Vero Beach Museum of Art

A lovely museum and such a pleasant surprise... The galleries are well laid out, and the exhibits are thoughtfully curated a nice mix of classic and modern works. The building itself is beautiful, and the atmosphere is calm and welcoming. The staff were friendly and helpful, and the gift shop had some really nice finds. I wish the sculpture garden had been open during my visit, but overall it was a great experience. Definitely worth stopping by if you’re in the area...!

I came here by foot after doing some kayaking, and stuffing myself at a local restaurant. I'm afraid I annoyed one of the staff there talking back and forth in my sleep-deprived state. But I got a kick out of seeing everything here. I was genuinely surprised to see they had films at this art museum. A lot of the films I haven't even heard of, and some of these films I decided to watch. I was not disappointed. I hope these people stick around for a long time. They had some more traditional art. I uploaded some pictures so that you can see.

Vero Beach is very lucky to have this beautiful art museum. We have been to several exhibits here and they are carefully coordinated, well executed, and the best part ...everyone including our teenagers loved them! We visited during the Rolling Sculpture exhibit, pardon me, I call it the car exhibit..however, you choose to define it it was really awesome 😎💯 ! My late step dad really loved it. I'm glad he was around to see it. It is located near Riverside Park which is a nice place to walk and view the Indian River after your visit. There are many shops and restaurants in the area as well. You just do not want to miss this stop on your trip here. The staff is kind, knowledgeable and welcoming. The gift shop has unique items and we always buy something to support this great local getaway.

Nice museum in Vero beach with a good collection of art work..sculpture garden is closed due to expansion of museum. The whole place is very clean and fresh. Great place for those who are interested in art. Loved it!

Very nice smaller museum. We got free entry as they were between exhibitions. We enjoyed the paintings and the building itself. They do offer art classes and have a very nice gift shop.

Quite a museum for such a small town. Staff was terrific and the art displays were super cool, definitely a place to visit even if arts not your main thing, like myself, who has never really been interested in art.

When traveling from Jensen Beach to Tampa, we stopped by Vero Beach and were thrilled to find this museum. An impressive, traveling blown glass “food” exhibit by Illinois artist John Miller made us smile and take many photos to share with friends. The residential exhibits included three works by Andy Warhol and a small collection of other well-respected artists. A sculpture garden was pleasant to stroll through on the beautiful day we were in town.

Needed a post-run dose of culture and decided to drop by the Vero Beach Museum of Art—and honestly? I’m glad I did. From the moment you walk past that fierce lion sculpture guarding the entrance, you already feel like you’re stepping into something bold and inspiring. Inside, the “French Moderns” exhibit totally pulled me in. We’re talking Monet, Matisse, Degas, Cézanne—all the greats flexing their brushstrokes. I loved seeing the timeline from 1850 to 1950, watching styles shift like gears in a Tour de France sprint. That Robert Delaunay garden scene? Looked like brunch with vibes. Shoutout to the Rodin sculptures—especially the marble one that looked like a dream trying to escape a rock. Dude’s work is raw, real, and somehow emotional without saying a word. There were some wild surprises too. Like a hyper-detailed, slightly spooky modern portrait that made me feel like I was being watched by a ghost who shops at Hot Topic. And a worn-out baseball cap that had more character than some people I know. Bonus: The staff kept things flowing, it wasn’t overly crowded, and there’s plenty of space to walk and soak it all in without bumping elbows.

