Education
FSU’s Ringling Museum of Art Executive Director Steven High to retire
Steven High, executive director of The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, has announced he will retire after 15 years leading the Sarasota museum complex governed by Florida State University.
High has served as executive director since 2011, overseeing a period of significant growth in collections, educational programming, attendance, fundraising and campus expansion at The Ringling, which serves as Florida’s State Art Museum under the stewardship of Florida State University. He will remain in the position until his successor is identified.
High said serving as executive director of The Ringling has been the highlight of his career and credited the museum’s growth to the work of its staff, foundation board, university leadership and community supporters.
“Together, we strengthened The Ringling’s financial foundation, expanded its reach and preserved its remarkable collections and historic campus for future generations,” High said. “I am deeply grateful to Florida State University, our supporters and the Sarasota community for their partnership and trust.”
During High’s tenure, The Ringling more than doubled its collections, enhanced exhibition programming and educational offerings while overseeing major additions and restorations across the museum’s campus. High oversaw the opening of the Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Center for Asian Art, the Kotler-Coville Glass Pavilion, and the Turrell Skyspace Joseph’s Coat as well as several major restoration and preservation initiatives. He also expanded educational outreach, accessibility initiatives and multidisciplinary programming, including the Art of Performance series.
The Ringling also experienced substantial institutional growth during High’s leadership, increasing its annual operating budget from $12 million to $28 million and growing its endowment from $27 million to $67 million. The museum completed a $100 million comprehensive campaign in 2019 and expanded its campus through a series of major projects and initiatives.
“Steven High strengthened The Ringling’s role as both a world-class museum and an important part of Florida State University’s academic mission,” said FSU Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Jim Clark. “He expanded opportunities for student learning, research and community engagement while helping preserve and enhance one of Florida’s great cultural institutions. FSU has invested in The Ringling’s growth and success, and Steven’s leadership helped ensure those investments created lasting impact for the museum, its visitors and our students.”
Ringling Museum of Art Foundation Board Chair Meg Hausberg said High’s leadership helped elevate the museum’s national and international reputation while deepening its ties to the university and the Sarasota-Manatee community.
“Steven High has led The Ringling with extraordinary care, intellect and purpose,” Hausberg said. “His leadership elevated the museum’s profile while also strengthening its role as a cultural and educational resource for the state of Florida.”
The Ringling is one of the largest university-based museum complexes in the United States, encompassing 66 bayfront acres and nearly 500,000 square feet of facilities in Sarasota. The campus includes the Museum of Art, Tibbals Learning Center, Circus Museum, Ca’ d’Zan mansion, Historic Asolo Theater, and extensive research, conservation and education spaces. The institution welcomes more than 400,000 visitors annually.
Florida State University has overseen The Ringling since 2000, when the state transferred responsibility for the museum’s stewardship and operations to the university. Today, The Ringling serves as both a cultural destination and an academic resource supporting teaching, research and museum studies opportunities for FSU students and faculty. In January 2026, FSU and The Ringling marked 25 years of shared stewardship.
A nationally respected museum leader and scholar, High’s early career began with the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the MIT Museum in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Following graduate work at Williams College, he held leadership and academic roles at institutions including the Portland (Maine) School of Art and Virginia Commonwealth University and led the Nevada Museum of Art in Reno and Telfair Museums in Savannah, Georgia.
Across a career spanning nearly five decades, he has curated numerous exhibitions and published dozens of scholarly catalogues. High also served in leadership roles for national and local organizations, including the American Alliance of Museums and the Arts & Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County.
Florida State University and the Ringling Museum of Art Foundation have hired Isaacson, Miller, a national search firm, to assist in identifying High’s successor.
