The Ringling was recently awarded a $109,900 grant from E.A. Michelson Philanthropy to launch a Lifelong Arts program for adults aged 55 and up. Lifelong Arts at The Ringling is an exciting new initiative providing an ongoing series of hands-on workshops, each designed to dive deeply into an art form or technique while also building camaraderie and community.  

What makes this initiative so special is that for each workshop offered on-site at The Ringling, the museum also sponsors a parallel off-site workshop for older adults within the community. These secondary workshops, administered through the museum’s established nonprofit partners, are offered at no cost to the participants. The outreach workshops are held at various locations throughout Sarasota and Manatee Counties, with partnering organizations such as the Pines of Sarasota, the Sarasota Housing Authority, and the Senior Friendship Centers. 

The museum’s inaugural Lifelong Arts at The Ringling workshop, which took place in September 2023, studied different watercolor techniques in a uniquely inspiring museum setting. Participants engaged with still life, live portraiture, and plein air watercolor painting in the Museum of Art Courtyard and the Bayfront Gardens. At the same time, participants in the community workshop at the Senior Friendship Centers engaged in their own watercolor exploration, leading to new insights and discoveries about the medium. 

Additional Lifelong Arts at The Ringling workshops in ekphrastic poetry, drawing, mixed media, performance art, and the dramatic arts are planned throughout the season.

To learn about upcoming workshops and to register  CLICK HERE