**INITIAL REVIEW** Over the past ten years or so, the entire Treasure Coast - Indian River County, St. Lucie County, and Martin County - have vested in boosting tourism. One such method is through adventures/trails in which one of the trails was made for kids called the "Treasure Coast Kid's Quest. Divided by county, each quest has kids and their families visit five to six specifically selected locales that inspire children's imagination, wonder, and thirst for learning. That is how I came across the Vero Beach Museum of Art. Though I have been round and about this museum numerous times, it wasn't until I took my friend and her children here though the Indian River County version of the Treasure Coast Kid's Quest. I have to say, Being an art-lover and artist myself, I am happy I discovered this museum and hope others find and enjoy what they have to offer. Though an address is given, Vero Beach Museum of Art (which I will shorthand to its official abbreviation of VBMA for the remainder of this review) is located in the heart of Riverside Park in Vero Beach. If it helps out, Riverside Park is also known for being central to other unique venues and businesses including the Riverside Theater, Mac William Boat Basin, and Farley Island where the Veteran's Memorial is located. My friends and I arrived on the final last Saturday of the month. If you don't know, VBMA features free admission on the last Saturday of the month, though it should be noted the staff said they are moving the free admission Saturday to the second Saturday of the month. Any other times outside of free Saturday and any other free admission event: $12 for adults, $11 for seniors 65 or older, and $5 for students with official ID. First responders, active military, and children under 17 are free. VBMA is not hard to miss as the building itself stands out like a beacon in the midst of Riverside Park. There is ample parking in front of the "garden" which in turn is in front of the entrance. The "garden" features some of the larger works of art that would take way too much space inside of the museum, or is at home outside. I personally loved the courtroom with animals art piece and the horse made of wood sticks that are not wood sticks but lengths of metal designed to look like wood sticks. The main entrance has both a stairway and a ramp thus making it handicap accessible, which leads to the entrance lobby. The museum is designed like a huge hacienda fort. That means all the major rooms are within the outer parts of the building with a huge courtyard in the middle. There also seems to be two bigger rooms accessible on the north and south of the courtyard. The north room is dedicated to a children's play area while the south room is featuring a special on rock and roll art especially those seen on billboards. The other outer rooms feature their everyday collection of art. The piece I thoroughly enjoyed seeing the most was the three panels that looked like flowing water. I will be honest and say I am kind of disappointed my friends could not organize early enough so the kids could enjoy all the activities the museum offers. While the museum does a kids event with my friend's kids, the adults could have taken a tour. Oh well. There is a self-guided tour, but you got to be organized to follow through with it and my friends... not very organized and disciplined actually. Ultimately, this was a good visit to the VBMA. Definitely will be coming back every now and then just to see what new art exhibits they feature. Also, VBMA has an art school in which I will definitely be attending if I want to learn more things about trad art. NOTE: Restrooms were clean and well-stocked, there was no food truck on the grounds even though it was advertised there would be one on Free Admission Saturday. Finally, the "mission" for the Treasure Coast Kid's Quest is in the "garden" outside of the entrance.

A very nice art museum nestled in Vero Beach. The Vero Beach Museum of Art is a cultural gem nestled in Florida's Treasure Coast. The history of the Vero Beach Museum of Art is as fascinating as the art it houses. Founded by the Alliance for the Arts in 1978, it opened its doors to the public in 1986. Over the years, the museum has expanded and evolved, earning accreditation from the American Association of Museums. Today, it stands as a testament to the community's love for art and culture. It is just south of the Barber Bridge and next to Johnston Catts Park. It offers a wonderful, enriching, and accessible art experience. Parking at the museum is easy, with ample free parking available right in front of the building, including handicapped spaces. This makes it convenient for visitors to access the museum without any hassle. The museum is committed to accessibility for all visitors. There's a barrier-free ramp at the main entrance, and manual wheelchairs are available free of charge on a first-come, first-served basis. The museum showcases a diverse collection of artwork, with pieces from renowned artists such as Dale Kennington, Hunt Slonem, and Edward Henry Potthast. The rotating exhibitions ensure there's always something new to discover. There was an exhibit about Rock and Roll Billboards when I visited. It was fascinating and neat to see. There are outdoor areas both in front and to the side of the building that feature sculptures from various artist. The area and exhibits were clean and well-kept. The staff was very friendly and the art was fascinating. I plan to visit again when I get the chance and I would recommend this to any visitors to the area.

Beautiful building, housing a fairly small collection. What it lacks in quantity is made up through the quality of art. Pleasantly surprised. Wish they gave a discount for veterans, not just active duty military. Docents were nice.

