Fort Pierce, Florida, February 5, 2024 –
Enjoy a tuneful time along the Indian River for the return of the Backus Museum’s choice outdoor concert event, “Juice & Jazz”! On Sunday, March 3 from 10:30-12:30, live music from the Fort Pierce Jazz & Blues Society on the Outdoor Mural Plaza complements a delicious assortment of sweet and savory delights with fresh juice from Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice Company, Bloody Marys made with Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Coffee, Sparking Mimosas or Prosecco. Tickets are $25 in advance online, by phone, and at 500 North Indian River Drive in Historic Downtown Fort Pierce. Space is limited, so be sure to snag your seats today! Juice & Jazz is a rain or shine event to benefit the Backus Museum.
At 12:30 pm we crescendo into the drawing for the annual Win a Masterpiece of Florida Art Raffle. This year, that masterpiece is a dynamic work of art of a familiar Florida subject by the internationally-renowned marine wildlife artist and conservationist Guy Harvey valued at $10,000. Blanco Solo, 2013 by Guy Harvey (b.1955) is an original acrylic on canvas, and is 30 x 40 inches.
Tickets for the Raffle are available for donations of $25 each, or $60 for three, or $100 for six chances to win! Only 3,000 tickets are available, be sure to grab yours before they sell out! You do not need to be present to win; the winner will be contacted. Complete rules are online and on display at the Museum. For More information about the painting and artist and to order tickets, visit www.backusmuseum.org/raffle.
We are grateful to our generous sponsors for this event: Miles Davis Sponsor: Hoskins, Turco, Lloyd & Lloyd; John Coltrane Sponsors – Rennick Real Estate | Auctions & Tito’s Handmade Vodka; Charlie Parker Sponsors – Blyco Electric & St. Lucie Eye; In-Kind Sponsor: Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice Company.
Currently on View
On view at the A.E. Backus Museum & Gallery through March 3, 2024 is Fast Forward: The Original Florida Highwaymen on the Way to Fame 1954-2004. When a nineteen-year-old Harold Newton became inspired to paint the Florida landscape in 1954, his vision, courage, and accomplishments encouraged his friends and neighbors to take up paintbrushes and follow a new path as professional artists. Over time, dozens of individuals joined the venture and unintentionally founded a movement. After more than five decades in becoming an overnight success, the 26 landscape artists now known as The Original Highwaymen were inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame in 2004. This exhibition of rarely seen paintings, gathered from private collections, celebrates their first fifty years of fame and bold course forward to the hard-won triumph of statewide recognition.
All dates and programming subject to change; please check the website for any updates or cancellations.
The A.E. Backus Museum & Gallery is a community-based, 501(c)3 not-for-profit arts institution that relies on your support. Contributions during these challenging times will lessen the financial impact on the Museum, and can be made securely online at www.BackusMuseum.org/donate. Gifts can also be made as an ongoing monthly donation, as a way to extend contributions and provide steady support through uncertainties. For more information, please visit www.BackusMuseum.org.
About the A.E. Backus Museum & Gallery
Since its founding in 1960 and the first day the doors opened in 1961, the A.E. Backus Museum & Gallery has been a center and catalyst for creativity and culture in our region. The Museum houses the nation’s largest public presentation of artwork by Florida’s preeminent painter, A.E. “Bean” Backus (1906-1990), and is home to the state’s only permanent multimedia exhibition on the Florida Highwaymen. In addition to preserving and perpetuating the artistic and humanitarian legacy of Backus, the Museum organizes and hosts changing exhibitions from artists of regional, national and international acclaim. The Backus Museum was recognized as the 2022 Best of the Best Community Choice Award for Best Art Gallery; and the 2021 Best Tourist Attraction – 2018 Best Museum / Best of the Treasure Coast by the readers of Indian River Magazine.
Regular Hours: Wednesday – Saturday, 10 AM to 4 PM; Sunday, 12 Noon to 4 PM (closed Monday-Tuesday). Admission is $5 per person; AARP, AAA, and Veterans with appropriate ID receive a $2 discount. Students with school ID, children under 18, active duty military, and current members are always free. Visitors are asked to follow the latest public health guidance for the safety and comfort of guests, staff, and volunteers.
Media Release Images Available:
- Fort Pierce Jazz & Blues Society fills the air with soulful tunes at Last Year’s Juice & Jazz. Photographer: MaryAnn Ketcham
- Fort Pierce Mayor Linda Hudson and Jean Ellen Wilson sample some of the sweet and savory delights offered at Juice & Jazz. Photographer: MaryAnn Ketcham
- Layla Lloyd draws the Winning Raffle Ticket for executive Director J. Marshall Adams to announce at last year’s Juice & Jazz. Photographer: MaryAnn Ketcham
- Exterior Photo of the A.E. Backus Museum & Gallery