The cultural landscape of the Treasure Coast is preparing for an exciting evolution. The Vero Beach Museum of Art (VBMA) has officially announced its transition plan as the beloved institution prepares for a comprehensive campus redevelopment at its current Riverside Park location. To ensure that Indian River County residents and visitors continue to enjoy uninterrupted access to vital arts education and community programming, the museum will launch a temporary, specialized facility known as the VBMA Hub.
A Strategic Transition to Highway A1A
Following the conclusion of its highly anticipated 2026-2027 season, the museum will vacate the majority of its current riverside facility by mid-February 2027. Only the Collections Wing will remain operational on-site as the rest of the campus is transformed. By March 2027, operations will seamlessly shift to the newly leased VBMA Hub, a sprawling 6,000-square-foot space located at 1716 Highway A1A in Vero Beach. This satellite location will house essential staff offices and serve as the vibrant center for the museum’s educational outreach.
The VBMA Hub is slated to host a diverse array of community favorites, ensuring local arts education continues without missing a beat. Programs relocating to the Hub include:
- Spring-term art classes and hands-on workshops
- Museum Studios family programming
- A dedicated mini-Art Zone designed for young children
- Specialized Classes for Veterans
- The A+ART initiative and the popular Summer Art Camp
Community Philanthropy and Leadership
The seamless transition to the temporary Highway A1A location is made possible by the remarkable generosity of local philanthropists. An anonymous gift from a VBMA board trustee will generously cover half of the two-year lease, while two additional anonymous contributions from trustees will fully equip the new space. Executive Director Brady Roberts praised the board’s steadfast dedication to the museum’s mission during this pivotal transition period.
Our generous and visionary board leaders are committed to advancing VBMA’s mission. They’ve demonstrated that with 100 percent board participation in the Museum in the Garden capital campaign and through funding assistance for an interim satellite space, which will allow us to provide diverse and innovative classes, workshops, and programs in art education while the new facility is constructed.
Expanding Horizons: Offsite Programs and the 2028 Vision
Beyond the VBMA Hub, the museum is actively expanding its offsite footprint across Indian River County. Key community partnerships with the Senior Resource Association and the Center for Memory and Movement will continue to thrive. Furthermore, the museum’s dynamic Museum Explorations on the Go program—which brings art education directly to pre-K through 12th-grade classrooms—has seen a remarkable 30 percent year-over-year growth and will remain a top community priority.
Large-scale events are also finding temporary local homes. To accommodate its massive subscriber base, the 2028 International Lecture Series will be hosted at Saint Edward’s School. Signature fundraising galas, such as Art in Bloom and GALA 2028, will similarly be held at premier offsite venues throughout Vero Beach.
All of these transitional steps are paving the way for the grand unveiling of the reimagined Vero Beach Museum of Art campus in 2028. The future facility promises to be a crown jewel for the Treasure Coast, boasting state-of-the-art galleries, lush gardens, scenic terraces, and expansive indoor and outdoor community gathering spaces.
We look forward to welcoming the community to the incredible and robust final season we have planned for our current facility and will hope to see them often at the Hub and other locations while our new Museum building and transformed campus are under construction.