Beautiful area outside gardens free last Saturday so many wonderful shows to see & plenty of close parking. The best

I'm surprised there are not more reviews for this place. I was chatting with a couple while on line for the nearby botanical garden. I told them how I'm not into museums and they told me about a car exhibit they were having. I ended up going before heading north to cocoa beach. I am glad I went. There was a docent there who was most friendly. There was an older gentleman there who had retired from DuPont and explained to me why the paint on older cars looked so much nicer than today's cars. He was the husband of the nice docent lady. Everyone there was nice. I would go back.

The Vero Beach Museum of Art was created by the non profit Alliance for the Arts, established in 1978 to create a regional center for appreciating art and teaching art and humanities. The group was able to raise 2.5 million dollars to open a museum in Riverside Park on January, 31, 1986, named Center for the Arts. In 1999 an expansion doubled the square footage of the museum to 54,509 feet. In 2002 the name of the museum was changed to the Vero Beach Museum of Art. In 2007 an outdoor sculpture park was built and in 2011 a new atrium and museum entrance were added. A 20,000 foot new collection wing was added bringing the total museum space to 75,000 square feet. Today the museums sees 75,000 visitors annually, primarily from the tri county area. I was able to visit this museum for free with the Bank of America program that grants free admission to certain cultural institutions in Florida and all over the country on the first weekend of every month. For program details and participating locations check their website. All you need to do is show the ticket window your Bank of America card. The museum is small but very nice. During my visit they were hosting two temporary exhibits that I enjoyed, one of glass works, which is one of my favorite kinds of art, and another exhibit, A tribute to Christo & Jeanne-Claude: the Tom Golden Collection. The glass exhibit was based around a piece called Lapis Blue Persian made in 1990 by one of my favorite artists, Dale Chihuly. I have been to a museum that is made up of entirely of his works so one piece kind of pales in comparison but I wasn't expecting to see it and it along with the other glass pieces it made for a interesting gallery. The Christo & Jeanne-Claude exhibit starts out front with a wrapped piece in front of the museum. I actually learned a lot about them from this exhibit. I only knew them from The Gates in Central Park and some of their other large scale works where they floated material around islands or put up curtains in valleys. Seeing their fully scale works could not obviously compare to this exhibit but it was still interesting to learn about them and see some of their sketches. The exhibit had a piece of curtain hung from one of their previous art works. I didn't know they wrapped small scale objects too and some of those pieces were on display. Jeanne-Claude passed away in 2009 and Christo last year so this was a nice tribute to them. Their large scale genius will be missed. I love that their son is an animal rights activist and documentary film maker. Christo & Jeanne-Claude fans can pick up books about them in the museum gift shop. In addition to the temporary exhibits, the museum has their own permanent collection. One of my favorite pieces was the humorous Gallery Guard, Seated II by Marc Sijan. He looked so realistic! After exploring the indoor galleries I walked around the delightful sculpture garden located outside in the back of the museum. If you live nearby you can purchase a membership which helps to support the museum. I had a very nice visit here and highly recommend stopping in to see what might be new.

Remarkable show (can't believe they're bulldozing the original building built in 1986 & addition from 1999 for a new 2 story facility) https://www.vbmuseum.org/current-exhibitions/

What an absolutely lovely, sophisticated world-class amenity for Vero Beach. As a native New Yorker and art lover, I am so impressed with this museum. There is a permanent modern art collection, a sculpture garden, a serene glass atrium with a cafe and fountain, a children's museum, photography exhibit and currently an amazing exhibition of original 19th century French posters featuring notably the work of Henri Toulouse-Lautrec. The Museum is so worth visiting.

Beautiful location and grounds. This museum is large enough to tire you out but small enough to do justice to in a couple hours. Nice outdoor sculpture garden. Excellent free parking. Entrance fee $12 or less for seniors, students, etc.

