Venice Circus Arts Foundation, Inc.
Dedicated to Keeping Circus History Alive
432 Spadaro Drive, Venice, FL 34285
Telephone: (941) 412-9305 *
E-mail: venicecircusarts@comcast.net
Venice Circus Arts Foundation, Inc. Happenings
The Venice Circus Arts Foundation is growing! We are in the process of redefining who we are so that we are able to help others in need. We want to be able to financially help circus performers who are in need, whether through physical incapacity or financial difficulty due to health or age. We will do this through the generous hearts of those people who appreciate the special qualities of circus artists, both young and old."
Our first endeavor will be to finance the necessary surgery of a 25-year old young man, Agostino Maltese.
Below is a video clip of Agostino's act just prior to the accident. See for yourself the talent this young man possesses and the importance of obtaining the funds to have the needed operation so he may once again soar over the heads of thousands, thrilling young and old alike. (You may receive a warning that Internet Explorer may attempt to restrict the video file due to its active content. Allow this file to run active content to be able to view the video of Agostino's act and accident.)
Imagine soaring like an eagle, feeling the power, the speed, the beauty of flight...and then plummeting to the ground, to be imprisoned in a steel cage! And so this has happened to a "human eagle", Agostino Maltese. For twenty-three years, Agostino and his family performed before thousands of people. Agostino head-lined with his family on the flying trapeze, performing the famed triple somersault. His specialty was the "Wheel of Death", a spinning steel centrifuge, with Augustino dancing high above the ground, poised over the circular web of steel. He cavorted with glee as he teased fate, dancing with the Lady of Death. And then one day that beautiful eagle plummeted to the ground, a victim of a broken cable that threw his frail body to the unforgiving ground. And he was imprisoned in a steel cage...internally, but still a cage. Agostino survived the fall, but he has a rod supporting part of his spine. This rod was to have been a temporary measure, to be removed a year later. Unfortunately, Agostino was forced to cancel their two-year contract, putting himself and his family out of work. And do to various complicated issues, he received no medical financial aid, neither compensation or insurance. So now, WE, of the Venice Circus Arts Foundation are setting up fund-raisers so we can get the medical help Agostino deserves. We want to free the eagle from his cage so he may soar high above us again! Contact us to see how YOU may help!
Circus Memories Emerge Around Venice, FL
Venice's circus history is reflected in the wonderful mural behind the Venice Gondolier. The artist skillfully portrayed Gunther Gebel-Williams and his magnificent animals beside the train.
Francis Smith's contribution to the memory of Venice's circus history is a magnificent mural along US 41 heading towards the old Circus Arena on Avenida del Circo. Here are just a few of photos of part of the wall.
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Yo Yo, the clown, a.k.a. Elizabeth Stewart has been the Venice Circus Arts Foundation's biggest supporter, gathering nearly 500 signatures (just on her own!) on our petition to save the circus arts here in Venice.
Venice Circus Arts Foundation...
Dedicated to keeping circus history alive in Venice
Join our team of individuals working together to bring the circus arts back to Venice.
With the restoration of the historic Venice Depot, the excitement of the circus and the arrival of the circus train is being preserved, along with a commemorative statue of Gunther Gebel-Williams.The Venice Circus Arts Foundation, Inc., (classified under Internal Revenue Code 501(c)(3)) is working to preserve the parcel of land behind the Venice Arena, once the winter quarters for the “Greatest Show on Earth.” This special place in American Circus History is in danger of disappearing with current plans for commercial development of the site.
The Venice Circus Arts Foundation, Inc. wants to reintroduce Venice (and the world) to its marvelous history. Your support and commitment will make you a vital part of the team working to preserve the circus arts.
WHAT YOU CAN DO!
Now that we have a new counsel here in Venice who appreciates Venice's unique and beautiful history, it is very important for us to write this new City Counsel and the newspapers, to remind him that The Venice Circus Arts Foundation still exists and that the circus and it's history should have a place in Venice.
The mailing address for all the city officials is:
The City of Venice, 401 West Venice Avenue, Venice, Fl 34285
(941) 486-2626
LOOK FOR IT!
Kim Cool, Features Editor for the Venice Gondolier, has written a book about the history of the circus in our area, Circus Days in Sarasota and Venice. It is available at Barnes & Noble and other Venice and Sarasota stores. If you don't see it, ask for it!
Venice, Florida...
Home of the “Greatest Show on Earth” and some of its legendary performers
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
Tito Gaona and the Flying Gaonas Family
Gunther Gebel-Williams
Big plans for a little building
A wrecking ball is in the future for the Venice Arena.
Tito Gaona has other hopes for the little building behind the aged arena.
"There needs to be a little piece of the Ringling Circus in Venice," Tito Gaona said. "I want to have a circus museum there. The bridge over there already is known as the Circus Bridge."
The little building that Gaona hopes to save is located about halfway between the bridge and the old arena. Late in the afternoon, it is shaded by the larger building that was erected 1960-61 to house The Greatest Show on Earth, which wintered in Venice 1960-1992.
After moving its winter quarters to Venice, the circus would return each December for several weeks during which performers and animals would rest and regroup for the next season, perfecting their acts. New shows would be designed each year and have their world premiers in Venice before going out on the road. Just as the circus left a legacy in Sarasota, where it wintered 1929-1959, before its move south, The Greatest Show on Earth left a legacy in Venice, where a great many performers and former performers continue to live.
"The arena was often being used to rehearse the big production numbers," Gaona said. "So we would practice in this building. Gunther Gebel-Williams rehearsed his animal acts here. Known as the "most famous animal trainer in the world," the late Gebel-Williams was a close personal friend of Gaona's and a longtime resident of Venice. Gebel-Williams, who died on July 19, 2001, is said to have revolutionized the care of circus animals by using love and kindness rather than harsh treatment."
"Many people called it Gunther's building," Gaona said. "It is an important piece of history for Venice." Like the arena, the little building dates to about 1961. Because bringing the larger building up to code would be too costly, it is expected to be demolished in the near future, paving the way for development of that section of Venice airport property as an industrial or office park.
Excerpt from Kim Cool's article at http://www.venicegondolier.com/NewsArchive3/021104