SARASOTA, FLA.- The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art announced the appointment of Skyler Dunbar as the 2026–2027 Eleanor Merritt Fellow. An emerging researcher, scholar, and arts administrator with a background rooted in public teaching, exhibition organizing, and community outreach, Dunbar brings an inquisitive and inclusivity-focused practice to The Ringling, where she will facilitate and help initiate cross-departmental projects and research initiatives that support the museum’s strategic commitments.
The Eleanor Merritt Fellowship is a prestigious 9- to 12-month visiting appointment designed to cultivate future cultural heritage leaders. Fellows work across departments—including Archives, Audience Research, Collections, Conservation, Education, the Art Library, Marketing, Performing Arts, and Visitor Services—gaining hands-on experience in museum operations while pursuing individual research and career development projects.
"Skyler is passionate about the intersection of public scholarship, community-centered curation, and museum education," says Steven High, executive director of The Ringling. "This fellowship is a great opportunity for her to engage that passion, to support new and ongoing initiatives at The Ringling, and to initiate new ones."
Dunbar, originally from Jacksonville, Florida, comes to The Ringling with experience in curatorial research, public programming, and nonprofit operations. She is a founding member and chief copyeditor for curatorial group The Common Ground Collective, where she organized community-attuned exhibitions and free programs for the Northwest Arkansas region, and has formerly held positions as Curatorial Projects Coordinator and Internship Program Coordinator at national nonprofit Art Bridges Foundation. She has a master’s degree in Art History in Arts of the Americas from the University of Arkansas, where her research focused on visual media literacy and the social efficacy of community-centered art practice. Before that, Dunbar earned bachelor’s degrees in Art History, Political Science, and an undergraduate certificate in International Relations from the University of Florida.
“It is a privilege to be entrusted with the responsibility of keeping Eleanor Merritt’s inspirational legacy alive,” says Dunbar, “and with great enthusiasm and reverence, I aspire to embody her spirit of multidisciplinary, community-facing, accessible arts practice in all I do as the Eleanor Merritt Fellow.”
Named in honor of Eleanor Merritt (1933–2019)—a pioneering artist, educator, and The Ringling’s first African American docent and board member—the fellowship celebrates Merritt’s lifelong commitment to the arts and social justice. In 2022, The Ringling honored her legacy with the exhibition Eleanor Merritt: Remembrance.
“During my fellowship year, I digitally preserved Eleanor Merritt’s early teaching materials, piloted a Collegiate Student Art Showcase during Ringling Underground, and built community through cross-disciplinary creative writing and art making,” adds Camilo Loaiza Bonilla, the 2025–2026 Eleanor Merritt Fellow. “Eleanor had such an impact on The Ringling as a prolific artist, arts educator, and arts advocate, and I know Skyler will do an incredible job of honoring and advancing that work.”
Additional previous fellows include Dominique Goden (2024–2025) and Jevon Brown (2023–2024). Applications for the 2027–2028 Eleanor Merritt Fellowship are expected to open in February 2027.
