VERO BEACH — Children and their parents streamed into the Vero Beach Museum of Art throughout the day Saturday, eager to enjoy what has become a favored family tradition – the museum’s 33rd annual Children’s Art Festival. Midway through the event, 2,400 people had already passed through the doors, and it showed no signs of slowing down.
It’s an event geared to the next generation of budding artists, highlighting talents in music, dance and theater as well as the visual arts, all with the encouragement of proud parents and grandparents.
“It’s been very enjoyable, with many saying that they’ll be back, which is what we want to hear,” said Barbara Neubarth, one of an army of volunteers helping to make the day run like clockwork. “Some come year after year which has been fun for me. I’ve been doing this so long, that I’ve watched some of the little kids grow up and they’re now working as volunteers.”
Music resonated inside and out, including calypso from the Sebastian River High School Steel Sharks luring folks in at the entrance and the Indian River Charter High School Wolves Jazz Ensemble entertaining as the visitors rested in the atrium. Susan Smith, the event’s performance coordinator, had arranged for a continuous number of talented young singers, musicians and dancers to perform at various locations all through the day.
A few youngsters were snuggled into beanbag chairs in the new SmART Zone, funded by Quail Valley Charities, utilizing the artistic iPad apps.
“My grandkids came for summer camp and they loved it,” said Yiayia Mitchell, watching them paint with water color pencils.
Volunteer students from the Charter High School helped children make their own screen-printed T-shirts, emblazoned with the Art Festival logo.
“They all have on their nice white chorus shirts,” said Amy Gomez, a little anxious about the green ink.
“All these young people; this is great,” said Gail Alexander.
“There’s so much energy,” agreed husband Scott Alexander, current VBMA board chairman. “This just shows what a great community asset this museum is.”
Alexander said one of the items on his agenda is to look into ways to get younger couples and families more connected to the museum.
That was music to the ears of Jackie Farrell, who was decked out in a mirrored sandwich sign that read, “We see an artist in you.” Farrell chairs the Youth and Family Public Programs Subcommittee; her co-chair for the event was Mary Lou Amy.
Dozens of strollers were parked outside the museum’s education rooms, which were beehives of hands-on activity.
“Art is my favorite activity,” said 9-year old Danielle Rustay, diligently working at an easel on her watercolor.
“She even made an art easel out of clay; she’ll paint it when it dries,” added her mother Kim.
In another room, little ones were equally as industrious, utilizing copious amounts of stamps, stencils and stickers to make their colorful creations. Beaded bracelets and necklaces were another popular choice, assisted by Art Lab teen volunteers Anna Conlon, Thalia Juarbe, Mikayla Tupek and Hayley Smith.
Vero Beach High School ceramics teacher Mary Partow had enlisted her advanced students Keesha Escobar and Michelle LaRoche to provide clay demonstrations on the wheel, and other students helped kids make their own clay figurines.
Later in the afternoon, awards were presented to middle and high school students in the 2014 Indian River County Juried Student Exhibition, which features entries in painting, drawing, sculpture and photography/mixed media. That exhibition will remain on display until May 25.
