VOL 9 | NO 3 OCT – DEC 2020 5401 Bay Shore Road Dear Members, Sarasota, FL 34243 941.359.5700 I would normally make a comment here on the changing of the seasons, but ringling.org this year has required overall changes in mostly everything! From the manner Accredited by the in which members and visitors access the Museum’s collection to something as American Alliance of Museums simple as how we transport works of art to fellow museums, 2020 has taught us many unique lessons. FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY John E. Thrasher One thing that has not changed is our commitment to you, our valued President Members. I speak for every employee at The Ringling when I say that we remain Dr. Sally E. McRorie steadfast in our goal of bringing you the best museum experience—whether Provost it be in person or virtual. Our education, curatorial, archives, and marketing EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Steven High departments have dedicated many hours to producing content to educate, entertain, and inspire you. Our facilities, grounds, and security staff have BOARD OF DIRECTORS Jeffrey R. Hotchkiss, Chair done their best to provide a safe place for visitors while taking superior care Sarah H. Pappas, Vice Chair of our collections and grounds. Our development Edward M. Swan, Jr., Treasurer and membership teams have devoted themselves Judith F. Shank, Secretary to keeping in touch with you and to let you know Dennis W. Archer that even though distance may separate us, you are Ellen S. Berman H. Michael Bush always on the top of our minds. Warren R. Colbert, Sr. Rebecca Donelson COVID-19 slowed us down, but it has not stopped Leon R. Ellin The Ringling from working every day to further our Darrel E. Flanel mission and strategic goals of inclusion, inspiration, Margaret Hausberg Robert D. Hunter and excellence. As we look ahead, there will be many Thomas F. Icard, Jr. exciting new exhibitions to explore, including Kabuki James A. Joseph Michael A. Kalman Modern, opening November 13. We are also planning Nancy Kotler to bring you wonderful films and performances, and Lisa A. Merritt a chance to win an overnight stay at The Ringling as Tina Shao Napoli Leslie V. Pantin part of our UnGala Getaway event. Cynthia L. Peterson Kelly A. Romanoff Most of all, I want to thank you for your continued Margaret A. Rolando support. Your generosity and participation are what Mayra N. Schmidt drive this organization and we look forward to a time Debra J. Short Mercedes Soler-Martinez when we can all be together again on the beautiful Javi Suarez grounds of The Ringling. Howard C. Tibbals Kirk Ke Wang Larry A. Wickless EX-OFFICIO BOARD MEMBERS Joan Uranga, Chair, Volunteer Services Steven High Advisory Council Executive Director Leslie Young, Chair, Docent Advisory Council ISSN 2165-4085 TABLE OF CONTENTS OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2020 4 Update: Museum of Art Reinstallation 6 Preservation Projects at Ca' d'Zan 8 Artists in Residence: An Incubator for the Performance of Tomorrow 10 Exhibition | Kabuki Modern We hope you enjoy this digital edition of 12 Championing Diversity in the Contemporary Exhibition Program The Ringling Magazine. Throughout, you will discover clickable content that will allow you 14 Exhibition | Porcelains of Dehua: to explore beyond the surface of the page. From Regional Kilns to Global Markets Contact us at [email protected] 16 Membership 18 Spotlight: Jeff Hotchkiss, Board Chair ABOVE: John Sims, A Date With Fear: Self Portrait in 2020. Courtesy of the artist. 19 Virtual Learning ON THE COVER: Yamamura Kōka (Toyonari) (Japanese, 1885–1942), Ichikawa Shōchō II as Oman (detail), 1920, published by Yamamura Kōka Hanga Kankōkai. Woodblock 20 A Closer Look: print; ink and color on paper with applied mica, 16 5/16 × 11 7/16 in. Gift of Charles and Robyn Citrin, 2019, SN11668.2 Riding Costume Worn by May Wirth by Sarah Cartwright UPDATE Ulla R. Searing Curator of Collections In January of this year, we completed the reinstallation of MUSEUM OF ART Gallery 21 in the Museum of Art, providing a new lens through which to view John Ringling’s purchases of 19th-century REINSTALLATION works of art. Though the gallery reopened in November 2019, it was not until January that we were able to install its final work: the enormous oil on canvas painting entitled Emperor Justinian (1886), by Jean-Joseph Benjamin-Constant. The conservation work on the painting, supported by a grant from the Getty Foundation through its Conserving Canvas initiative, was completed in January by a team of conservators under the supervision of ArtCare Conservation in Miami and The Ringling’s Chief Conservator, Barbara Ramsay. Emperor Justinian returned to view in Gallery 21 without a frame. For reasons unknown, the frame it had in the 1940s, when it was last on view in our galleries, was no longer extant. 