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THE RINGLING JOINS SMITHSONIAN MAGAZINE’S 15TH ANNUAL MUSEUM DAY Free Admission Sept. 21, 2019 Contact Name: Virginia Harshman Contact Email: virginia.harshman@ringling.org Contact Phone Number: 941-359-5700 Sarasota, Florida –The John and Mable Ringling Museum will open its doors free of charge to all visitors of the Museum of Art and the Tibbals Learning Center Saturday, Sept. 21, 2019, as part of Smithsonian magazine’s 15th annual Museum Day, a national celebration of boundless curiosity in which participating museums emulate the free admission policy at the Smithsonian Institution’s Washington D.C.-based museums. The Ringling will offer guests free admission to the Museum of Art, Tibbals Learning Center, Bayside Gardens and Bolger Playspace. Admission to the Ca’d’Zan and tours of the Ca’d’Zan will be available at an additional charge. Museum Day represents a nationwide commitment to access, equity and inclusion. Over 450,000 people participated in last year’s event, and Museum Day 2019 is expected to attract more museumgoers than ever before. This year, Museum Day will celebrate the Smithsonian Year of Music, an institution wide initiative celebrating the Smithsonian’s vast musical collections and resources through 365 days of music-related programming. Music is not only a reflection of human creativity and innovation, but also a key method of communication and cross-cultural exchange and understanding. The Smithsonian Year of Music crosses disciplines, bringing together music-related resources in art, history, culture, science and education. The Ringling is a pre-eminent center for the arts, history and learning that is dedicated to bringing the past and contemporary culture to life through extraordinary visitor experiences. From its inception, The Ringling has joined the diverse visual traditions and theatrical spectacle of yesterday with the genre-defying global practitioners of today. As the State Art Museum of Florida and part of Florida State University, The Ringling fulfills an important educational mission. The Ringling offers formal and informal programs of study serving as a major resource for students, scholars, and lifelong learners of every age within the region, across the country and around the world. Museum Day tickets may be obtained at ringling.org. A list of participating museums, which will be continually updated, can be found at Smithsonian.com/museumday/search. For more information, please visit Smithsonian.com/museumday or ringling.org. # # # About Smithsonian Media Smithsonian Media is comprised of its flagship publication, Smithsonian magazine, Air & Space magazine, Smithsonian Books, and the Smithsonian Media Digital Network. In addition, Smithsonian Media oversees the Smithsonian Institution’s interest in the Smithsonian Channel, a joint venture between the Smithsonian Institution and CBS/Showtime. Smithsonian Media is a division of Smithsonian Enterprises, the revenue-generating business unit of the Smithsonian Institution. The Smithsonian Institution is the world's largest museum and research complex consisting of 19 museums and galleries, the National Zoological Park, and nine research facilities. Approximately 30 million people from around the world visit the museums annually. (smithsonian.com / si.edu) Media Contacts: The Ringling Virginia Harshman Public relations specialist 941-359-5700 x2803 Virginia.harshman@ringling.org PRESS CONTACT Erin Freilich | High10 Media, for Smithsonian magazine Museum Day 212-913-9254 | erin.f@high10media.com