Visual feast

Compelling season being cooked up by local museums

BY DONNA CRARY

Museums along the Treasure Coast are getting ready for an exciting season that is sure to please a wide variety of art lovers. The Vero Beach Museum of Art will highlight the avant-garde movements in French Moderns: Monet to Matisse, showcasing several renowned French artists including Cezanne, Chagall, Degas, Monet, Renoir, Manet and Rodin. The A.E. Backus Museum in Fort Pierce will present an exhibit by the Florida Highwaymen, a group of highly regarded black artists some of whom were trained by painter A.E. “Beanie” Backus. Sculptures by Eduardo Gomez Rojas will be on display at the Elliott Museum in Stuart as well as several painting exhibits by regional artists. Quilt lovers should check out the Awakening and Stitchpunk exhibits at the Elliott and Backus Museums, respectively, where the art of quilting is taken to a whole new level. Additionally, the Elliott Museum presents UFOs-Denial-Disclosure-Discernment, a thought-provoking exhibition that challenges the idea of whether humans are alone in the universe. 

VERO BEACH MUSEUM OF ART

Now until the beginning of the year, admirers of glassmaking should take in Roadside Reverie to see larger-than-life glass sculptures — from oversized hamburgers to hood ornaments. On Jan. 31, the VBMA will be transformed into a Parisian marketplace for its annual gala, which will kick off the internationally touring exhibit French Moderns: Monet to Matisse. This season, lovers of photography will enjoy Timeless, an exhibit that reveals the beauty found in aging photos of fashion. 

Roadside Reverie: Glass Works by John Miller 

Through Jan. 5

The exhibit of more than 40 large-scale glass sculptures features individually molded and blown glass components, artfully designed and assembled by glass artist John Miller. Roadside Reverie is drawn from four of Miller’s artistic series: Hot Stuff, The Blue Plate Special, Do Not Duplicate, and Classical Heat — created from 2008 to 2024. The artwork reflects his fascination with and personal connection to American automotive and food culture and the Pop Art Movement of the 1960s. Drawing inspiration from prominent Pop Art figures like Claes Oldenburg, Miller imbues his contemporary pieces with reverence and humor, evoking nostalgia and joy in visitors.

Art After Dark

Dec. 13-14

Art After Dark is a one-of-a-kind digital art exhibition displayed on the exterior walls of the museum. Brett Phares, the event’s curator, will select works from dozens of new media artists, celebrating digital art in motion graphics, experimental films and animation. The exhibition is free to the public and on view from 6 to 8 p.m. VBMA encourages visitors to bring chairs to the event. 

French Moderns: Monet to Matisse, 1850-1950

Feb. 1-June 22

This impressive exhibition showcases 59 artworks from the Brooklyn Museum’s collection of European art, spanning the era between the Revolution of 1848 and the conclusion of World War II — a period marked by significant social, intellectual and political upheaval in France. The exhibition highlights the avant-garde movements that shaped modern art in the 19th and 20th centuries. Notable artists included are Pierre Bonnard, Gustave Caillebotte, Paul Cézanne, Marc Chagall, Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, Gustave Courbet, Edgar Degas, Édouard Manet, Henri Matisse, Claude Monet, Berthe Morisot, Gabriele Münter, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Auguste Rodin and others. 

Timeless: Robert Farber’s Fashion Photography 

Feb. 10-Aug. 31

The works in Timeless are drawn from Farber’s Vintage Fashion series, captured during commercial shoots; and the Deterioration series, which consists of prints from his earlier fashion photography. These prints were created from film, which was vulnerable to heat, humidity and other elements, over the years. The resulting distortions reveal the beauty in its unexpected transformations.

A.E. BACKUS MUSEUM & GALLERY

The Backus Museum will be hosting Sunday in Key West, a popular annual luncheon and auction, on Jan. 26, at the Pelican Yacht Club. At the museum, visitors can see Florida Highwaymen at the Crossroads and take in Daydreaming, where scenes of Old Florida are captured using both camera and hand painting. And now in its 30th year, the museum features outstanding pictures from a statewide, juried photography exhibit. 

StitchPunk

Nov. 22-Jan. 5

Twenty-seven international artists have interpreted the riotous creativity and far-out fusions of punk — including steampunk, biopunk and atompunk — to tell their own distinctive stories using fabric as their medium. Texture, stitching, stuffing and other fiber-art techniques add a depth that cannot be achieved with two-dimensional paintings or photographs. The dedication, skill and unique perspectives of these creators form a rich tapestry of human expression. StitchPunk stands as a testament to the enduring legacy of sewing, and the boundless possibilities it holds for artistic expression and social commentary. 

