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PRESERVATION
51
Dawn Miller is one of the popular resident artists.
affordable places to live, work and sell close to the Downtown
Art District.
Barbara Hoffman, the former executive director of the
cultural council, met artist Ross Power by chance at a local
café. After striking up a conversation she realized she had a
soulmate in the dream of showcasing the arts in a dramatic
way within the community.
Power had moved up to Vero from Miami after being the
driving force behind the Wynwood Arts district that transformed
a deteriorating fashion neighborhood in downtown
Miami into a vibrant hub of contemporary and street art
lined with warehouses converted into craft breweries and
funky art galleries.
BRAINSTORMING GROUP
The pair gathered a group of like-minded people and started
looking at revitalizing the old diesel plant that sat empty
along the railroad tracks in downtown Vero Beach. After a
lot of discussion and presentations they came to the realization
that the diesel plant just wasn’t where they needed to be
because of the extensive and expensive environmental issues.
Plus, the train track was only 25 feet from the corner of the
building which was not going to be a conducive atmosphere
for an art gallery when Brightline trains start making multiple
trips a day. Fortunately, after abandoning those plans the
plant was later converted into an iconic brewery.
“The two of us came up with the alternative concept of an
art village simultaneously,” Hoffman said. “At that time, we
hadn’t even pinpointed a neighborhood. We decided to hold >>
A colorful mural graces the roof of sculptor Ross Power’s rental home and studio in the Edgewood neighborhood.