The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has granted The Ringling an Art Works award of $30,000 for programming pertaining to women and the circus. The Ringling's is one of 1,015 grants nationwide that the NEA has approved in this category.

The grant will be used to support a two-year-long multidisciplinary program dedicated to the role of women in the circus arts. The activities will include live performances of contemporary circus, and theater that uses the devices of circus to elaborate contemporary narratives, symposia, labs and artist talks. Themes such as women of color in circus, women and animals, women in the American circus, multi-generational women circus acts, and the female body in circus will be explored. Also included will be a circus poster  exhibition featuring design and representation of women in circus poster art. The project will be carried out in partnership with the local circus community of Sarasota, national and international scholars, a multinational line up of artist performers and speakers and New College of Sarasota. All programs will be open to the public in either free or accessibly ticketed events.