ARTICLE
Contact Name: Virginia Harshman Contact Email: virginia.harshman@ringling.org Contact Phone Number: 9413595700 The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art is pleased to be hosting the 2019 Southeast Art Museum Directors (SEAMD) Conference April 11-13, 2019. The Ringling will be working in conjunction with the Museum of Fine Art in St. Petersburg and the Tampa Museum of Art in presenting programming to directors from 35 museums spread across the Southeast. Museum directors will engage in conversations and presentations spanning diverse topics such as the impact of climate change, strategies for economic downturn, community engagement, legacy giving and relevant issues that museums are currently facing. The group will also have the opportunity to visit area museums, including the Tampa Museum of Art, Florida Museum of Photographic Arts, the MFA St. Petersburg, The Dali Museum, Imagine Museum, Florida Holocaust Museum and Sarasota Art Center. Steven High, Executive Director of The Ringling says, “We are honored to be hosting this year’s conference. Not only does SEAMD bring together an astute group of museum professionals for an exchange of ideas, it also gives us the opportunity to showcase The Ringling and our wonderful Sarasota community”. # # # The Ringling is a center for art and history, situated on 66 magnificent acres on the shores of Sarasota Bay. It is built on the remarkable legacy of circus entrepreneur, collector of art and financier John Ringling and his wife Mable. The Ringling inspires visitors with an acclaimed collection of Old Master paintings, explores with them the diverse cultures and art of Asia, delights them with the story of the American circus as told through the first American circus museum as well as the world’s largest circus model, and transports them to the Roaring Twenties during a tour of the magnificent Ca’ d’Zan mansion. The Ringling is also committed to exhibiting the work of an emerging community of living artists whose work moves beyond traditional practice and features dynamic and engaging contemporary visual and performing arts, including a diverse roster of theater, music, dance and film. The Ringling is the State Art Museum of Florida. Affiliated with Florida State University, it is one of the largest university art centers in the nation. Media Contacts: The Ringling Virginia Harshman 941-359-5700 x2803 virginia.harshman@ringling.org