Lectures and Performances
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 x 116
By entering the Museum, you consent to be photographed and filmed for promotional purposes.
All programs are subject to change.
ALL SALES ARE FINAL
Public Programs Inspired by A Tangled Plot: Works by Annie Blazejack and Geddes Levenson
In conjunction with the vibrant exhibition A Tangled Plot: Works by Annie Blazejack and Geddes Levenson, the VBMA is excited to offer a selection of public programs designed to complement and enhance the exhibition.
Sketching in the Gallery with Artists Annie + Geddes
Saturday, July 12, 2025 at 11 am & 1 pm
Holmes Gallery
Celebrate the exhibition opening for A Tangled Plot with artists Annie Blazejack and Geddes Levenson in a special edition of Sketching in the Gallery. During this one-hour drop-in session in the Holmes Gallery, the artists will guide participants in slow-looking, share insights into their collaborative process, and offer tips and feedback on interpreting and sketching artwork. All skill levels are welcome. Materials are provided, or feel free to bring your sketchbook.
Pre-registration is not required. Maximum 20 participants per session.
Lecture – Florida Lore with Dr. Caren Neile
Saturday, July 26, 2025 at 3:00 pm
Leonhardt Auditorium
Free with museum admission.
From the Ashley Gang to the Devil’s Millhopper and the Ghost of Bellamy Bridge, Florida folk culture is brimming with fascinating characters and situations almost too amazing to be true. Join us on Saturday, July 26, in the Leonhardt Auditorium for a dynamic performance from Master Storyteller and Professor, Dr. Caren Neile, who will bring these legends to life, discuss their importance, and ponder whether it may matter or not if they are fact or fiction.
A treat for fans of history, folklore, and Southern storytelling, this presentation is based on Dr. Neile’s book Florida Lore: The Barefoot Mailman, Cowboy Bone Mizell, the Tallahassee Witch, and Other Tales. The program complements the VBMA exhibition A Tangled Plot by highlighting Florida’s own surreal and mythic narratives.
Funding for this Florida Talks program was provided through a grant from Florida Humanities with funds from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of Florida Humanities or the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Sea Turtle Science with Coastal Connections
Saturday, August 9, 2025, 10am – 1pm
Laura and Bill Buck Atrium
Coastal Connections, a local sea turtle recovery non-profit organization dedicated to protecting coastal habitats and wildlife, will lead hands-on activities for families in the Laura and Bill Buck Atrium. Discover how sea turtles see the world and how lighting choices impact local wildlife. Become a biologist in training and try your hand at a nest evaluation in a mock sea turtle nest just like the State-permitted Coastal Connections teams do right here in Vero Beach!
It’s the Second Saturday of the month, so admission is free all day.
Free Film Screening—The Lorax (2012)
Saturday, August 9, 2025 at 1pm
Leonhardt Auditorium
Join us for a free screening of The Lorax, the animated adaptation of Dr. Seuss’s beloved tale about environmental responsibility and the power of speaking up for the natural world. This fun, family-friendly film invites viewers of all ages to reflect on our relationship with nature and the importance of protecting it.
Runtime: 94 minutes; Rated PG
Free; no registration required.
Environmental Learning Center
Saturday, September 13, 2025
The Environmental Learning Center will be on-site for exciting and educational experiences exploring our local ecosystems.
Leonhardt Auditorium at 11 am: Enjoy the Living Lagoon, a multimedia presentation on the history and environmental importance of the Indian River Lagoon.
Museum Driveway at 12 pm: Meet a Florida Box Turtle and a small, friendly Red Rat snake and learn about their role in our Florida ecosystems.
It’s the Second Saturday of the month, so admission is free all day.
Public Programs Inspired by Double Portraits
In conjunction with the vibrant exhibition Double Protraits the VBMA is excited to offer a selection of public programs designed to complement and enhance the exhibition.
Ballet Vero Beach
Reflections
Saturday, November 15, 2025 at 12pm and 3pm
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.
Experience an unforgettable performance where movement meets imagery in Reflections, a special program presented by Ballet Vero Beach. Featuring original choreography inspired by themes of identity and expression found in the Museum’s fall exhibition Double Portraits, this program offers a fresh perspective on the human form through the language of dance. Join us for a captivating interdisciplinary afternoon and witness art come to life.
Register for Reflections at 12pm Register for Reflections at 3pm
Public Programs Inspired by American Made: Painting and Sculpture from the DeMell Jacobsen Collection
In conjunction with the vibrant exhibition American Made: Painting and Sculpture from the DeMell Jacobsen Collection, the VBMA is excited to offer a selection of public programs designed to complement and enhance the exhibition.
Ballet Vero Beach
Made in America
Saturday, February 28, 2026 at 12pm and 3pm
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.
Ballet Vero Beach responds with a series of original dance works that reflect the spirit, resilience, and innovation found throughout more than a century of American art. This performance serves as a living, breathing complement to the visual experience, bringing movement to the themes and stories captured in paint and sculpture. Join us for this extraordinary performance that reimagines American artistry through the transformative lens of dance.
Register for Made in America at 12pm Register for Made in America at 3pm
Vero Beach Opera
Puccini’s Girl of the Golden West
Sunday, March 1, 2026 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 first opera to have its world premiere at the Metropolitan Opera, The Girl of the Golden West confused audiences and critics in 1910. It had a different shape from Butterfly and Tosca, it seemed to lack arias, and Puccini was trying to create a new musical style for the twentieth century. In this lecture, Ian Campbell, Vero Beach Opera’s master of ceremonies, will discuss the impact of the libretto and its historical background, as the California gold miners of 1849 come to America from all corners of the world seeking their fortunes. Minnie, the beautiful, chaste owner of the Polka Saloon, is courted by lonely miners, the sheriff, and a Mexican bandit. She finds love with her first kiss but must save her chosen man from a lynch mob. Is it the first “spaghetti western”, an “American opera”, an “Italian opera” set in America, or a story of love, hope and moral redemption?