Vero Beach Museum of Art

Vero Beach Museum of Art

3001 Riverside Park DriveVero Beach, FL 32963

(772) 231-0707

Vero Beach Museum of Art

AT A GLANCE:  Vero Beach Museum of Art
Parking	Plentiful and free, onsite parking.
Amount of time needed to peruse exhibits:	1 hour
Amount of time needed for gift shop	30 – 45 minutes
Dress code	Dress tastefully.  Otherwise, you’ll experience a surge of self-consciousness.
Be sure to…..	·         Wander through the sculpture gardens outside ·         Plunk yourself down in one of the beanbag chairs located on the side of the museum opposite the entrance.  Grab an iPad to create one-of-a-kind works of art, or play the art-inspired games pre-loaded.  They won’t kick you out for overstaying your welcome.  We’ve been known to spend over an hour there, giggling like young children and having the time of our lives.
Nearby/other establishments to visit	You’re a mile from the Atlantic Ocean.  This is a 5-minute car ride, or a 25-minute walk.  If you haven’t done so, go stick your toes into the ocean.
Walkability, general downtown area / amount of traffic	You will need a car or other transportation if you go to 14 Bones for lunch.  The Lemon Tree or Casey’s Place are walkable, if you’re in the mood for a rousing walk.
Safety, in terms of type and number of crimes committed in general area	Vero Beach is a high-rent area.  While thieves would probably target one of the BMWs or Mercedes, keep your valuables out of site and lock your car.

Have you wondered about the criteria I use when visiting gift shops?  I make note of several general things (i.e., unique items, displays that grab your attention) in order to evaluate them, and then I mentally go through my set of questions.  I outline the 2-phase formula that I use, below.  Please feel free to use my methods upon your next visit to a gift shop, and your friends will regard you with great esteem.

Phase 1:  Does it have the trifecta of gift store merchandise?            Yes/No

                        Does it have refrigerator magnets?                             Yes/No

                        Does it have branded shot glasses?                            Yes/No

                        Does it have branded wearables?                               Yes/No
                        (sweatshirts, hats, t-shirts)

Regardless of the person, we will all answer these questions in the same way.  Something is either there or it isn’t.  We’re not judging at this point, but merely making astute observations that an average person would overlook.  Thank goodness that you’re not average.  Please note that the above questions create a baseline, and I certainly hope to see much more than t-shirts and shot glasses. 

Enter Phase 2, which relies on your individual shopping prowess.  The following items are judged according to a sliding scale, with a 1 meaning the bottom of the barrel and a 10 being a shopper’s joy and bliss.  It is highly unlikely that any two people will have identical answers for Phase 2.

            

Rank the following on a 1 – 10 scale:

• How does the gift shop merchandise support the mission of the museum?
• What is the quality of the items for sale?
• Does the gift shop have a decent quantity, with enough merchandise to hold your interest?
• What kind of vibe do you get while in the gift shop?  Do you want to buy one of everything?
• How are the overall aesthetics, such as cleanliness and good use of floor space?
• How well do the items in the gift shop “fit” the demographics of the museum’s visitors?  In this case, Vero Beach is an upper-class town, and the Vero Beach Museum of Art has a strong local following.  Therefore, I would expect their merchandise to be on the pricey side for my demographic, but on par with the local visitors.
• How is the mix of merchandise?  For example, a gift shop should have a children’s section that is neither too big nor too small.  According to my research, books that are about the museum, its exhibits, its artists, or the local area should comprise the greatest amount of floor space. 
• Good or bad, do you carry that vibe with you after you leave the gift shop?

Keeping all of that in mind, we turn our attention to the Vero Beach Museum of Art.  Is this a good gift shop?  I say “no.”  Is this a good shop, though?  Absolutely.  It is similar to a fashionable boutique that you pass every day and wish you had the money or time to pop in.  The gift shop has an

exclusive, yet artsy, feel to it.  From the moment you walk through the Museum’s main entrance, your eye is drawn to this imaginative and inspired shop.  Softly lit snowflakes in the front window welcome you, and invite you to enter.  How can you say “no” to a snowflake?  The rest of the window display set an elegant tone, which is reflected in the selection of quality merchandise in the gift shop. 

According to their http://www.verobeachmuseum.org,they believe in the following:

“Mission, Vision and Core Values

“Mission

The Vero Beach Museum of Art provides cultural leadership and enrichment for the public through a wide variety of educational, studio art and humanities programs; a diversity of quality exhibitions; and the collection, preservation and presentation of important American and international works of art.

“Vision

The Vero Beach Museum of Art will be a cultural magnet for the Treasure Coast and beyond. It will be recognized locally, regionally and nationally for the significance of its exhibitions, the excellence of its collections and the exceptional quality of its interdisciplinary public programs, Museum Art School, educational offerings, Board and Staff.

“Core Values

Excellence, Integrity, Exceptional Quality, Highest Professional Standards, Pride, Commitment, Diversity, Strong belief that the Visual Arts and Humanities make a tremendous difference in our lives.”

What’s not to like about a place that strives to be the epicenter of culture on Florida’s Atlantic coast?  They want to enrich the community’s appreciation of art in all its forms.