4 REINSTALLATION Therefore, while the painting was being conserved in Miami, other works in the gallery, and with the museum collections as we also had to plan for a new frame. In an extremely generous a whole. This was no small order! gesture, Ringling Board Member Meg Hausberg and her For help in realizing such a large frame, we approached husband Mark offered to fund the cost of the new frame, Sarasota-based woodworker Dale Rieke, who fabricated enabling us to add the crowning touch to Emperor Justinian the interior of the Nancy L. Ellis Teahouse at The Ringling in and thereby to complete the reinstallation of Gallery 21. 2016. With decades of experience in creating custom wood As is typical of our reinstallation projects, choosing the new designs, Dale was not deterred by the significant challenges frame for Emperor Justinian was also a collaborative process, involved in this project. He proposed using mahogany for the involving staff members from multiple departments. Due to frame, a wood known for its beauty, durability, and resistance the monumental scale of the work (13 feet high by 22 feet to warping. In consultation with Barbara Ramsay and Senior long), we felt that the standard type of picture frame—where Preparator Keith Crowley, Dale devised a novel frame structure the painting is inserted into a freestanding frame, and the that included a subframe mounted to the wall and an outer ensemble is then hung on the wall—would not be ideal. Instead, frame that covered it. Steven High and I worked with him on we favored a system that would allow the frame to be mounted the aesthetic aspects of the frame, including its profile, stain to the wall, around the perimeter of the installed painting. color, and final finish. The frame needed to be structurally robust to protect such a Our work to finalize the details of the frame continued during large work, and also needed to cover the unpainted edges of the period of the museum’s closure due to the coronavirus, and the canvas without obscuring important details, such as the the frame was installed at the end of June. We are especially artist’s signature at bottom left and the face of the figure at grateful to the Getty Foundation and to Meg and Mark far right. On top of all this, I wanted the frame to function as a Hausberg for making it possible to bring Emperor Justinian subtle enhancement to the painting rather than a conspicuous back to a place of honor in the Museum of Art galleries. visual statement in itself. Finally, it needed to harmonize with Click the image to watch a time-lapse video of the installation! DISCOVER MORE @ ringling.org 5 PRESERVATION PROJECTS at Ca’ d’Zan by Marissa Hershon Curator of Ca’ d’Zan and Decorative Arts Barbara A. Ramsay Chief Conservator As stewards of Ca’ d’Zan, a nearly 100-year-old mansion, the work to maintain this architectural gem is ongoing. Two major restoration projects have been carried out concurrently at Ca’ d’Zan over the summer of 2020, with the goals of preserving the historic integrity of the house and reducing the intrusion of water into the West façade. Poorly sealed glass on windows and doors has enabled water to seep into the mansion’s interior during storms and failed mortar in terra cotta joints has allowed the infiltration of water and salt (fig. 1). Together, these conditions can result in damage to the terra cotta and architectural structure, as well as interior decorative finishes. In order to execute these projects, The Ringling collaborates with experienced historic preservation professionals, including a team of architectural conservators from EverGreene Architectural Arts, window restoration specialists from Femenella & Associates, and stone masons from Standard Restoration & Waterproofing. All conservation and restoration work is carried out in conformity with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. The terra cotta and windows throughout Ca’ d’Zan are greatly admired for the distinctive colorful quality these materials impart (fig. 2). In June, fourteen windows from the Mezzanine level of the Court and one window and door from the servant’s wing were removed and taken to a glass restoration workshop in Pennsylvania where they were disassembled, cleaned, and re-leaded; steel frames were cleaned, CONSERVATION repaired, and repainted (fig. 3). The deteriorated lead caming In 2018, during replacement and repointing of structurally holding the glass panes together was replaced with a stronger unstable terra cotta elements, we concentrated on the lead alloy that will seal better and be more durable in the Belvedere Tower and the balcony of John Ringling’s office. marine environment than the caming provided during the During the 2020 treatment, the upper areas of the West previous 1990s restoration.