ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
The Vero Beach Museum of Art will open its doors free of charge to all Museum Day ticket holders on Saturday September 21, 2019 as part of Smithsonian magazine’s 15th annual Museum Day, a national celebration of boundless curiosity in which participating museums emulate the free admission policy at the Smithsonian Institution’s Washington DC-based museums.
Museum Day represents a nationwide commitment to access, equity and inclusion. Over 450,000 people downloaded tickets for last year’s event, and Museum Day 2019 is expected to attract more museum goers than ever before.
This year, Museum Day will celebrate the Smithsonian Year of Music, an institution-wide initiative celebrating the Smithsonian’s vast musical collections and resources through 365 days of music-related programming. Music is not only a reflection of human creativity and innovation, but also a key method of communication and cross-cultural exchange and understanding. The Smithsonian Year of Music crosses disciplines, bringing together music-related resources in art, history, culture, science and education.
“We feel it is important to participate in this nationwide initiative like Museum Day to help drive greater awareness of our institution to our community, but more importantly it can introduce the public to become more involved in art and culture by opening up new ways of exploration and imagination through Museum exhibitions, events and activities,” said Sophie Bentham-Wood, Director of Marketing and Communications at the VBMA.
This year, docents will be available at 11 am and 2 pm to visitors and offer spotlight tours of art pieces that feature musical themes as well as interactive activities on display from the VBMA’s collection. Treasure Coast Percussion will offer a free drum circle in Holmes Great Hall from 1 – 2 pm. No experience necessary. All drums and other instruments will be provided. Families are invited to visit the Museum’s Art Zone where hands-on activities will include a variety of musical instruments.
Museum Day tickets will be available for download at Smithsonian.com/museumday beginning now. Visitors who present a Museum Day ticket will gain free entrance for two at participating venues on September 21, 2019. One ticket is permitted per email address. A list of participating museums, which will be continually updated, can be found at Smithsonian.com/museumday/search.
For more information, please visit Smithsonian.com/museumday.
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About Smithsonian Media
Smithsonian Media is comprised of its flagship publication, Smithsonian magazine, Air & Space magazine, Smithsonian Books, and the Smithsonian Media Digital Network. In addition, Smithsonian Media oversees the Smithsonian Institution’s interest in the Smithsonian Channel, a joint venture between the Smithsonian Institution and CBS/Showtime. Smithsonian Media is a division of Smithsonian Enterprises, the revenue-generating business unit of the Smithsonian Institution. The Smithsonian Institution is the world’s largest museum and research complex consisting of 19 museums and galleries, the National Zoological Park, and nine research facilities. Approximately 30 million people from around the world visit the museums annually. (smithsonian.com / si.edu)
