The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Sarasota, Florida, will continue to be managed by Florida State University (FSU) for the upcoming fiscal year. This decision comes after state lawmakers abandoned a controversial budget proposal that would have transferred control of the museum to New College of Florida (NCF).
Established in 1927 by circus entrepreneur John Ringling and his spouse Mable, the Ringling Museum houses a vast art collection of over 10,000 objects and has been under FSU’s management since 2000, making it one of the largest university-affiliated art museums in the United States.
In February, Governor Ron DeSantis proposed transferring ownership of the Ringling to NCF in his preliminary spending plan for the 2025–2026 fiscal year. However, the NCF has faced criticism in recent years for a right-wing takeover that included appointing conservatives to the board, removing LGBTQ+ books from the library, and experiencing faculty and student departures. Concerns were also raised about NCF’s spending and financial management.
After Florida legislators approved the state’s $115.1 billion budget plan, they dropped DeSantis’s proposal, much to the relief of Sarasota residents, former Ringling board chairs, museum trustees, and donors who formed a group named Citizens to Protect the Ringling. The group, with over 2,500 members, actively campaigned against the proposal by engaging with legislators, organizing public town hall meetings, and raising awareness about the potential threats to the Ringling.
Citizens to Protect the Ringling published an open letter in late February opposing the transfer, citing it as a waste of taxpayer money with negative consequences for the museum, FSU, and the local community. Nancy Parrish, the group’s president and former Ringling board chair, praised the grassroots advocacy efforts and credited Republican Senator Jim Boyd for opposing the proposal and helping block it from the budget.
NCF trustees announced that they will no longer pursue taking over the Ringling. Additionally, a proposal for NCF to absorb the University of South Florida’s Sarasota-Manatee campus was also excluded from this legislative session. Hyperallergic reached out to NCF and FSU for comment on the matter.
