Artist Oliver Schnoor with Sis Stewart [Photo: Denise Ritchie]

All was in place for another exceptional three-day Under the Oaks Fine Arts & Crafts Show – until it wasn’t.

The weather was glorious, roughly 200 artists and craftsmen had painstakingly set up their booths, glossy brochures had been printed, and on Friday a lighter-than-normal but steady stream of visitors entered Riverside Park, eager to get first pick of the exceptional works before the expected weekend hordes.

But that all changed when Vero Beach Police Chief David Currey informed them at 3:30 p.m. Friday afternoon that due to an abundance of caution over the COVID-19 pandemic, their event would have to be shut down at the end of the day.

“We need to do what’s in the best interest to the city and the county,” said Currey, citing it as a public safety issue.

They were not alone. Similarly scheduled local events such as the Indian River County Firefighters Fair and Sunset Saturday Night Concert were also being cancelled, as were comparable, quality art shows throughout Florida.

As an indication of the fluidity of the moment, Alicia Quinn, event co-chair with Jodi Woodall, said that just two hours earlier, they had been told that the event could go on as planned, as long as they posted supplied informational sheets at the entrances.

“Where we normally have about 205 vendors, we have about 198; so we’re only down about 7 vendors from our norm. We have one more that’s showing up at 5 p.m. tonight to set up and be ready for tomorrow; she’s on the road already,” said Quinn. “It’s sad; this is their whole livelihood.”

This was the 69th year for the popular event, which generally draws crowds of more than 50,000 people. In all that time, this was the first real cancellation. Heavy rains once caused them to close one Friday, but the show went on the rest of that weekend.

Under the Oaks is the Vero Beach Art Club’s largest fundraiser, providing funds for local scholarships and enrichment programs that promote art through education.

“This is the first time we’ve had to say, ‘Sorry guys, you’re going home.’ First time ever,” said Quinn. “People have been stopping by and saying, ‘Thank you for being opened.’ ‘We’re so happy you didn’t close.’ ‘It’s a great show.’ ‘I’ll be back this weekend with my neighbors and my friends.’ So, now we’ve been told we have to close down, and we will.”

The show draws the best-of-the-best – artists are selected through a jurying process each October to whittle down upwards of 700 applicants. A certain number of spots are reserved for VBAC members, who compete for the spots only with other members.

A perennial favorite among visitors and vendors alike, Under the Oaks features works in a wide array of mediums including acrylics, oils and watercolors, glass, digital art/graphics, jewelry, photography, pottery and ceramics, sculpture and wood.

The juried show was judged on Friday by a trio of out-of-town judges: Catherine Bergmann, curatorial director of the Dunedin Fine Art Center; portrait and nature artist Gregory Graham, founder of the ArtQuest School of Art & Design and owner of Arts on Grenada in Ormond Beach; and mixed media artist John Wilton from DeLand, who has taught at Daytona State College, Stetson University and Embry Riddle Aeronautical University.

Ribbons and checks were due to be presented during the Saturday morning breakfast – VBAC offers breakfast to vendors each morning catered by Wild Thyme Catering – and would likely now have to be mailed out.

“We are so concerned for our artists, food vendors and sponsors, who all had major expenses to participate in the show. The cancellation leaves them in tough financial shape,” said Quinn. “With the declaration of the National Emergency we truly all understand the need for local government to insist on closing the show Friday. The Art Club and Under the Oaks executive teams will meet soon to determine what we do to handle this huge loss.”

The Art Club’s New Dimensions Fine Arts & Crafts Show, originally scheduled for March 27, had already been canceled this year – in hindsight a timely decision – due to the recent opening of the Art Club Annex, located next door to the Raw Space Gallery and Project Space 1785 in the Downtown Arts District. The Annex will offer a schedule of classes and, during the monthly Friday Gallery Strolls and those Saturdays, will become a gallery of art club members’ works.

For more information, visit VeroBeachArtClub.org.

Winners

Richard & Lillian Becker Family Foundation Award – Best in Show: Robin Frisella (graphics)
Anna Marye Barnes Award – Outstanding Artist of Merit in Watercolor/Pastel/Printmaking: Dawn Miller
Ron Miller Award – Excellence in Art: Susan Gancher (jewelry)
Jean Nagy Memorial Award – Excellence in Acrylic/Oil: Evan Schwarze

First-Place Awards