That dear pet has been a loyal family member and especially important during the past year. So create an artful depiction of that pet with help from an online course offered by the Vero Beach Museum of Art. “Paint Your Pet in Colored Pencil” is designed for artists of all training and skill levels. Instructor Edmund Cortez will teach you how to create an accurate pencil painting of Fido. And for those students who feel like they just can’t get a good representation of their pet, Cortez will draw the outline for the student to fill in using colored pencil techniques taught in class. You’ll need to bring paper, pencils, eraser, sharpener and more, including patience. Classes cost $90 for museum members and $115 for non-members. The supplies cost extra and can be ordered for around $50 on Amazon. There is a detailed list of what you need on the museum’s class registration page. Classes meet via Zoom 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays, April 21 to May 19. For more information, visit VBMuseum.org and click onto “Spring Online Art Classes.” And by the way, there’s still room in a wealth of other classes, including one exploring the female perspective in art history, food in art, sketchbooks, acrylic painting basics, tapestry and a painting studio.
Ballet Vero Beach presents “The Sleeping Princess” this weekend. The hour-long production is a scaled down version of the four-hour classic ballet. Artistic director Adam Schnell has taken parts of Marius Petipa’s classic choreography, added his own stylings and sensibilities, employed non-traditional casting and ended up with a more inclusive ballet and one that reflects a broader audience demographic, he said. “It’s about letting everyone see themselves in art,” Schnell said. But purists need not worry, the ballet still is danced to Tchaikovsky’s wonderful music, has vibrant visuals in costume and scenery, and is true to the fairy tale of a princess falling asleep and waking up to a world that has changed. By the way, the company had originally scheduled two more ballets, “German Dances” and “Flames of Paris,” but, in the pursuit of keeping programs shorter because of the pandemic, those two ballets have been postponed. Performances of “The Sleeping Princess” begin 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 16; and 2 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 17. Tickets are $20 to $75 plus handling charges. You can also get tickets to watch the ballet online from April 23 to May 9, same price. A family performance, with attention paid to the needs of little ones and those with special needs, will be held 2 p.m. Sunday, April 18. Tickets to the Family Friendly Matinee are $10 plus handling charges. Performances will be held at the Vero Beach High School Performing Arts Center, 1707 16th St. Call 772-905-2651 or visit BalletVeroBeach.org. Facial coverings and social distancing required.
Vero Beach Academy will present its annual Indian River STEAM Fest this Saturday, April 17 in the field at the IG Center. The family-friendly event is designed to raise interest in subjects known as “STEAM” – science, technology, engineering, the arts and mathematics. In years past (except last year), the festival has been held indoors with art classes, special speakers, exhibits galore and more. However, the pandemic only forced organizers to cancel last year’s festival only three weeks ahead of time. This year, the idea was to move it outdoors and present in three time slots. While it will be different, there will still be plenty of fun, engaging and inspiring activities, said Stephanie Watson, academy director. Organizers will give out special bags with activities and experiments contributed by 11 organizations, including the Vero Beach Museum of Art and the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary. In addition, there will be a virtual escape room that families can set up in their own homes. Times slots for the STEAM Fest 2021 are 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. (with Mad Science Show at 9:30 a.m.), 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (with Mad Science Show at 11 a.m.), and noon to 2 p.m. (with Mad Science Show at 12:30 p.m.). The event is designed for children in kindergarten to 12th grade with a focus on elementary to middle-school-age children. It is free to the public, but tickets are required. The Indian River STEAM Fest will be held at the IRC Intergenerational Recreation Center, 1590 Oslo Road, Vero Beach. Guests 5 years of age and older are encouraged to wear masks. For more information, visit IndianRiverSteamFest.com.
