Venice Circus Arts Foundation, Inc.

Dedicated to Keeping Circus History Alive

101 Venice Avenue, Ste. 26, Venice, FL

Telephone: (941) 960-0371 * E-mail: info@venicecircusarts.com

MISSION STATEMENT
The Mission of the Venice Circus Arts Foundation is to preserve the circus arts and their heritage (in Venice), create unique educational opportunities, encourage significant economic development and promote family entertainment through the circus experience.

Project: Save the Venice CircusArena


An aerial view of the arena while Ringling Bros. Barnum & Bailey Circus was in winterquarters.

 

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Check out the fantastic comments and photos being submitted to Facebook. We also welcome photos taken at the Venice Arena "in days gone by" that we may feature here on this website. Email them to: circuslady@aol.com

Open Letter to Friends of the Save the Venice Circus Arena

Dear Friends of The Venice Arena,

I would like to first address all you who helped with our recent clean up event. If I have not already sent you a Thank You email, it is coming. I have sent hundreds but there are many yet to go. Secondly, I come to you with hat in hand once more. I spent Friday morning at the Arena with roofers and realize we are at a critical place in our project. This one will "separate the men from the boys" and we desperately need help. Several large and now VERY large gaping holes in the roof have opened up due to wood rot, (this is the neglected wood decking over the still well-preserved original steel structure). If we cannot raise $10,000 - $15,000 for those repairs immediately, we may not have an Arena project. We are presently in hurricane season and I am praying daily that the rain/winds will stay away. As water soaks into the already compromised roofing materials, they become heavy and fall inward damaging anything below it. Bleacher seats have been destroyed and now the wood walkways between the bleacher seats are decaying from water damage under those roof holes.

Our roofers are allowing us to obtain in-kind materials listed below. They will do the work at a reduced cost per square foot. Dan is calling everyone he knows for materials. Dan has also made a $500.00 pledge today and I will also match that amount - for a total of $1,000.00 today. Thank you Larry Ryan for your $200.00 pledge and a special Thank you James Hagler for securing an additional $1,000.00 coming soon from Ursula and Peter Kohl of Vienna, Austria. We have the ability We just need the will!

Please, if you can help, we need it desperately right now. I know I seem to always be asking for your help and your support - today is no different, well one difference, (we are at a critical point). This repair is essential to the project! - Can you please help? Any amount will help and will be greatly appreciated. Remember your contribution is fully tax deductible and 100% of your contribution goes to fund the project – everyone working on the project today are un paid volunteers.

Sincerely,
The Venice Circus Arts Foundation
941-960-0371


Notice the bright red doors where people would enter to watch the "Greatest Show on Earth".


Notice the huge white doors that opened to bring in the animals and also housed wardrobe designers, dressing rooms, etc.


This used to be the circus' "Pie Car", a small cafe providing snacks and meals for the circus performers and workers.


This building with it's inside cement ring curb allowed Gunther and others to practice their animal acts in privacy and out of any possible bad weather.

Read below the various newspaper articles pertaining to the Project!

Circus Arena gets reprieve
By Greg Giles
News Editor
Article from the Venice Gondolier Sun
Wednesday-Friday Edition, April 14-16, 2010

To applause, Venice City Council granted the Venice Circus Arts Foundation six months to come up with a viable revitalization plan to bring the dilapidated Circus Arena back to its former glory, or it will proceed with demolition as planned.

The site was the winter home of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus for 30 years until it left town in 1992.

“We did it!” said Orlando Bevington, administrator for the group, at city hall following a presentation by the group and dozens of supporters.

“Our members David Sherman, Dan Ionescu, Karen Dove, and Mark Gebel were flawless in their presentations and passion for this project. We win a six month reprieve from any more talk of demolition. We get to paint the buildings, clean up the lot, and remove all the graffiti, fix the fence, and put up our sign soliciting support. We will also begin the fund raising campaigns.”...

Click on link for full article. Circus Arena Gets Reprieve

Select one of the video formats below to view
the momentous City Council proceedings.

Venice City Council Meeting - Save the Venice Circus Arena
(Real Media format)

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Venice group given a chance to save old circus arena

Posted: April 13, 2010 05:03 PM EDT
ABC 7 Suncoast News
Updated: April 13, 2010 05:08 PM EDT

VENICE - A group in Venice has spared their beloved circus arena from demolition...at least for now.

Tuesday, Venice city council members voted unanimously to give the Venice Circus Arts foundation six months to get organized. The group says they'll apply for grants, raise funds, and work with the city on fixing up the arena.

In six months they'll report back with their progress....

Click on link for full article. Venice Group Given a Chance

News video with Tito Gaona

Push to save circus arena heating up
ABC 7 Suncoast News
Posted: April 12, 2010 06:58 PM EDT

Click on the video link below!

Watch Video

SARASOTA COUNTY - The future of the old circus arena will go before Venice City Commissioners Tuesday. The building where the Ringling Brothers Circus used to train and perform shows is scheduled for demolition. A group is trying to stop it and has collected more than a thousand signatures to state their case.

