PLEASE let THIS happen to the Arena, LET HER STAY!!!

THE VENICE CIRCUS ARTS FOUNDATION, INC.

A local 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization

We all hope and pray that our City Fathers will take the option to save the Arena. Remove the code violations and allow us one more year to raise money to save her!

Illustration credit to Tom Fricker Creative Director Fricker Studio, Lakeport, CA. Special thanks to the Venice Archive and Triangle Inn. The Foundation has not secured the services of Fricker Studio. The VCAFI were the recipients of this wonderful illustration of the Arena minus the wood roof and concrete block walls. We call this picture HOPE - Thank you.

We need your help!

Save a square foot, (or more) of the Arena site with our 2013 Capital Campaign -

" A Foot-at-a-Time"

$30 individual

$60 family donation
- tax deductible.

We are focusing our goal to preserve the Gunther Gebel training ring building. Later we would like to reconstruct the outside training area. Maybe Mark Gebel will come there help us train kids on the proper care and the special requirements for healthy, and happy, domesticated animals.
Hint, hint Mark.

Its a win-win for the community! You will receive a tax deductible receipt for the squares you save. We will choose which area you will save. Your name or the names(s) you choose will be listed on our "Wall-of-Honor" at the restored Arena site.

Thank you!

www.venicecircusarena.com

941-485-7675

VCAFI

P.O. BOX 2220

Venice, FL 34284

Letter of Support -

Save the Venice Arena

By David R. Liggett

During a recent trip to Sarasota, FL, Mike Butash, Dom Yodice, John Maurer, and myself arranged a visit to the past winter quarters of the Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey Circus in Venice FL. By special permission we were granted admittance to the property and entrance to the Arena building. Our tour guides, Orlando Bevington and Tito Gaona, provided us with background information on the Venice Circus Arts Foundation's activities to save the Arena and also interesting facts on the history of the circus in Venice. We found the steel structure of the Arena in good shape with only surface rust on the beams. Much of the steel in the Venice Arena was salvaged from the Sarasota Winter Quarters buildings that were demolished when the Circus moved to Venice in 1960. The wooden structural members are in very poor condition, especially the roof. After setting for over ten years without maintenance the wood has just rotted away due in part to the harsh Florida weather. In some places the holes in the roof are allowing the elements to enter the building. The roof holes are expanding as time goes by. The ownership of the property is split in two ways. The ground is owned by the Venice Airport Authority and the buildings are owned by the City of Venice.

Several years ago the City Council of Venice granted the Venice Circus Arts Foundation five years to generate the funds needed to stabilize the Arena. The Foundation has built a financial reserve through a variety of projects and donations. Just after we toured the arena the City informed the Foundation that they were condemning the building since they considered it a safety hazard and they had 60 days to do what was needed to stabilize the Arena or it will be demolished. Three years have passed on the original five year agreement with two years left. This has suddenly changed to 60 days.

The Arena can not be allowed to pass into history without help to save it. The Arena was built in the early 1960's by the circus for the circus. Ringling officially moved to Venice in 1962 and until 1992 rehearsed and premiered their new shows in Venice. The Arena, when built, was the third largest entertainment arena in Florida. The 55,000 square foot Arena was built along the same footprint as Madison Square Garden with a seating capacity of 5,000. The Garden footprint was used so that Ringling could practice and premiere in Venice than move the show to the Garden in New York City for their seasonal opening. The structure of the Arena was built strong enough to support the stress of the above floor rigging and the flying acts. The rigging's connecting rings are still in the roof structure. The

floor was built with over one foot of reinforced

concrete to support the weight of the elephants and the show's equipment. A unique aspect of the seating in the Arena is that each section is hinged at the top near the ceiling and the front can be hoisted by motor toward the ceiling to create the floor space needed for larger events. This additional space could provide the area needed to accommodate conventions and other larger type events. Many of the circus super stars have performed in Venice. Such persons as Gunther Gable Williams, Tito Gaona, and Lou Jacobs, to name a few, have practiced and performed in the arena. Upon Gunther's death in 2001 his viewing was held in the arena with over 2000 persons attending.

Ringling's Clown College was located in Venice from 1968 to 1992 with over 1,300 new professional clowns receiving a diploma of completion. Such masters as Lou Jacobs, Frosty Little, Bobby Kaye and Bill Ballantine have served as faculty members for the College. After the 1992 closing of the Seminole Gulf Railroad's 10 mile spur to Venice, the Ringling Show move their winter quarters to Palmetto, FL. The Arena for a short period in time was used as a sports complex after the circus left but upon their closing it has remained empty for over 10 years.

To meet the 60 day deadline that was imposed by the Venice Council, the Foundation is

offering a fund raising

activity called "A Foot at a Time. For a contribution of as little as $30, you can sponsor one square foot of the historic Venice Circus Arena floor. Persons who donate will be recognized on a plaque that will be located in the Arena lobby after renovation. For additional information you can call (941) 485-7675 or visit the Arena web site at www.venicecircusarena.com. We can not allow another historical circus site to be destroyed in the name of progress. There is no time left. The Venice Circus Arts Foundation needs our help now! You want to write or e-mail in support of saving the Venice Arena you can do so by e-mailing citycouncil@venicegov.com or by calling (941)-486-2626.

