The lovely Marsh Island Clubhouse was once again the setting for an afternoon tea – augmented by wine and lots of tasty goodies – to kick off the sixth season of the Circle, an all-volunteer philanthropic group of women who support the Vero Beach Museum of Art Community Engagement Programs.
Circle members annually contribute $250 or more to supplement the costs of Museum programs geared toward individuals who might otherwise have little or no access to the arts. Similar to other giving circles, volunteers conduct site visits and report their findings at informational meetings to narrow down choices. Recipients are chosen from finalists by members a cocktail reception in the spring.
As current board president, Susan Smith welcomed members and their guests last Wednesday, saying there are 80 members at the start, a number that will hopefully swell and surpass last year’s number of 108.
“Last year the Circle awarded a total of $30,000, not including a surprise donation of $4,000 by one member to fund the Fellsmere Adopt-a-School program,” said Smith.
The Artist in the School program, which serves roughly 800 K-12 students each year, was chosen to be fully funded. The remaining money was allocated to the Art and Healing Initiative, recently renamed Art for Health’s Sake.
“Miss Lulu, as she is known by the students, has brought her talent, imagination and vivacious personality to this program for many years,” said Smith, introducing guest speaker Linda Badgley, Artist in Residence for the Artist in the School program.
“Our museum is unique in that we respond to the teachers and to the curriculum that the children are experiencing. We support Indian River Schools in their educational objectives,” said Badgley, adding that the multi-focal program includes such things as guided museum tours and art projects.
Adopt-a-School programs at Fellsmere Elementary and Indian River Academy [formerly Highlands] are similar to Artist in the Schools, but take place over a longer period of time.
“I like to think of art as creative problem solving,” explained Badgley. “I always think that art can be the springboard to any kind of learning but it’s especially great to use with reading and writing.”
Lucinda Gedeon, Museum Executive Director/CEO, spoke of several new program initiatives, including a new partnership with the Learning Alliance to better integrate the arts into all Indian River County Elementary schools.
“We understand the empowerment of the arts in this particular realm,” said Gedeon. “Reading is the gateway to literacy, and we know the empowerment of the arts is a way to open that gateway. We’re all very engaged and very excited about the direction that we’re going. We’re really bringing the Museum through these programs, into the community on a level that we haven’t been able to do before.”
The next meeting of the Circle will be held at 10 a.m. Jan. 15 at the Museum. Anyone interested in joining may call 234-6626.