Something about Vero Beach so inviting and warm and fresh that of course it is reflected in the art museum As soon as we walked in the cashier was so willing to help me find a particular artist Jon Davis who I really waned to see knowing that they had a piece of his previous exhibit there. She even tried to call the registrar. Then as we approached looking for the Butterfield horse that we also were looking to see when A docent was taking out a twig made of bronze and immediately we struck up a conversation so delightful that we spent a good 15 minutes with her around the museum. Sue was so intelligent so unpretentious in her approach. As we walked and talked with Sue we then came up to Jack of security and had a delightful conversation explaining a little bit about the museum and how they use it as also as antique show for trade. I thought it is a very good idea bringing in more money for the museum and not just relying on donations. Then we took a little peek inside the new botanical exhibit that is opening in fact this Monday, February. The work to hang was meticulous. On the way out we took a detour and looked at the school and it is amazing adult and children's classes with a variety of different medium It was delightful to see how full the classes were -coming from Miami I was really amazed to see how much more interest there was in taking classes and in the docents friendliness. When visiting this delightful town of Vero beach I highly recommend you stop in at the museum taking a lecture or show in their auditorium and enjoy beautifully displayed exhibits and The impeccable museum and its grounds and cafe. Bravo

My friend and I spent a weekend in Vero Beach and I tried to take in as much of the beautiful beach community that I could within the few days we were there. My friend decided to stay at the hotel and enjoy the pool and I took a ride out to some local attractions and the museum was one of them. I visited on a Sunday afternoon so I go there early and checked out the park right across the street from the museum. I paid $10 to get in and was disappointed I had missed free admission the day before for a special event they had LOL. The museum was small but each sector was impressive and informative. You were allowed only to take pictures of certain exhibits. I saw a few pieces that were on loan from the Brooklyn Museum in NYC which was cool. I enjoyed the separate area of artwork from the local schools and actually met one of the students who was there with her parents viewing her art work in the museum. The staff were very friendly and answered questions without delay or an attitude. Two of the staff at the front desk happened to be former New Yorkers now residents in Vero Beach. I met soo many former New Yorkers in Vero Beach. They had some cool statues right outside the museum and it was cool to be able enjoy the art indoors and outdoors. My favorite piece was of the security guard sitting in the corner of the museum and I walked slowly up to him to see if he was real or not. He looked so authentic it was scary. This is an attraction I would encourage people to see if they're in the area.

The Vero Beach Museum of Art is the cultural heart of Vero Beach. In addition to frequently changing shows and exhibits, there are regular lectures and film series. Most recently, in conjunction with the current exhibit of the Victorian artwork, there were lectures about Sherlock Holmes and Queen Victoria. The Victoria presentation was by the screenwriter of the PBS series Victoria. The building itself is the wonder of light and airiness. It has a spacious atrium and good snack shop, delightful gift shop and comfortable auditorium. It is surrounded by a sculpture garden and located in a park surrounded by hundreds of Old Oak trees. It's totally unexpected you would find a museum of this quality in a town this small and It speaks the fact that Vero Beach supports the arts in a big way.

A [not so] hidden gem on the Treasure Coast. I'm back in Vero several times a year since selling my place there, and always try to make it to the VB Museum. Just walked out of the Victorian Exhibition, and was in awe; all the provenance to what I've been watching on PBS (Victoria, Downton Abbey, etc.). Loved the oil by Henry Wallis, and some of the Rossetti's, as well as the fabrics by William Morris. Not a big fan of William Holman Hunt.

FREE admission and a great selection of artworks makes for time well spent in this little town. For a small museum, it was pretty impressive with its modern art pieces. Artworks featured include a piece by Andy Warhol http://www.vbmuseum.org/images/Collection/Warhol-400.jpg and a few by Dale Chihuly, the glass blowing artist. There is even a Deborah Butterfield horse, like the one at SFO airport. http://www.vbmuseum.org/images/Collection/ButterfieldTwo-400.jpg Believe it or not, it is constructed not from wood, but from bronze pieces modeled after wood. My favorite art pieces were "Blue Sliced Descending Form" by Harvey Littleton http://www.vbmuseum.org/images/Collection/Littleton-500.jpg and "Girl Emerging from Tile Wall" by George Segal http://www.vbmuseum.org/images/Collection/Segal-400.jpg. The traveling exhibit "Body Language: The Figure in Sculpture" was also interesting and thought provoking. Our favorite piece was this one: http://www.hanneke-beaumont.com/images/picmed/56BR01_tours.jpg The lady who conducted the tour was very informative. We had our own private tour and it cost nothing but our time. Definitely stop in if you are in the area.

