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The Ringling Launches Community Gallery with Student Photography Exhibition Contact Name: Virginia Harshman Contact Email: virginia.harshman@ringling.org Contact Phone Number: 9414595700 ext 2803 Sarasota, Florida- The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art is pleased to announce the opening of its new Community Gallery Feb. 2, 2020. The gallery, which will be housed on the first floor of the Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Center for Asian Art will provide an exhibition space to display work created by members of the community. The Community Gallery’s first exhibition will feature photography by students from across the state of Florida. The juried exhibition asked high school art students to respond to the exhibition Manuel Álvarez Bravo: Specters and Parables, currently on view at The Ringling, by photographing the familiar in a new light. A lesson plan packet, focused on examining the works of Bravo was distributed to Florida teachers. Students were asked to address topics such as culture in the face of modernization, the untold stories of people in the community and shining a light on those who are forgotten, as did Bravo’s work on the streets of Mexico. A panel of Ringling staff judged the submissions, and 12 winning photographs will be displayed as part of Manuel Álvarez Bravo: Students Respond, the inaugural exhibition of the Community Gallery. Laura Steefel-Moore, the Ringling’s Head of Educational Programs, said, “We were impressed with the over 60 entries that we received from around the state. The students did an excellent job of capturing the essence of Bravo’s work and we are excited to showcase this work in the new Community Gallery.” Manuel Álvarez Bravo: Students Respond will be on view throughout February and visitors can view the exhibition without museum admission. The Community Foundation of Sarasota County generously sponsors the Ringling’s Community Gallery. ### About The Ringling 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 the present. A place of exploration, discovery and respite, The Ringling’s campus in Sarasota, Florida – which includes the Museum of Art, the Circus Museum, an historic mansion, an 18th-century theater and bayfront gardens – is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 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. Media Contacts: The Ringling Virginia Harshman, public relations specialist 941-359-5700 x2803 Virginia.harshman@ringling.org