What if we took this and turned it into below?

VCAFI focus to shift to Gunther Gebel training ring. What do you think of this artists concept?
Of coarse this is only one idea and it would have to go through all the channels to get approval. It may not meet the standards or boundaries of what is allowed. But it is Circus, and it looks like Circus to me!

News Bulletin

A formal request of the City of Venice to gift the Foundation the bleacher seats in the Circus Arena. Here is our email to Vince LaPorta of the Venice Building Department.

April 12, 2013

Hello Mr. La Porta,

Yes, you have correctly found the antique circus wagon bleacher seat support brackets. I believe the opposite galley of the Arena will contain two more. Those were used on horse drawn wooden circus wagons to hold the spectators. The wagons would be brought into the tent and lined up around the three rings for the show.

The Foundation would be very interested in saving those brackets as they would allow for reconstruction of an actual circus bleacher wagon in the future.

Regarding the Arena bleachers/seats. Is it possible to ask the demolition crew to bring each 14 seat section out intact? Just unbolt them from the wood floor platforms? We could then remove the seat backs and seats ourselves without incurring additional labor expense for that work. If they could just bring them out of the arena, we could take them to our storage area and deal with them? Each stringer of seats is manageable for us. Please consider this as an option. We could then possibly reuse those frames in our restoration. We would have actual bleachers to display as part of the fundraising presentation process and museum display.

I will ask one more thing, and fully understand if we are pushing our luck. But if possible could we save at least one of the ticket sales windows? We would really love it for our planned circuit of lectures and presentations for the local community.

Thank you for taking time to do this. We are most appreciative. Our Foundation still believes in this project and we will continue to work to that end. I always say when you're dealt lemons, well you know!

Most sincerely,

Orlando Bevington

Venice Circus Arts Foundation, Inc.

special to the Venice Gondolier

Is It Good News or Bad News?

The City Zoning Department has pronounced the historic Venice Circus Arena unsafe, prompting a need for action from the city and unleashing an outpouring of public opinion.

Tear it down! No, preserve and restore it! Whatever your thoughts on this subject, it's useful to see how the building got into this sad state and what value, if any, it has for the residents of this city.

The long skid downward began with a controversy over who should repair the railroad tracks bringing the circus to the Arena. That unresolved issue caused Ringling Brothers to abandon the site in 1992, compelling performers to move to other quarters. It was occupied, at least in part, until ten years ago, the last time as a sports arena when $300,000 of capital improvements were made as part of a lease agreement with the City of Venice and the airport. Beyond these required repairs, which were primarily to the roof, the city-owned Arena was allowed to fall into disuse and disrepair.

So what you say? In a city built on a theme of Italian Mediterranean revival architecture, the Arena is no classic beauty. Its appeal always lay beyond its plain Jane exterior, in a rugged steel framework, still sturdy after years of neglect, and a thick, concrete foundation built to last.

If the City Council decides on total demolition, one of the three options out for bid now, more than concrete and steel will fall to the wrecker's ball. In its present form, the Arena is still the third largest performing space of its kind in the entire state of Florida. That would be lost forever.

The world-class attractions that once performed beneath its roof brought audiences from a wide geographic area. That this phenomenon could return is the vision driving volunteers of the Venice Circus Arts Foundation, Inc. to persist in what some see is a hopeless mission.

The circus heritage once gave Venice a unique character among a bevy of charming Florida seaside towns. It was also an economic driver offering good paying jobs, a boost for all the other businesses that serve tourists and residents alike, and solid revenue for the City coffers. The feasibility study recently completed by an outside consultant affirms that all these benefits would return with a restored Arena.

The City Council has the option to vote on partial demolition, preserving the Arena's steel skeleton and 18-inch concrete base while removing the rotting roof and unsightly side walls. The resulting framework could be used for open air performances and keep alive the ability to rebuild the Arena when funds are available.

The Foundation endorses this approach and is pledged to partner with the City to seek restoration of the Arena and help raise money to make this happen.

The original vision to attract the circus to Venice was the inspiration of one man who was able to gain the cooperation and support of the city fathers of that era. Fifty years later, it may require many of us to convince City Council members to preserve what can be salvaged and make a commitment to help in that restoration.

The Arena belongs to all of us who call Venice home and our collective vision should be the definitive factor in deciding what the future holds for the this structure.

It is unclear when bids on alternative ways to meet the Zoning Department's proscription will be presented at a City Council meeting. If you want to reclaim a future for the Arena that will once again make Venice an international destination, consider contacting the Mayor and City Council members with your views by e-mail (address it to: citycouncil@venicegov.com) or by postal letter.

It's not too late to save this grand old treasure. Your comments can help.

Judy Houston is a writer and volunteer with the Venice Circus Arts Foundation.

The VCAFI Foundation would like to Thank each and every one of our volunteers who work very hard to keep this project on tract and moving forward.

THANK YOU ALL!!!

