VBMA History

Situated on a barrier island on Florida’s eastern shore, the Vero Beach Museum of Art offers an unparalleled setting for audiences to engage with the visual arts through original exhibitions, expansive educational offerings, and dynamic public programming. Founded in 1986 as an arts education center, VBMA has grown its mission and reach over the decades to become a premier cultural destination on the Treasure Coast and one of the most visited art institutions of its scale in the nation. 

The Vero Beach Museum of Art, a nonprofit organization, was founded by the Alliance for the Arts, established in 1978 solely to create a regional center for the appreciation and teaching of the arts and humanities. The organization raised $2.5 million from local private sources, and the Museum, known at the time as the Center for the Arts, opened its doors to the public debt-free on January 31, 1986. The Museum was first awarded accreditation from the American Association of Museums in March 1997 in recognition of the institution’s professionalism, quality of programming, exhibitions, and community outreach, and has regularly earned reaccreditation.

In 1999, it launched a successful expansion campaign, which doubled the size of the facility to a total of 54,509 square feet. In 2002, its name was changed to the Vero Beach Museum of Art. Future growth came in 2007 with the creation of the Alice and Jim Beckwith Sculpture Park, and again in 2011-2012 with the expansion of the Beckwith Sculpture Park, a covered Atrium, new entrance vestibule, and construction of a 20,000 square foot Exhibitions and Collections wing.

Today, VBMA is the principal visual arts facility on Florida’s Treasure Coast, serving more than 78,000 residents and visitors annually. In 2025, ReMuseum recognized VBMA as one of the nation’s best-attended small museums, ranking first among museums with budgets under $12 million, not located in a city with high tourist traffic. 

The Museum will celebrate 40 years in 2026. Its growing permanent collection of American Modernism and global Contemporary art, a robust exhibition program of original and major touring shows, art school, and more, has earned the Museum’s reputation as a cultural magnet for art viewing and art making.  

The Vero Beach Museum of Art is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums and is a membership-based 501 (c) (3) organization pursuant to chapter 212, Florida Statutes.