Enter the gift shop, turn right, and check out all of the sassy hats.  Go ahead and try one on.  The sales staff will not bother you, and won’t mind if you ask their opinion    It’s not at all unusual to see women wearing hats while they’re out and about in Florida.  They’re not only a unique fashion statement, they’re great for shielding your eyes and face from the relentless Florida sun.  Weekly readers know that I have a selection of hats that are appropriate to Florida.  I didn’t try any on at the Vero Beach Museum; I had my sights set elsewhere. 

Walk past the large window to the children’s section.  A bookcase holds an innumerable number of children’s books that offer an introduction to the many facets of art.  You’ll see such titles as “Play-Draw-Create,” “Shimmer Art,” “Glitter & Clay Charms,” and “Twirled Paper.”  I have no clue as to what twirled paper is all about, and I missed the opportunity to flip through the book for a definitive answer.  I see this book collection as something you would buy as a gift for a child, as opposed to children selecting a title for themselves.

Continuing on your counter-clockwise path brings you to one of the prettiest displays I’ve seen here

in Florida.  Colorful serving dishes, bowls and tea pots will bring a smile to your face, because these items look…happy.  I’ll be honest; I had to fight temptation because I wanted to buy a set of these dishes.  Look above the colorful dishes and take a look at the funky orange/apple holder.  It’s safe to say that this will draw wonderment and praise from family and friends.  You are getting quite the reputation for finding unique and artistic items.

Brightly decorated tote bags are located knee-level to the left of the cool dishes. You could fit an extra pair of shoes, your purse/wallet, your packed lunch, and your sassy hat into one of these.  If you had a “take your dog to work” day, the dog would fit, too (think Cocker Spaniel, not Great Dane).  I would love to have one of these tote bags for those times when I’m running errands.  Need to run to the drugstore?  Refilling prescriptions?  Toss those in, and you still have room for other drugstore items that we always seem to be picking up.

Continue on your way with style.  You are entering the “glass counter” zone, and this one doesn’t disappoint.  From what you’ve experienced so

far, what are your expectations do you have for this special area of the Vero Beach Museum?  I imagined trendy, yet distinctive, jewelry.  And, that’s exactly what I found.  I’ll fess up.  I heard an awesome gold mesh necklace calling my name.  It had a matching bracelet, and the two of them held me in a trance-like state.  I, however, had my sights set on another display, and broke free of their tempting siren call. 

The only branded merchandise in this gift shop is baseball hats imprinted with “Vero Beach Museum of Art.”  The hats are located to the left of the glass counter, tucked away and almost out of sight.  The ones who conceived the gift shop seems to have been embarrassed to have them on display and tucked them away as best they could.

The Museum’s gift shop had closed for remodeling this past summer, and they changed the floorplan and along with their inventory.  Gone are the expensive items that never sold well, given the spontaneity of shopping at a museum gift shop.  Silk is a stunning fabric, known for its lustrous color.  It’s elusive, meaning you won’t find silk clothing at Walmart or Target.   The Museum’s gift shop used to carry decorative and expensive silk jackets, and I’d drool over these every time we

visited the Vero Beach Museum.  I’d look at the price tag and quite loudly exclaim:  “I’m not paying that.”  The shopping gods must have heard me, because these jackets are the only items that were carried over from the former gift shop.  It gets even better, because they’re marked down by 50%.  Life is good.  Believe it or not, I still had an issue trying to decide on just one of these artistic and lively jackets.  It took close to 10 minutes to narrow my choices down to three.  I then asked my husband to help me select one, but I think we all know the type of help we get from most men:  “they’re all lovely, dear.”  It’s all right to gently try them on, since the sales people won’t hound you.  Take your time.  This is an important decision.  I kept my final selection tightly clenched in my hand, since I didn’t want anyone else buying “my” jacket.  Look back, I find that funny because we were the only visitors in the gift shop at the time.  Stylish wallets and eyeglass cases are presented in the same area as the silk jackets.  The shopping gods were smiling on me that day.  Thank you, shopping gods.

Let’s take a break and get some lunch.  I offer three choices:

Lemon Tree, www.lemontreevero.com, is a small, upscale restaurant that serves breakfast and lunch.  Try the New Yorker sandwich, made with roast beef, cheddar cheese, and horseradish.

Casey’s Place, http://www.caseysplace.net/, is a casual sandwich shop, and you order and pay for your food at the counter.  Keep Casey’s Place in mind if you visit during Florida’s hotter months.  All seating is outside, and there happens to be a large shade tree that offers respite from the sun.  Try the Reuben Sandwich.

14 Bones, www.14bones.com, is an unassuming place that offers delicious barbeque, though part of their menu offers healthy selections.  Eat healthy someplace else.  This is a barbeque place.  Try the pulled pork sandwich.

You can visit more museums after lunch, but you might feel a bit worn out from the day’s excitement.  Go home, or back to your hotel, pour yourself an adult beverage (wine is good), prop your feet up and reflect on the quiet elegance of the Vero Beach Museum gift shop.  After your visit to the gift shop there, the memory of whimsical items, vibrant colors, and unique items will jump to the front of your mind.  It’s a great shop, and I think you’ll really enjoy it.  You’ll just have to go elsewhere for refrigerator magnets.