Sarasota's Ringling celebrates new Center for Asian Art with a community festival

John and Mable Ringling, in their lifetimes, had a small collection of Asian art. They always hoped it would grow.

And thanks to donations from people in the Sarasota-Bradenton area, that collection has grown so significant that the Ringling has built a new center to house it. And on Sunday, the museum is hosting a community festival to introduce its new center to the public.

The 25,000-square-foot Center for Asian Art has been development for 10 years, and some of its galleries have opened over the past few months. The entire center will be completed in time for Sunday's celebration.

The gallery will feature exhibitions from the museum's collection, which includes Chinese pottery and Japanese prints, as well as art in various media from virtually all other parts of Asia.

Among the attractions for Sunday's festival are Taiko drummers, traditional and contemporary Indian dancers, storytellers sharing tales from all over Asia, a kimono demonstration and a scavenger hunt.

The festival is centered in a tent just outside the new Asian arts center, but activities spread to other parts of Ringling campus as well. The festival ends at 2 p.m. but the museum remains open for three hours after that. Ringling officials hope festival visitors will take that time to explore other areas of the museum.

Details: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. May 14, John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, 5401 Bay Shore Road, Sarasota. Tickets: Free with museum admission $25 adults, $20 seniors 65 and older; children 6-17 $5 (or free with an adult admission), children younger than age 6 free. Information: 941-358-3180, ringling.org.

-- Marty Clear

This story was originally published May 11, 2016 at 6:05 PM with the headline "Sarasota's Ringling celebrates new Center for Asian Art with a community festival ."