Florida not so sunny anymore for the circus?
December 7th, 2010 by admin
In what could be a sign that the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus train is running out of steam, the circus- for the first time in several years- will not be performing next month in Lakeland, Sarasota or Fort Myers.
Unfortunately, Ringling will not be skipping Florida altogether. Visit ARFF’s website for details of anti-circus demonstrations in West Palm Beach, Miami, Tampa and Orlando.
Most of Ringling’s shows take place in January, but each year in December the circus sends a couple clowns on a road trip across the state, visiting libraries, museums and schools in the hope that local media will cover the event and provide the circus with free publicity.
This weekend, Ringling clowns are scheduled to make an appearance at the Orlando Museum of Art. The clowns will entertain guests at the museum, but they will also be heavily promoting Ringling’s upcoming performances in Orlando.
We don’t think OMA should be helping Ringling Bros. sell circus tickets. Please contact the museum and ask them not to partner with Ringling Bros. Or if they do, urge them to make the event truly educational and include a discussion of the miserable lives of deprivation, confinement and abuse suffered by animals in traveling circuses. Contact:
Marena Grant Morrisey, Executive Director
Orlando Museum of Art
E-mail: mgmorrisey@omart.org, info@omart.org
Phone: (407) 896-4231