History
Originally founded as the Center for the Arts, the Museum emerged from the combined efforts of the Vero Beach Art Club and the Alliance for the Arts, who envisioned a regional hub dedicated to the appreciation and teaching of the arts and humanities. Accredited by the American Association of Museums in 1997, the Museum has since grown through a series of expansions and enhancements. In 1999, the Museum doubled its footprint and, in 2002, adopted the name Vero Beach Museum of Art to reflect its broadened mission and scope. Further growth followed in 2007 with the creation of the Alice and Jim Beckwith Sculpture Park, and again in 2011-2012, with the addition of a 20,000-square-foot Exhibitions and Collections wing, among other upgrades to its facilities.
In 2025, the independent museum think tank ReMuseum recognized VBMA as one of the nation’s best-attended small museums, ranking first among museums with budgets under $12 million outside major cities. To accommodate the Museum’s growing visitorship and in-demand programming, the VBMA is embarking on its most comprehensive upgrade and expansion in the Museum’s history. The design for its new expanded home and transformation of its campus in Riverside Park will enable VBMA to deepen its impact in the region and beyond with purpose-built spaces that celebrate the unique setting of Florida’s Treasure Coast.
Exhibitions & Collections
The Museum’s permanent collection spans American and international artworks from the early twentieth century to the present in a broad range of media, including glass, paintings, photography, works on paper, sculpture, video, and more. Its holdings continue to grow with recent acquisitions in American Modernism and global contemporary art.
VBMA’s exhibition program brings together original curated shows, thematic group exhibitions drawn from the Museum’s permanent collection, and major touring presentations that showcase pivotal figures of art history, established artists, and compelling new voices. Recent highlights include Roadside Reverie: Glass Works by John Miller (2024, original show); French Moderns: Monet to Matisse, 1850–1950 (2025, touring show); and A Tangled Plot: Works by Annie Blazejack and Geddes Levenson (2025, original show). Each exhibition is designed as part of a broader, multidisciplinary experience, enriched by gallery talks, lectures, workshops, education programs, and collaborative programming with local cultural organizations that foster deeper engagement and connection with the arts.
Education & Programming
Since its founding as an arts education center, VBMA has placed hands-on learning at the heart of its mission. Today, it engages over 40,000 people annually through a broad range of educational and community-based initiatives that welcome participants of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities.
The Museum’s art school enrolls over 3,000 students each year in painting and ceramics classes. Special programs for families and children, including low- and no-cost family events, summer camps, an annual Children’s Art Festival, school tours, and teaching artist visits support artistic exposure and cultural engagement starting at the earliest stages of childhood.
VBMA extends this commitment to lifelong learning with tailored programs for individuals living with autism, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and dementia, as well as initiatives designed for our nation’s military veterans, offering art kits and free admission to support creativity and reintegration. The museum continues to expand its community reach with programming created in partnership with non-profit organizations at the local and regional levels. Through these efforts, VBMA ensures that the transformative power of art is accessible to the audiences it serves, either in its galleries and studios, online, or in the community.
