Artful lineup

Museums feature their art exhibitions ranging from Picasso to the Highwaymen

BY ANNA INGRAM

From a private collection featuring European artists at the Vero Beach Museum of Art to a German Pop Art exhibition at the Elliott Museum, this Treasure Coast art season will captivate every visitor. And if paintings and drawings don’t spark your interest, the Backus Museum is having an exhibition on Walford Campbell’s ceramics. Also, car enthusiasts will enjoy the Vero Beach Museum of Art’s Streamlined Art Deco automobile show opening next year. 

VERO BEACH MUSEUM OF ART

This season for the VBMA is certainly appealing, with artwork from private collections to stunning photography and even Streamlined Sculptures. Also, the museum’s marvelous permanent collection of early 20th-century art to the present is always on display. 

Picasso, Matisse & Friends: Drawings from a Private Collection

Now – Jan. 8

A private collection of original drawings belonging to a Vero Beach couple is being showcased until January. This exhibition is extraordinarily special given that some of these works have never been seen at the VBMA or by the public. The show features a selection of exceptional pieces from Pablo Picasso paintings to line drawings by Henri Matisse. It also features works by Paul Cézanne, Marc Chagall and Edgar Degas.

Changing Nature: A New Vision, Photographs 

by James Balog 

Now – Dec. 31

This exhibition has been coorganized by the Foundation for the Exhibition of Photography, Minneapolis/New York/Paris/Lausanne, in association with the museum. In it, more than 80 photographs by the American photographer James Balog are featured. Since the 1980s, Balog has explored the connection between humans and nature through his work. His photographs include a range of subjects, such as endangered animals, North America’s old-growth forest and even polar ice. His innovative work
sometimes creates shocking interpretations of the changing world by combining art and science
to produce vibrant images.

Art After Dark

Dec. 16-17

Outdoors at the Museum

Last year’s outdoor digital art exhibition is returning. Art After Dark will feature artists worldwide during this two-night event. Same as last year, the show is free to visitors and on view from 6-8 p.m. VBMA encourages visitors to bring chairs for the event. Also, food and refreshments are available with a cash bar since no outside food or beverage is allowed. 

Rolling Sculpture: Streamlined Art Deco 

Automobiles and Motorcycles: 1930–1941

Jan. 28 – April 30

During the 1930s, global events like the 1939 New York World’s Fair encouraged designers and engineers to create streamlined vehicles. In this exhibition, visitors will have the opportunity to see a select group of rare automobiles and motorcycles that translate the popular streamlined concept. Ken Gross, former executive director of the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, is guest curator. He notes: “The 20 rare cars and two motorcycles in this exhibition were designed without the myriad safety and crash-absorbing constraints that affect the look and shape of the modern automobile. The operative charge was that they be sleek and streamlined.”

THE ELLIOTT MUSEUM

For the 2022–2023 season, visitors will have the chance to witness art from Florida artists to Pop Art from Germany. Also, the wonderful permanent collection of cars and Stuart history is continuously on display. Earlier this year, the museum added to its permanent collection with The Ashley Gang Exhibition. The story of the Ashley Gang was recently featured on a Discovery Channel episode called Chasing Everglades Treasure – Hunting the lost fortune of notorious bootleggers and bank robbers, The Ashley Gang.

Perspectives of Paradise

Now – Nov. 13

Featuring artwork from members of the Martin Artisans Guild, the display showcases the beauty found on the Treasure Coast. Visitors can witness each artist’s perspective and interpretation of their tropical home.

Free Electrons 

Now – April

The extraordinary award-winning artists Danuta Rothschild and Torenzo Gann are displayed in this exhibition on the museum’s second floor. As seen earlier this year at the D&J Art Studio in Stuart, the mixed media artists explore their unconscious minds to create electrifying masterpieces.

Norman Rockwell and his Mentor, J.C. Leyendecker 

November – March 

The American painter and illustrator Norman Rockwell is featured along with works by his mentor and idol, J.C. Leyendecker.

German Pop Art by Michel Friess 

November – January

Made completely by hand in his studio in Kaiserslautern, Germany, Michal Friess creates elaborately unique Pop Art pieces. His original works are done on aluminum sheets, canvas and wood with a range of different types of mediums. For example, he uses techniques such as painting, spray cans, hand-screen printing, paint rollers, newspapers and even rare comic books. Visitors can also request custom orders from the artist.

Highwaymen Visions & Vistas 

March – July 2023

Once again, the Elliott Museum will feature authentic Highwaymen art that is now highly sought after. This unique exhibition will showcase the "Americana folk art" genre now known worldwide. The opening reception of this exhibition will have a live demonstration by original Highwaymen artist Al Black."

A.E. BACKUS MUSEUM AND GALLERY

The A.E. Backus Museum’s 62nd season includes a series of five special exhibitions and a slate of signature special events. 

The Best of the Best Annual Juried Exhibition 

Now – Nov. 18

The season opened with its annual fine art competition, showcasing the best artistic works by amateurs and professionals. Artworks made in any media were welcome to enter and judged by the independent jury panel for cash prizes.

Vessels: A Journey in Clay by Walford Campbell

Nov. 25 – Dec. 31

Walford Campbell, a Jamaican-born ceramicist, creates extraordinary works inspired by his relationship with the Earth. The artist was first introduced to pottery through island traditions and then developed his craft while studying in England in the 1970s. Vessels chronicles Campbell’s journey with the organic medium in practical and abstract forms. 

Dashboard Dreams: The Florida Highwaymen and the American Road 

Jan. 6 – Feb. 26

The Florida Highwaymen were a group of 26 painters whose talent sparked ambitions for an emerging new art movement in the early 1950s. During a time of racial segregation, cars became a solution to crossing the boundaries of color. Automobiles became the key to success for the Highwaymen since the American auto industry was advertising car ownership as a fashionable lifestyle. As a result, audiences look beyond the artists’ race and admire their paintings of the Florida landscape. In this exhibition, the freedom and success that the Highwaymen achieved will be on view through more than 50 paintings that traveled the
highways and byways on their way to history.

Fine Print: Rediscovering the Backus Portfolio on Paper and Canvas

March 3 – April 30

This exhibition will highlight the 50th anniversary of the limited-edition portfolio Florida and the West Indies Sketches by A.E. Backus, which was gathered in 1972. The portfolio includes drawings and rarely seen oil paintings that showcase the artist’s connection to the places and people he has encountered over the years. 

Through the Eye of the Camera Annual Juried Exhibition 

May 12 – June 23

The season will end with the annual juried exhibition, which has been popular for more than 20 years. The competition is dedicated to photography and is open to amateur and professional artists in both traditional film and digital photography. Entries are accepted in advance by appointment from April 5 to May 5. Visit the museum’s website in March for more details.