VERO BEACH — Three years from now, residents and visitors to the Vero Beach Museum of Art will be immersed in a new scenery, featuring art galleries on 20-foot high hanging walls, sculpture gardens, a cafe, sky lights and views of the Indian River Lagoon. The groundbreaking ceremony for the new, two-story building emphasized the need to create an open venue that combines art with nature.

“We’ve designed the ground floor to be an open space where the community is invited without a fee to enjoy our first-floor galleries, rest and refuel at our cafe, and enjoy our outdoor scenery (at Riverside Park),” said Richard Segal, board chair and building committee co-chair for the museum. “This ground floor space exemplifies our commitment to a barrier-free gathering place where every resident of Vero Beach and anyone fortunate to visit our city is a welcomed guest.”

Brady Roberts, executive director for the museum, said blending art with nature is something that is unique to the organization’s design.

“There aren’t too many museums in the world that have this combination of quality,” Roberts said. “The new Vero Beach Museum of Art will not only be a model of resilience but also a community gathering space like no other.”

Dignitaries, supporters of the museum, art lovers and donors gathered at the groundbreaking ceremony held Friday, Nov. 7 at the green space just west of the Vero Beach Museum of Art, 3001 Riverside Park Drive. The new building will be built on top of a 9-foot high plateau, raising the building above the flood plain. 

“This project will elevate our cultural landscape by preserving the beauty of Riverside Park and raising the museum safely above flood levels,” said John Cotugno, mayor for the City of Vero Beach.

“What makes Vero Beach special is our spirit of partnership. The Vero Beach Museum of Art stands on city-owned land. It’s a clear reflection of the public-private collaboration that defines our community. For decades, the city of Vero Beach and the museum have worked hand-in-hand to ensure that this institution remains a walking accessible space for all supported by the generosity of the private donors and stewardship of this city and its residents.”

A ‘Cultural Hub’

The new museum will have three entrances with pathways that lead you right up to the building. The new space will have 22,000 square feet of exhibition space, more than double the size of the current space to display artwork.

The first floor will be free admission and operate as a community center. The floor will also have modern contemporary art, a free art zone for families, cafe and more. The second floor will encompass the art galleries.

“It will be a fortress-like cast and concrete building with hurricane-impact glass,” Roberts said.

The new building – set to open in early 2028 – will be 90,000 square feet. With the help of private donors, the museum’s capital campaign has raised $100 million toward its $126 million goal.

“How lucky we are to have the Vero Beach Museum of Art – an utter gem as our cultural hub. It’s been a personal privilege of mine to work on this campaign,” said Emily Sherwood, the museum’s campaign committee chair. “We have 100 percent board participation representing over half-percent of funds raised. Today, we transition from the quiet phase to the public phase as we officially launch ‘Museum in the Garden: The Campaign for Vero Beach Museum of Art.’”

Sherwood invited those in attendance to serve as ambassadors to help raise the remaining $26 million for the campaign.

“Please bring your friends and neighbors to the museum to meet with Brady (Roberts) and look at our plans and take a hard hat tour as construction gets underway,” Sherwood said.

Vision transformed 

The vision for a new space began back in 2019 during a facilities committee meeting at the museum, Roberts said. Museum officials discussed the need to build a new campus.

“It was obvious we needed more event space and more gallery space,” Roberts said. In 2022, the museum conducted a national search and hired Allied Works, in collaboration with Unknown Studio Landscape Architecture & Urban Design, to help bring its vision to life.

“We were looking for people that understood Vero Beach and Riverside Park are special places within this town,” Roberts said. “We needed a design that was unique to our characteristics. The landscape architect designed this very beautiful ‘Museum in the Garden’ setting that opens up with views to the park with terraces, courtyards, sculpture gardens and beautiful indigenous plants.”

The museum continues to grow its collection of American art, with emphasis on the 20th and 21st centuries with exhibits from world renowned artists such as Pablo Picasso. Museum officials recently began collecting 19th century art.

“We also collect international art of our time, so…American, European and Asian contemporary art. These collections are growing rapidly,” Roberts said. “We have a group called the Athena Society that does a big fundraiser every year. They raise significant funds for us to purchase works of art. People are starting to donate works of art. With this new project, we’re doubling our gallery space, so people are very excited about that.”

Roberts said art is another way of telling history.

“Contemporary art is being made all over the world so the world is our oyster. Then we look at historic American art. We can actually tell the history of America in the 20th century decade by decade in paintings and sculptures,” Roberts said. “It’s pretty incredible to go from the Roaring Twenties to the Great Depression to the building of the Hoover Dam. It’s a great thing for our public and school kids for us to bring American history to life through art.” 

The Vero Beach Museum of Art originally opened as an arts education center in 1986. The museum is considered one of the best attended small museums in the country, with 70,000 to 80,000 people visiting each year, Roberts said.

“It’s because we’re so broad based with our art school, educational activities and outreach,” Roberts said. “Now, we have a platform in this new building where we can do even more and better things for the community.”

Photos by Nick Samuel