A Decade of Collecting brings together a survey of artworks acquired for the permanent collection over the past eleven years. As the State Art Museum of Florida and a division of Florida State University, The Ringling’s collections are constantly expanding to provide our state and local community with access to current contemporary works in all media and thoughtful additions to our historic collections. Though the core of the collection has always been the works acquired by John and Mable Ringling, the museum’s holdings have been expanding ever since the State of Florida took full possession of the bequest in 1946. In the early years, these additions were mainly in pre-1800 European art and circus-related material, but over the second half of the 20th century, directors and curators also began acquiring works by modern and contemporary artists.

The 100 works in this exhibition, which have been chosen to demonstrate the breadth and diversity of the collecting efforts across all programs at the museum, represent less than 1% of what we have acquired since 2011. Featured works include a very rare Dutch roemer (drinking vessel) from 1678; contemporary photography by such international artists as Endia Beal, Wang Qingsong, Doug and Mike Starn, and Rania Matar; paintings by Joshua Reynolds, Mickalene Thomas, Jon Schueler, and Gajin Fujita; and sculptures by Zhan Wang, Vanessa German, and Bryan Hunt, to name only a few of the 84 artists represented. A Decade of Collecting presents a unique snapshot of how The Ringling’s collection continues to evolve, allowing us to tell new stories of the past, present, and future.

This exhibition is made possible through the generous contributions by our donors of art and financial support to expand and enhance our collection. Additional support was provided by the  the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, the Gulf Coast Community Foundation Endowment at The Ringling, and the Ringling Museum of Art Foundation.

Paid for in part by Sarasota County Tourist Development Tax revenues.

Sponsored in part by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Additional support was provided by the  the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, the Gulf Coast Community Foundation Endowment at The Ringling, and the Ringling Museum of Art Foundation.