SARASOTA – A philanthropist whose love for the circus led him to create the Howard Bros. Circus Model has died.
Howard C. Tibbals who created the centerpiece of the Tibbals Learning Center at the John Ringling Museum of Art died at his home on March 20th at the age of 85.
“In Sarasota he’s known as a great historian and cultural figure, he was active in the community, mostly on the half of the museum and even nationally he was known within circles doing academic works in circus and in the circus performance community as well,” said Tibbals Curator of Circus at the John Ringling Museum, Jennifer Lemmer-Posey.
Tibbals began creating the Howard Bros. Circus display in 1956, as a freshman engineering student at North Carolina State University. The three quarter inch to the foot scale replica of the 1930s-era Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus made its way to The Ringling Museum in 1999.
“Howard Tibbals looms large at the Ringling Museum he really helped foster a period of growth he gave us a tremendous donation to help foster the Tibbals learning center and to endow the care of our circus collections here as well as fund programming,” said Posey.
The Tibbals Learning Center opened in 2006, it includes a massive circus display, a replica of his workshop and collection of circus memorabilia. Executive Director of The Ringling Museum of Art, Steven High says Tibbals donations were invaluable to the museum.
“When Howard came and brought this collection and brought the funds able to construct the Tibbals Learning Center we moved from a tiny circus museum to really one of the best circus museums in the United States,” said Executive Director of the John Ringling Museum of Art, Steven High.
Tibbals is described as kind, generous, a visionary and overall a great man.
“He set this institution up to be his legacy, to help people celebrate the history of the circus and to help and to preserve the really important collections that we have to document it,” said Posey.
A service for Tibbals was held today at the First Baptist Church of Sarasota.
Memorial contributions can be made to First Baptist Church of Sarasota, Laurel Church of Christ in Knoxville, or The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art.