Former museum leaders, donors and concerned citizens were expected to participate in a town hall-like demonstration Tuesday afternoon to rally public opposition to a proposed transfer of The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art from Florida State University to New College of Florida.
The one-hour town hall, organized by the grassroots group Citizens to Protect the Ringling Museum, was scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. in Sarasota at the Unitarian Universalist Church located at 3975 Fruitville Rd in Sarasota.
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The interior of Ca’ d’Zan, the palatial home of John and Mable Ringling on the Sarasota Bayfront. The Ringling Museum is among the organizations receiving money from Sarasota County tourist tax collections.
During the town hall, former Ringling Foundation board chairs and museum supporters were to outline the “serious financial and operational risks” posed by the transfer, as well as its potential impact on accreditation, collections and Sarasota’s cultural identity.
The proposed shift in governance was first outlined in Gov. Ron DeSantis’s 2025-26 budget proposal, which would reassign oversight of the museum to New College by August 1. Critics — including some former museum board members — say the plan threatens decades of successful stewardship under FSU and risks unraveling the institutional stability that has made Ringling a top museum in the country.
A final decision on the proposed transfer of Ringling Museum to New College of Florida is expected the week of May 5.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Citizens fight proposed transfer of Ringling Museum to New College