The season of celebrating was energized with a bit of a Parisian flair recently, during the Vero Beach Museum of Art’s annual Holidays at the Museum event.
The favorite family-friendly holiday festival is the museum’s gift to the community as a way to ensure that the arts are accessible to all.
“This year, we designed activities to get people a little bit more engaged,” said Denise Giannino, VBMA public programs manager. “We’re hoping to meld fun family activities of art-making with the art that we have in our collection or on loan to us. We’re doing some new activities to tie more directly into our special exhibition. We’re making an effort to engage the whole community.”
Activities this year were influenced by the museum’s current exhibition, ‘L’Affichomania: The Passion for French Posters,’ on display through Jan. 12, as well as pieces from the museum’s permanent collection.
To encourage interest in the artwork, docents and dozens of volunteers steered the attendees into the various activities, including an art hunt that took the fun outdoors into the Beckwith Sculpture Park.
Local school choirs performed traditional holiday music, spreading good cheer and wishing guests a Joyeux Noël, along with nonprofit groups who showed off their skills at various spots throughout the entire museum. From ballet and karate demonstrations to singers and musicians, the entertainment options offered something for everyone to enjoy.
The sounds of a variety of craft-making filled the Education Wing studios, where creative little hands tried out easel painting and constructing Eiffel Towers, alongside other youngsters making holiday-themed snow globes and popsicle ornaments.
The next exhibit at the VBMA, ‘From Homer to Hopper: American Art from the Phillips Collection,’ opens Feb. 1 and runs through May 31.
For more information, visit vbmuseum.org.
