VERO BEACH — For many children the museum is sometimes a daunting place but not the Vero Beach Museum of Art – all thanks to Santa and his elves.
Art education is foremost in the minds of the VBMA staff but the tables full of cookies and the presence of Santa were all the children could think about.
“There are over 200 dozen cookies on hand,” said Jackie Farrell event chair for the last three years and self-proclaimed head elf. “It is just such a wonderful community event and the children really love it. In addition to Santa and Mrs. Claus, there is music everywhere and elves are helping the kids make angels in the art studios. So much fun going on.”
That which has continued as a tradition at the museum since the 1980s has actually had a huge impact on the kids who come each year. Many of the students who currently attend art classes and summer camp at the museum began with their first visit at the holidays.
“Many children have never visited an art museum,” said Farrell. “Frankly kids don’t put going to an art museum at the top of their list of things to do on a weekend.”
Farrell believes that it is all the festivities during this event that encourages children to take a different view of what they will find inside a museum.
“Holidays at the Museum provides a warm and friendly holiday atmosphere for children of all ages. It offers children a glimpse into the beauty of art all wrapped up in tinsel, red ribbons, and candy canes. The children then think that maybe visiting an art museum might be worth a second visit.”
Becoming familiar with art broadens more than just a view of artists and their work. It also helps encourage creative thinking that the children are able to experience through new materials they have been implementing in VBMA’s galleries, such as interactive iPads and unique art classes.
“My granddaughters were just toddlers the first time they went to Holidays at the Museum,” said Angela Fallon. “We all had such a magical time and there was such a real feeling of Christmas. She absolutely became more comfortable here after we brought her to this event.”
Each room was filled with things for the children to do and many even participated in through their schools in the chorus singing in front of their parents and friends.
“This has been tremendously successful,” said VBMA Executive Director Lucinda Gedeon. “We have had at least 1,600 visitors today from the workshops and choruses to visiting with Santa.”
The theme was all about angels as children created silver angel decorations and listened to storyteller Connie Lewis read Angels by Alexis York Lumbard.
As her children made sparkly ornaments, Callie Register watched the fun.
“This is sort of a tradition,” said Register. “This is our fourth year. The museum Santa is the only Santa they have ever known.”