Help the Vero Beach area tidy up and join forces with others around the world by participating in the International Coastal Cleanup Day this Saturday, Sept. 17. Here, it runs 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. along almost 20 of the county’s waterfront parks. Organizers expect more than 1,000 volunteers to step up and help. Volunteers will receive a free T-shirt, but arrive on time because the T-shirts are limited. Volunteers also receive bags to put trash into. This is the largest cleanup effort around the world. During this time, the Ocean Conservancy has been leading the charge to wake up people as to the need to keep our oceans clean by participating in this event. Over the 35 years, more than 17 million volunteers have cleaned up more than 348 million pounds of trash. The event is also coordinated by Coastal Connections and Keep Indian River Beautiful. For more information, to register ahead of time, visit Coastal-Connections.org or KeepIndianRiverBeautiful.org.
Miss B’s Learning Bees is having its first ever “Back to School Barbeque Shindig.” The event includes fun, food and dancing and is designed to help children from the community that have high poverty rates. It is the culmination of a two-month supply drive. The Learning Bees program started in 2006 when LaToya Bullard, known as Miss B, held an academic enrichment program for economically disadvantaged children. A teacher for 17 years with the Indian River County School District, Bullard was recognized as a Distinguished Educator by the Florida Department of Education. The barbecue will begin at 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 17, at the Walking Tree Brewery, 3209 Dodger Road, Vero Beach. There will be ribs and chicken dinners catered by 14 Bones. There will also be a silent auction and live music. Cost is $100 per person. If you can’t go, but still want to help, consider heading to the Amazon page for Miss B’s Back to School Supply Drive by going to MissBsLearningBees.org and clicking on “Back to School Drive.”
The Space Coast Symphony Orchestra presents “A Heart for Ukraine” chamber concert Saturday evening in Vero Beach. The program features clarinetist Dmitry Perevertailenko and pianist Leslie Spotz. Perevertailenko is associate professor of clarinet at Tarleton State University in Texas. He’s performed throughout the world and with the Kharkiv Municipal Orchestra in Ukraine. Part of the proceeds from this concert will benefit Perevertailenko’s efforts to care for family members who have recently fled Kharkiv, Ukraine. Spotz is an award-winning professor of piano at Tarleton State University. She has performed the world over, including at the Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow, the South Bank Center in London and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. The program includes the music of Ukrainian composers including Verbytsky, Kashyrtsev and Skoryk. There will also works from Chopin, Verdi and Beethoven. Admission is a $25 suggested donation. The concert begins at 7 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church of Vero Beach, 520 Royal Palm Blvd. Call 855-252-7276 or visit SpaceCoastSymphony.org.
The Vero Beach Museum of Art presents an “Art Talk” noon Wednesday, Sept. 21, in the museum galleries. Called “Masters of Art: Drawings by Picasso and Matisse,” the Art Talk will focus on select artworks from special exhibitions and the museum’s permanent collection. The exhibition “Picasso, Matisse & Friends: Drawings from a Private Collection” runs Sept. 18 to Jan. 8 at the museum. Admission to the Art Talk is free with paid membership or museum admission. Space is limited, so it is wise to register ahead of time. The Vero Beach Museum of Art is at 3001 Riverside Park Dr. Admission is $8 general, non-member. Call 772-231-0707 or visit VBMuseum.org.
The A.E. Backus Museum & Gallery has a call to artists for its annual juried art exhibition “The Best of the Best.” Artists may submit work through Sept. 23. There is a $30 entry fee per work. Both professional and amateur artists are invited to submit work by appointment only. Accepted works will compete for cash prizes and placement honors in each category, which includes oil/acrylic, watercolor, varied techniques and three dimensional (includes jewelry). Photography is not accepted into this show. There is a 50-pound weight limit for all categories. Entries must have been produced within the past three years. The exhibition is scheduled to run Oct. 8 to Nov. 18. The A.E. Backus Museum is at 500 North Indian River Dr., Fort Pierce. Call 772-465-0630 or visit BackusMuseum.org.