Tito Gaona swung from the rafters inside the Venice Arena as an acrobat. Now, decades later, he's doing a high wire act trying to save it. In just three weeks he says the Venice Circus Arts Foundation has come a long way. "Tremendous feedback. In Facebook we started with five people; we have 1,500 people now."

"It's been overwhelmingly in support." Downtown business owner David Scherman says they're not clowning around. He says they've collected more than 1,000 signatures to save it. "Almost everybody without exception that I have asked to sign the petition or asked them about the arena is very positive on saving it."...

Click on link for full article. Push to Save Circus Arena Heating Up

Last-minute reprieve for city's circus arena
VENICE: Council delays demolition to let trapeze artist plan an alternative

By Kim Hackett
Published: Wednesday, March 31, 2010 at 1:00 a.m.
Herald Tribune

"VENICE - With an outpouring of support from the community, fifth-generation trapeze artist Tito Gaona won a temporary reprieve from the city for his beloved Venice Arena.

Venice had already solicited bids for demolishing the dilapidated 5,100-seat arena, where Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus spent nearly three decades of winters.

But the City Council recently voted to give Gaona's Venice Circus Arts Foundation time to devise a restoration plan.

That does not mean the clock has stopped forever, though.

"We might want to give them a chance to see what they can do," said Mayor Ed Martin before the council voted last week to temporarily halt demolition....

Click on link for full article. Last-minute Reprieve

Arena Demolition on Hold
By Greg Giles
News Editor
Article from the Venice Gondolier Sun
Saturday-Sunday Edition, March 27-28, 2010

The Save The Arena group has yet to make a formal pitch to city council, but it has already succeeded in halting the planned demolition of Circus Arena, the former winter home of the world famous Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.

"That's a good sign," said trapeze star Tito Gaona, who runs a trapeze school on the property. He created the Venice Circus Arts Foundation to save the arena.

"At least it gives us some time," he said, "gives us a chance to succeed."...

Click on link for full article. Arena Demolition on Hold

Ringling Brothers and Barnum Bailey circus parade from depot to arena. After arriving at the Venice Depot, the circus animals, performers and equipment traveled west on Venice Avenue to Taminai Trail (The Rialto) then south to the arena. Picture taken at corner of The Rialto and Venice Avenue.

Invitation
Open Meeting
Sunday, August 1, 2010
4:00 P.M.
Venice Circus Arts Foundation office
101 Venice Avenue, Ste. 26
Venice, FL
Topic: Marketing/Planning

Also Needed:
Office Volunteers
Contact Debbie at (941) 244-2385
dfdf941@yahoo.com

Donations

We are a 501(C)3 Non-Profit Organization. An account has been set up to take donations to help restore the arena. All donations are tax deductible. Remember that the deadline for making a contribution for last year's taxes is April 15th.

If you prefer to send a contribution by check, please mail to:

The Venice Circus Arts Foundation
P. O. Box 2220
Venice Florida 34284.
We will send a receipt for your taxes.

For those who prefer to make a credit card or PayPal contribution, we have placed the link here for you. THANK YOU.

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.

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!

 

'Historic' Status Goal for Circus Arena
By Greg Giles
News Editor
Article from the Venice Gondolier Sun
Saturday-Sunday Edition, March 20-21, 2010

The nonprofit Save The Arena group that formed weeks ago plans to seek historic site designation for the old Circus Arena in Venice.

The group hopes to persuade the city to give it time to raise seed money to pay for a study to see if the arena meets the criteria to become a protected historic site.

"This is a wonderful, historical, special place, that only exist in Venice, FL," he said. "She needs our help."...

Click on link for full article. Historic Status Goal for Circus Arena article

Ringling Brothers and Barnum Bailey circus parade from depot to arena. After arriving at the Venice Depot, the circus animals, performers and equipment traveled west on Venice Avenue to Taminai Trail (The Rialto) then south to the arena. Picture taken at corner of The Rialto and Venice Avenue.

Venice, Florida...

(former) Home of the “Greatest Show on Earth” and some of its legendary performers

(Former) Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Performers
Tito Gaona and the Flying Gaonas Family
Gunther Gebel-Williams

Big plans for a little building

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.

"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."

Excerpt from Kim Cool's article at http://www.venicegondolier.com/NewsArchive3/021104

 

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.

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.

Group Forms to Save Arena
By Greg Giles
News Editor
Article from the Venice Gondolier Sun
Saturday-Sunday Edition, March 13-14, 2010

TV personality Jack Perkins and Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus trapeze star Tito Gaona are spokesmen for a renewed "Save the Venice Arena" effort.

The building was the first-of-its-kind indoor circus arena when it became the winter home for the Greatest Show on Earth in 1962. It was last occupied in 1996 as a boxing arena.

The Save the Venice Arena group held its first meeting ...

Click on link for full article. Group Forms to Save Arena

WHAT YOU CAN DO!

It is very important for YOU to write the City Counsel and the newspapers, sign petitions, send emails, and more...to remind everyone 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