Lectures and Performances
Public Programs Inspired by Exhibitions on View
The VBMA is excited to offer a selection of public programs designed to complement and enhance the vibrant array of exhibitions on view.
Click here for Art Talk and the International Lecture Series.
- To register for any program, use the links provided, or call us at 772.231.0707
- By entering the Museum, you consent to be photographed and filmed for promotional purposes.
- All programs are subject to change.
- ALL SALES ARE FINAL
Picturing Paradise: From John James Audubon to the Florida Highwaymen with Keri Watson
Saturday, June 13, 2026, at 1 p.m.
Leonhardt Auditorium
Free; Space is limited; pre-registration required.
The Florida landscape has provided aesthetic inspiration to artists for centuries. Titian Ramsay Peale and John James Audubon came in search of native flora and fauna, followed by Harriet Beecher Stowe, Martin Johnson Heade, George Inness, Winslow Homer, and Henry Ossawa Tanner, who were lured by its natural beauty and warm climate. This presentation offers a succinct and engaging history of Florida’s landscape painters.
Keri Watson is professor of art history at the University of Central Florida and assistant director of the School of Visual Arts and Design. She is the author of Florida’s New Deal Parks and Post Office Murals (2024) and This is America: Re-Viewing the Art of the United States (2023), and co-editor of The Routledge Companion to Art and Disability (2022).
Funding for this Florida Talks program was provided by Florida Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of Florida Humanities .
Community Canvas Mural with Artist James Prosek
July 11, 2026, 10 a.m.–1 p.m.
Free; no registration required.
Celebrate the opening of James Prosek: At Work with a special community canvas. Join exhibition artist James Prosek in creating a large-scale painting inspired by the flora and fauna of the Indian River Lagoon. Drawing from Prosek’s deep engagement with the natural world, participants will help celebrate the beauty and biodiversity of our local ecosystem by contributing to this shared artwork.
The Art of the Cocktail
Drawing inspiration from the exhibits on view, guests will immerse themselves in the evening’s theme through a lively docent-guided tour and by creating a carefully selected cocktail with an expert mixologist. A mocktail option will be available upon request.
$40 per person for VBMA Members; $50 per person for non-members
Space is limited; pre-registration is required. Participants must be 21 years of age or older.
Drawing inspiration from James Prosek: At Work
August 7, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. | Flight Pattern – A curated tasting of three mini cocktails inspired by birds and the natural rhythms of flight.
September 4, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. | Deep Dive – A refreshing cocktail inspired by the hidden beauty of the aquatic world.
August 7 – Flight Pattern September 4 – Deep Dive
Drawing inspiration from Jill Nathanson: Chromatic Phrases
October 2, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. | Chromatic Shift – A layered cocktail that transforms in tone and hue.
November 13, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. | Final Layer – A playful cocktail that becomes a personal expression of color.
October 2 – Chromatic Shift November 13 – Final Layer
Drawing inspiration from Hokusai, Hiroshige, Hasui: Japanese Landscapes in Print
December 4, 2026 at 6:30 p.m. | Seasons of Edo – A serene cocktail inspired by shifting seasons and the changing atmosphere of Edo’s landscapes.
December 4 – Seasons of Edo
Frank Lloyd Wright and His Influence on Florida Architecture with Wayne Wood
Saturday, September 12, 2026, at 3 p.m.
Leonhardt Auditorium
Free; Space is limited; pre-registration required.
Frank Lloyd Wright is considered by many to be America’s greatest architect. Although a majority of his buildings were constructed in the American Midwest, historians are often surprised to learn of his vast influence in Florida. In the early 1900s, long before he was commissioned to design Florida Southern College, he had a direct influence on many young architects who championed his style and philosophy in towns across Florida. Consequently, Florida has more Prairie-style buildings than anywhere east of Illinois. The audience will gain an in-depth understanding of this remarkable part of Florida’s architectural history.
Widely regarded as one of the foremost chroniclers of Northeast Florida’s history and architecture, Dr. Wayne Wood has been called “the undisputed godfather of preservation in Jacksonville.” An author, historian, artist, and educator, Wayne is founder of Riverside Avondale Preservation, one of the largest neighborhood preservation organizations in the Southeast. He also was founder of the Riverside Arts Market, a huge free arts and entertainment venue that attracts thousands each week. He has published twenty books on Northeast Florida, and his best-known book is the classic, Jacksonville’s Architectural Heritage: Landmarks for the Future. His latest book is on the famed Florida architect, Kenneth Treister. A self-proclaimed “Arts Agitator,” Wayne is an honorary member of the American Institute of Architects, is a board member of the Florida Foundation for Architecture, and is the Historian-at-Large for the Jacksonville History Center. Folio Weekly magazine called him “The Most Interesting Man in Jacksonville.”
Funding for this Florida Talks program was provided by Florida Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of Florida Humanities .
Artist Walkthrough: Chromatic Phrases with Jill Nathanson
October 17, 2026, 3 p.m.
Free for VBMA Members; $12 for nonmembers. Includes admission to the galleries.
Space is limited; pre-registration required.
Join exhibiting artist Jill Nathanson for an engaging walkthrough of the exhibition, Chromatic Phrases. Nathanson will share firsthand insights into her creative process and studio practices, offering a deeper look at the evolution of her layered works and how she brings them to life.
Paw Prints: Cats and the Floating World
Saturday, November 7, 2026 at 2:30 PM
Leonhardt Auditorium
$12 per person for VBMA Members; $15 per person for non-members
Space is limited; pre-registration required.
