arts & entertainment

On Saturday, April 11, the VBMA galleries, grounds, and studios were abuzz with artists of all ages at the Children’s Art Festival, a free, annual celebration of the arts and art making. This year’s program attracted 3,000 attendees whose creative endeavors included art making in the studios and Buck Atrium, performances in the Leonhardt Auditorium and Holmes Great Hall, art hunts throughout the Museum, docent-led tours of the galleries, face painting, and food trucks.

Upon arrival, many of the youngest attendees delighted in Faces by Jenna, where their faces became canvases for colorful artistic creations. Inside, they were greeted by friendly VBMA staff who provided an orientation to the day’s activities.

In the studios and the Buck Atrium, families could participate in a variety of art projects, ranging from easy easel painting to air-dry clay sculpting to weaving and puzzle making. Everyone was invited to add their touch to “Weaving Wilderness,” a collaborative textile project inspired by the American Made: Paintings and Sculpture from the DeMell Jacobsen Collection exhibition.

Multiple performances featuring local youth groups—Music Angels Education, Gifford Academy for Performing Arts, Ocean Youth Orchestra, and the Riverside Theatre Student Touring Troupe—showcased our area’s vibrant performing arts programs. Displays of artwork by students from Vero Classical School and Saint Edward’s School celebrated local youths’ visual artistic talent.

“We were delighted to welcome so many children and their families to the Museum for Children’s Art Festival,” said Sara Klein, VBMA’s Director of Education and Visitor Experience. “With the help of our teaching artists, docents, and volunteers, our visitors created memories we hope will last a lifetime, while discovering their new favorite artists in the galleries or a love for art making in the studios.”

This year’s Children’s Art Festival is made possible by the generous support of Patron Sponsors: Mrs. James L. Currie and Marilyn Watkins Estate; Program Sponsors: Au Pair in America, Dawn M. Morton Design, George E. Warren, LLC, Mini U Storage of Vero Beach, Seaside Smiles Pediatric Dentistry, and Vero Smiles Dentistry; Business Sponsors: Alex MacWilliam Real Estate, Appraisal Associates International, The Associates Studio, Business Capital Exchange, Inc., Cathy Curley, Realtor, Coastal Interiors, Dale Sorensen Real Estate, Inc., Fidelity Investments, Harry Gandy Howle & Associates, PA, Intracoastal Hearing Center, Garrick Kantzler, MD, Concierge Geriatric Medicine, Lulich & Attorneys, Mary Linterman, Realtor, Owens Custom Rugs, Page 2 Design, Inc., R + C Architecture Planning Community, Rendezvous Design, Rose Urology, Ryan A. Jones & Associates, SelectSkin MD, Shores Art Conservation, Sweet Basil, Tara Grinna Swim & Resortwear, Treasure Coast Tile & Marble, Vero Beach Magazine, Vero Chemical Distributors, VNA of the Treasure Coast, and Walker Fitzgibbon TV & Film Production.

Museum programs are sponsored in part by the Florida Council on Arts and Culture and The Plansoen Foundation. The Vero Beach Museum of Art is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. The Vero Beach Museum of Art is a membership-based not-for-profit 501 (c) (3) organization pursuant to chapter 212, Florida Statutes.