HELP SAVE OUR HISTORY AND THIS VERY SPECIAL PLACE!

VENICE ISLES

VISIT

Thank you Joyce of The Venice Isles Community. Tito and I had a great time presenting our cause to your group today! Please get involved!

MICHAEL GIBBS
Support comes in many ways!!!

THANK YOU Michael Gibbs -
Don't wash that window!

It's not about how much money it is going to take to restore, rebuild, or preserve our heritage and our future!... its about the dreams that were made, and the dreams that are still waiting to be made inside this Arena that is in our own Backyard. Each year from 1962 through 1992, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey presented its world premiere in the Venice Circus Arena. A host of great circus stars and acts made their American debuts right here in Venice, including Venice native Gunther Gebel-Williams; Michu, the world's smallest human on Earth; the mighty elephant King Tusk; and The Living Unicorn.

I've always said we might be a "small" town!
But we have one "BIG" heart!
Join me and the Venice Circus Arts Foundation!
And lets Save the Venice Circus Arena!!!!
Please Visit www.venicecircusarts.com

THE FLYING GAONAS

The Venice Arena former home of
The Flying Gaonas!

International Circus Model Makers

tour of the Venice Circus Arena.

David Liggett, Mike Butash, Dom Yodice, John Maurer,
Renata & Tito Gaona, Orlando Bevington

Nancy Berman on the Red Carpet at the Sarasota Film Festival. Character Face is presented!!!

Thank you Nic Beery,
Nancy Osborn Berman, Chuck Sidlow, and Jonathan Freddies

Character Face

- A Clown College Fantasy

Presented at the Sarasota Film Festival

http://www.beerymedia.com/character-face/

From Orlando Bevington

Thousands of volunteer hours have gone into our attempt to save the historic Venice Circus Arena. I would hate to drive over the Circus Bridge to see yet another empty lot at the Airport. Like many people the profile of the Arena buildings are burned into my brain. I would hate to think that we could only visit that place through pictures, a museum visit or video. I would have never thought that could happen, but it very easily can.

We still have this treasure, a bit worn and tattered, but still standing. Code violated and kicked down by vandals.

We need to save her. Those that should have cared for the Arena did not. Those people who now have the power to save it say there is no money to do it. Yet, properties are being purchased by the City, renovations of building much newer than the arena are happening. Of course several million was made available for the new 1000 seat performance arts space at the high school. 1000 seats, the same seating capacity of the beautifully renovated Community Center.

The Airport says funds are available for the destruction, but not for reconstruction, WHY?

The Arenas 4,500 seats could still be a great benefit to our community as well. Maybe too forward an idea, but John Ringling North thought is was a good idea when the community only had 2,000 residents in 1959.

We the regular volunteers/staff/Board Members who have worked so hard to make this project happen are in need of new volunteers. Our beautiful well-worn workers have tried so hard - with so little - for so long. We need grant writers to get on board NOW! We have a grant writing committee of about 3 people. We need 30 or 300 of those volunteers. We have expenses and must pay out money every month in rent and utilities, advertising, printing, event expenses, insurance, etc. Fundraising has been lack luster for us as; it has for almost all of the local charities.

We had just announced our "A foot at a time" capital campaign for 2013 in January and had several thousand dollars in donations. Almost immediately the building is condemned. One step forward and three steps back! What about the 5 years with no demolition???

The City mandated in 2010 that we were to work with the Airport to secure a lease on the site. We had agreed to rent the storage building and make necessary improvements to meet current codes. The Foundation was able to find Michael J. Looney electric who was going to fix the electrical at about cost. We also met a local Building Contractor who was going to remove the code violations in the building interior. That was early last year.

We still wait patiently for a lease. We have had dialog with the Airport and are hopeful. If we were able to have a presence on that site we would have a more dramatic impact in obtaining greater support and donations.

The people of our Community need to win this one, not big business, nor special interests, nor people who just don't care!

We work to protect HISTORY

and this unique place, the only one of its kind in the world.

How hard can this be? Why is this so difficult?

Where are all the historical groups in our community? We are on the front lines of trying to preserve this most important history and they are silent, void, missing.

If you can help, we need you! Please call - 941-485-7675

Thank you!

Know someone else that might want to get involved?

The Venice Circus Arts Foundation, Inc.

P.O. Box 2220 Venice, FL 34284

941-485-7675

The next meeting of the VCAFI Volunteers will be on May 2, 2013 at the Venice YMCA. Caitlyn Center at 6:00 pm.

Thank you!

It's passed time to Thank some of the special people in our organization. Tracy & Larry Ivey, who give so much time and energy to our project. And to many other important volunteer work in our community. You guys totally rock!!! Thank you both! Tracy gave a very compelling plea for the Arena at City Council recently.

Larry is spear heading our involvement with The Community Foundation of Sarasota County. His critique below:

The Community Foundation of Sarasota County gave a good presentation this morning. They along with partners Gulf Coast Community Foundation, The Paterson Foundation, Manatee Community Foundation and Guide Star Donor edge program have all combined to use the Giving Partner Profile program.

The VCAFI will participate.