The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art officially opened in Sarasota, Florida, after earlier delayed and partial openings. John Ringling had hired architect John H. Phillips in 1925 to design an Italianate museum for his European paintings and decorative art, and construction began in 1927. The opening followed the death of Mable Ringling and the collapse of John Ringling's broader plans for a Sarasota cultural and educational complex. Although the institution later suffered from irregular management and estate litigation, the January 17 opening created a public home for Ringling's Old Master-oriented collection and for a campus that would eventually include Ca' d'Zan, the Circus Museum, and major later additions.
The museum became Florida's state art museum and a major Gulf Coast center for European, Asian, American, and contemporary art.