of Art, special exhibitions, Ca' d’Zan Mansion, Circus Museum, and Mable’s historic Rose Garden, all on 66 acres of lushly landscaped grounds. Adults are $25; senior citizens (65 and over) are $20; children ages 6-17 are $5.  Free Admission for children 5 and under accompanied by an adult, museum members.  Advance tickets are available by calling 941.358.3180. Visit Ringling.org for more information.

The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Florida State University, is one of the largest museum/university complexes in the nation.  It preserves the legacy of John and Mable Ringling, educating and enabling a large and diverse audience to experience and take delight in a world-renowned collection of fine art; Ca' d’Zan, the Ringling historic mansion; the Circus Museums; the Original Asolo Theater; and historic architecture, courtyard, gardens and grounds overlooking Sarasota Bay.
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