Florida Highwaymen at the Crossroads

Jan. 11-March 2

Manifesting their dream with oil paint and gasoline, the artists known today as the Highwaymen drove themselves with talent and ingenuity — even though the challenging route to artistic prosperity was never guaranteed. Yet, at each intersection of doubt, fortune and consequence, their art continued and flourished. This exhibition, featuring more than 50 paintings, reveals key moments, decisions and twists of fate that helped put the Highwaymen on the map. 

Daydreaming — Niki Butcher’s Hand-Painted 

Photography

March 7-April 27

Daydreaming invites viewers to see historical, beautiful, and sometimes quirky aspects of our world through the eyes of a thoughtful optimist. Niki Butcher has focused her camera on the fading facades of old Florida, capturing funky mom-and-pop wayside businesses, lonesome sandy beaches, and the beauty of the Everglades. Remembering the gentle feeling of old Florida postcards, she hand paints her black and white photographs in vibrant tones and pastel hues that breathe life and imagination into these scenes.

30th Through the Eye of the Camera Annual 

Juried Exhibition 

May 9-June 20

This favorite, open competition by the Backus Museum continues its long tradition of appreciating photography as a distinct art form. For nearly 30 years, this annual presentation has brought into focus the finest images in traditional and digital photography of both amateurs and professionals from around the state. An independent jury panel considers every entry and awards the superior examples with awards and cash prizes. Entries are accepted by advance appointment, from April 10 to May 3. 

ELLIOTT MUSEUM

The Elliott Museum has a variety of offerings — from the captivating exhibition UFOs to a baseball display featuring New York Yankees legend Derek Jeter. For art enthusiasts, the special talent of regional artists will be on display in several exhibits including Coastal Colors, the Audubon’s juried photography contest, the beloved Helping People Succeed 2025 calendar and Ralph Papa’s paintings.

UFOs — Denial — Disclosure — Discernment 

Dec. 1-Aug. 31

The exhibit takes visitors on a journey through decades of secrecy, where government agencies have concealed evidence and reported sightings have been dismissed. With compelling evidence, eyewitness accounts and government documents, it sheds light on what has been hidden in the shadows. Come with an open mind and leave with more questions than answers. 

A Sculptor’s Journey — Eduardo Gomez Rojas

Through Jan. 3

Local artist Eduardo Gomez Rojas is a sculptor renowned for his ability to capture the essence of the human spirit through his work. With a career spanning over four decades, Rojas has earned accolades for his unique blend of realism and abstraction. 

The Captain’s Corner: Derek Jeter’s Journey from Kalamazoo to the Elliott 

Through Dec. 31

The Elliott’s Baseball Gallery has an up-close and personal look at the life and amazing career of modern-day baseball legend, Derek Jeter. 

Savanna Club Fine Arts League 

Oct. 25-Jan. 20

The Savanna Club Fine Arts League exhibit showcases local artists of the region. 

Helping People Succeed Art for Living Calendar 

Artwork 

Dec. 1-April 1

Helping People Succeed is a nonprofit, founded in 1964, with the mission of helping others by creating hope and building futures through education, counseling, training and employment. Its Art for Living 2025 calendar features a different local artist and one of their artworks for each month. 

Awakening by Studio Art Quilt Associates, 

Florida Region

Jan. 10-March 14

The Studio Art Quilt Associates is a nonprofit whose mission is to promote the art quilt — a creative visual work that is layered and stitched. The juried exhibit features textile artwork by members of SAQA.

Florida’s Natural Beauty Photography Contest 

and Exhibition 

Jan. 23-March 6

The juried photography contest and exhibition will be presented by the Audubon of Martin County. 

Coastal Colors

Feb. 11-May 16

This exhibit showcases the artwork of local artists where the subject of inspiration is the iconic House of Refuge. Each piece reflects the historical and maritime legacy of this local landmark, capturing its unique charm, resilience, and enduring presence on the Treasure Coast. 

Artists with Disabilities via Arts4AllFL

March 10-June

Arts4All Florida is a private not-for-profit organization that conducts art education programs in schools, Department of Juvenile Justice facilities, and community centers. They promote the accomplishments of artists with disabilities through their artist registry, exhibitions, and performances and increase access to the arts through professional learning workshops. This exhibit is sure to inspire. 

Ralph Papa, Artist

March 20-July 25

Ralph Papa has been drawing and painting since his childhood in New York City’s East Harlem. His works range from studio paintings — using real and imagined themes — to figurative, portrait and plein air works. The exhibit features select paintings by Papa and shares the stories and transitions along his journey through art and life.