What a lovely museum. Make time to stroll the gardens as well as the galleries and you will be delighted at every turn. Most helpful are the docents available to answer your questions. Enjoy and don't forget to keep your eye on the schedule as something new is around the corner!!

Great exhibits and a fantastic staff. Art classes are top notch. VBMA is also making excellent contributions to the Vero community. Having been members of the High Museum in Atlanta for many years, we were surprised to see such a high-quality museum in a relatively small town!

Collection is one thing, but the experience is just as important in art. Their exhibitions have improved over the last few years, but I would still travel to WPB, Miami (and...sadly even Melbourne) to see more contemporary pieces and better hung shows. The docents are cold and not very helpful, verging on rude at times. In my opinion, they are slightly slavish to fads in art and don't push the envelope as much as an art institution should. But art is open to interpretation, common courtesy is not. It's a great little museum for the area to help spread art appreciation, but they almost defeat that task with their attitudes. Visit the local galleries in the area for local art flavor and spend a day trip to a museum more south, skip the gift shop all together.

This is an update.The other day,I returned to the Vero Beach Museum of Art and I thoroughly enjoyed the special "Homer to Hopper"Exhibit from Washington,D.C's Phillips Collection.This exhibit ends on May 31st,2020 and it has an awesome array of 20th Century American Paintings.Favorites of mine that day from the Phillips Collection included;George Inness'"Lake Albano",Theodore Robinson's"Giverny",Ernest Lawson's"Spring Night,Harlem River",Rockwell Kent's"Road Roller",Augustus Tack's"Canyon",Albert Ryder's"Moonlit Cove",Edward Bruce's splendid cityscape,"Power,1933",Edward Hopper's"Sunday",John Kane's"Across The Strip",and Richard Diebenkorn's"View of the Ocean". I also appreciated Childe Hassam's"Nocturne,Big Ben"(a quintessential example of quality American Impressionism),John Sloan's"Rock,Roof,Buttonwood",and Peter Blume's"Study For South of Scranton"(quality Surrealism),from its permanent collection,among others.The quality of curatorial work at this art museum is outstanding.There is a plethora of free parking near this art museum.

The museum in general is a wonderful place. I adore the library which has a great selection of films (and yes, books as well), and the gift shop is lovely with many unique and beautiful items. This may be a small town, but the museum has many exhibits that are absolutely worthwhile in visiting, and the staff is excellent.

I visited the museum for the first time during the Walter Wick exhibit. This particular exhibit was interesting, with a few activities for the kids to engage in. The museum is small, but the cost to visit is minimal for adults, with student discounts and children under 17 free. I know that they offer children's art camps, which is a wonderful asset to the community. The volunteers working the exhibit were knowledgeable and friendly. Overall, this is a good little museum, but it would be nicer if it were a little bigger.

The staff is excellent. Everyone is SOOO nice and welcoming. The Cuban art exhibit curated by Professor Juan Martinez was fantastic. It's not a very big museum but definitely worth a visit.

My sister and I were visiting out of town and paid the initial rather pricey admission fee and were later told that most of the exhibits were closed. If they want to close exhibits admission should be free or reduced. Sneaky. Not a good impression for out of town guests

The Vero Beach Art Museum collection IS small, but the setting is lovely and the experience is an extremely positive one: easy access, open, airy exhibit spaces, and forward looking exhibits. PLUS, it is my opinion that the gift shop is outstanding.. I have purchased several gifts and 2 jackets, on which I am continuously complimented.

Wonderful museum...what a surprise to find great art in such a small town! Very well presented temporary exhibitions, plus a small but nice permanent collection...also an outdoor sculpture park. Plus great art classes for adults and kids, a fun museum shop, and a café (open only Oct-April). Definitely a "don't miss" for Vero Beach/Treasure Coast!