Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum
The Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum – formerly The Smith Institute – has played a very special part in the history of Stirling since its foundation in 1874. Established by the bequest of artist Thomas Stuart Smith (1815–1869) on land supplied by the Burgh of Stirling, it is an historic public-private partnership which has continued to the present day. It was founded as a gallery of mainly contemporary art, with museum and library reading room ‘for the benefit of the inhabitants of Stirling, Dunblane and Kinbuck’.
Ringling College of Art and Design
In a portion of the Sarasota area that once had been the incorporated community of Bay Haven, the former Bay Haven Hotel and several adjacent store buildings close to its downtown and railway station became the location for the new art school. The buildings were renovated at the cost of $45,000. John Ringling was approached again and agreed to raise the money necessary to underwrite those renovation needs. The work was completed and on October 2, 1931, the School of Fine and Applied Art of the John and Mable Ringling Art Museum was opened with an official ceremony by Southern College. John Ringling was invited to speak at its opening.