Tickets include admission to the galleries.
In 2024, Hello Kitty celebrated her Golden Jubilee as reigning Queen of Japanese Popular Culture since 1974. Since then, Japan’s reputation as a nation of cat-lovers has only grown through the popularity of cat temples, cat islands, cat cafes, and innumerable feline celebrities. However, Japan’s ailurophilia has a much longer history, which is vividly depicted in centuries of Japanese art and visual culture, especially in woodblock prints. Depending on the context, they may elevate the mood, invite good fortune, prompt the viewer to meditate on a tale, or provide evidence of an unseen world of magic and supernatural happenings.
Rhiannon Paget is the Curator of Asian Art at The John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art, Florida State University. She has published research on paintings, textiles, popular visual culture, and especially woodblock prints, and curated numerous exhibitions of art from across the Asian continent. Her most recent books are Divine Felines: The Cat in Japanese Art (2023), Japanese Prints in Transition: From the Floating World to the Modern World (2023), and Saitō Kiyoshi: Graphic Awakening (2021).
Ballet Vero Beach
Interpretive Dance Series: A Retrospective
Saturday, November 14, 2026 at 12 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Leonhardt Auditorium
$30 per person for VBMA Members and Ballet Vero Beach Members; $36 per person for non-members
Space is limited; pre-registration required.
Tickets include admission to the galleries. Come early to see the exhibition.
Join the Vero Beach Museum of Art and Ballet Vero Beach as we celebrate over ten years of innovative collaborations from our Interpretive Dance Series, showcasing performances inspired by and created in dialogue with the Museum’s exhibitions.
Register for A Retrospective at 12 p.m. Register for A Retrospective at 3 p.m.
Film Screening | Tokyo Stories from Exhibition on Screen
Friday, January 8, 2027, at 7:00 p.m.
Leonhardt Auditorium
$12 per person for VBMA Members; $15 per person for non-members
Space is limited; pre-registration required.
Tickets include admission to the galleries one hour before the screening. Galleries will be closed when the film ends.
Enjoy a beautifully illustrated and richly detailed film, looking at a city which has undergone constant destruction and renewal over its 400-year history, resulting in one of the most vibrant and interesting cities on the planet.
Based on a major exhibition at the Ashmolean in Oxford, Tokyo Stories spans 400 years of incredibly dynamic art – ranging from the delicate woodblock prints of Hokusai and Hiroshige, to Pop Art posters, contemporary photography, Manga, film, and brand-new artworks that were created on the streets. This Exhibition on Screen film uses the exhibition as a launchpad to travel to Tokyo itself, and explore the art and artists of the city more fully.
46th Asbury Short Film Concert Asbury Shorts USA
Friday, January 22, 2027 at 7 p.m.
Saturday, January 23, 2027 at 1 p.m. or 7 p.m.
Individual Seats: $25
Space is limited; pre-registration required.
Asbury Shorts USA is New York City’s longest running non-competitive short film showcase and touring show. Since 1981, their short film “concerts” have been presented across the US, Canada, Great Britain and Germany. Their mission is to screen globally honored, festival award-winning short films in cinemas, art museums, outdoor venues and performing arts centers. The VBMA is thrilled to present “The Asbury Short Concert” for a thirteenth consecutive year. The program will feature a fast-paced and highly entertaining lineup of the best in short film Comedy, Drama, Documentary and Animation. The two-hour showcase will include Oscar Nominees, US Film Festival “Best in Show” winners and international honorees past and present. The program is hosted by Asbury Shorts USA Founder / Director Doug LeClaire.
This event is available exclusively in-person and will not be streamed online.
Register for Asbury Shorts 1/22 at 7 p.m. Register for Asbury Shorts 1/23 at 1 p.m. Register for Asbury Shorts 1/23 at 7 p.m.
Vero Beach Opera
Madama Butterfly – Puccini’s Favorite Opera
Sunday, January 24, 2027 at 2:30pm
Leonhardt Auditorium
$20 per person for VBMA Members and Vero Beach Opera Members; $25 per person for non-members
Space is limited; pre-registration required.
Tickets include admission to the galleries. Come early to see the exhibition.
The late nineteenth century saw a surge of fascination with Japanese art and culture, influencing visual art, fashion, landscape design, and theatre. The image of the geisha became especially iconic and when Giacomo Puccini saw David Belasco’s Madame Butterfly in London in 1900, he knew he had found the subject for his next opera.
Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, the tragic story of a fifteen-year-old geisha who marries an American sailor, features some of his most passionate music and continues to captivate audiences more than 120 years after its premiere.
In this talk, Vero Beach Opera Master of Ceremonies, Ian Campbell, explores the history of the opera’s composition and considers some of the questions involved in staging it in the 21st century.
Ballet Vero Beach
Floating Worlds in Motion
Saturday, February 6, 2027 at 12 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Leonhardt Auditorium
$30 per person for VBMA Members and Ballet Vero Beach Members; $36 per person for non-members
Space is limited; pre-registration required.
Tickets include admission to the galleries. Come early to see the exhibition.
Drawing inspiration from the iconic landscapes of Katsushika Hokusai, Utagawa Hiroshige, and Kawase Hasui, Ballet Vero Beach brings their serene yet powerful visions to life through dance.
Register for Floating Worlds in Motion at 12 p.m. Register for Floating Worlds in Motion at 3 p.m.