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American Made: Paintings and Sculpture from the DeMell Jacobsen Collection Featured Exhibition Programming

The Vero Beach Museum of Art will offer a selection of public programs to complement and enhance the American Made: Paintings and Sculpture from the DeMell Jacobsen Collection exhibition, on view January 31 through June 7, 2026.

Art Talk—Wednesday, February 18
Building America /12 noon

Join VBMA docents for an in-depth focus on select artworks. Docents will meet registered participants at Visitor Services and then head to the galleries for 45-60 minutes of careful looking and discussion. Free for VBMA Members; $12 per nonmember (includes admission to the galleries). 

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International Lecture Series—Monday, February 23

Bottom Shelf: Finding Purpose in American Whiskey/ 4:30 p.m.

Fred Minnick, Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author, Award-Winning Podcast Host, and Bourbon Critic

In 2005, Fred Minnick returned home from Iraq broken. Therapy saved his life and taught him a new life skill called “Taste Mindfulness,” which helped him use taste and smell to overcome war trauma. He then embarked on a 20-plus-year journey to study bourbon. From the flavor and how it’s made to the United States presidents who influenced bourbon and the laws that helped shape this country, Minnick, a Wall Street Journal-bestselling author, will intertwine the true and incredible stories of American whiskey with his own personal anecdotes of becoming the world’s leading bourbon critic. $130 per VBMA Member; $160 per non-member Holmes Great Hall seating. $90 per VBMA Member; $110 per non-member streaming or Auditorium simulcast.

Art of the Cocktail—Friday, February 27
Modernist Muse/ 6:30 p.m.

Guests will immerse themselves in the evening’s theme through a lively docent-guided exhibition tour and by creating a carefully selected cocktail with an expert mixologist. For this special season of Art of the Cocktail, VBMA is partnering with 21st Amendment Distillery, a local craft cocktail bar and lounge, to offer expertly crafted cocktails and a complementary menu inspired by the American Made exhibition. $40 per VBMA Member; $50 per non-member.

Ballet Vero Beach Presents Made in America—Saturday, February 28
Two performances / Noon and 3 p.m.

Ballet Vero Beach returns to VBMA for Made in America, a series of original dance works that reflect the spirit, resilience, and innovation found throughout more than a century of American

art. This performance serves as a living, breathing complement to the exhibition experience, bringing movement to the themes and stories captured in the paintings and sculpture.

$30 per VBMA and Ballet Vero Beach Member; $36 per non-member. Tickets include admission to the galleries. 

International Lecture Series—Monday, March 9

Leave Only Footprints: My Journey Through Every National Park/ 4:30 p.m.

Conor Knighton, CBS Sunday Morning Correspondent

In his talk, filled with entertaining dispatches from some of the world’s most scenic spots, the CBS Sunday Morning correspondent Conor Knighton takes us on a whirlwind tour through our national parks, highlighting some of the unexpected stories, colorful characters, and profound lessons he unearthed along the way. Through his unique lens, America the Beautiful becomes America the Captivating, the Hilarious, and the Inspiring. $130 per VBMA Member; $160 per non-member Holmes Great Hall seating. $90 per VBMA Member; $110 per non-member streaming or Auditorium simulcast.

Art Talk—Wednesday, March 18
The American Landscape /12 noon

Join VBMA docents for an in-depth focus on select artworks. Docents will meet registered participants at Visitor Services and then head to the galleries for 45-60 minutes of careful looking and discussion. Free for VBMA Members; $12 per nonmember (includes admission to the galleries). 

Media support from

Art of the Cocktail—Friday, March 20
Manifest Mixer/ 6:30 p.m.

Guests will immerse themselves in the evening’s theme through a lively docent-guided exhibition tour and by creating a carefully selected cocktail with an expert mixologist. For this special season of Art of the Cocktail, VBMA is partnering with 21st Amendment Distillery, a local craft cocktail bar and lounge, to offer expertly crafted cocktails and a complementary menu inspired by the American Made exhibition. $40 per VBMA Member; $50 per non-member.

International Lecture Series—Monday, March 23

Savoring History: Stories from the American Table/ 4:30 p.m.

Ashley Rose Young, Ph.D., Historian and Smithsonian Research Associate

Whether analyzing early American politics through the dishes served at George Washington’s dinner parties, the evolution of New Orleans’ famed Creole culture through dishes like gumbo and jambalaya, or the popularization of frozen TV dinners and the rise of suburban neighborhoods after World War II, culinary cultures have important stories to tell about American life. Dr. Ashley Rose Young explores these connections, revealing how food provides a lens into the nation’s past. $130 per VBMA Member; $160 per non-member Holmes Great Hall seating. $90 per VBMA Member; $110 per non-member streaming or Auditorium simulcast.

International Lecture Series—Monday, April 13

American Made: Highlights from the DeMell Jacobsen Collection/ 4:30 p.m.

Regina Palm, Ph.D., Harold and Anne Berkley Smith Senior Curator of Modern Art, Norton Museum of Art 

The history of American art is as layered and diverse as the nation itself. Join Dr. Regina Palm as she shares highlights from the American Made exhibition and offers insights into how these works celebrate the range of voices that shape our understanding of American artistic heritage. $130 per VBMA Member; $160 per non-member Holmes Great Hall seating. $90 per VBMA Member; $110 per non-member streaming or Auditorium simulcast.

Selections from the Great American Songbook—Saturday, April 18

3 p.m.

Pianist Tom Servinsky, joined by vocalist Lisa McCallister, will present selections from The Great American Songbook, offering a musical journey that echoes the creativity and spirit reflected in the exhibition. Enjoy an afternoon of art and melody celebrating American culture across the centuries. $20 per person for VBMA Members; $25 per person for non-members. Tickets include admission to the galleries. 

American Made was curated by Todd Herman, PhD, president and CEO of The Mint Museum; Kevin Sharp, director of the Dixon Gallery and Gardens; and Jonathan Stuhlman, PhD, senior curator of American art at The Mint Museum.

American Made: Paintings and Sculpture from the DeMell Jacobsen Collection is generously supported by Director’s Sponsor: Theodore W. Brickman Jr. and Sally B. Brickman Endowment for Exhibitions of 18th and 19th Century Art; Presenting Sponsors: The Laura T. Buck Exhibition Endowment, Molly Butler Hart & Michael D. Griffin, Dorinda Dodge, The Yela “Peter” and Derek Fowler Endowment for Acquisitions and Exhibitions, Patricia M. Patten Endowment, Estate of Glee and Robert Ries Endowment, Emily and Ned Sherwood, Charlotte Stifel, William and Carolyn Stutt, and Roberta and James W. Titelman Endowment for Exhibitions; Supporting Sponsors: Donald H. Layton and Sandra L. Lazo, Carol Mahony, Erin Mansfield and Phil Newcomb, Marilee Matteson, Mason Investment Advisory Services, James and Priscilla Morphy, Charlotte and Henry G. Stifel Endowment for Exhibitions, and Harvey and Mary Struthers ; Premier Sponsor: Tom and Ann Piper; Patron Sponsors: Bank of America, Broadbent Family Endowment, James and Wendy Daverman, Sherry Ann and Ned Dayton, Mike and Sandy McManus, Andrew and Britte-Marie Paul, Sandy and Randy Rolf Endowment for Exhibitions, and Dick and Jamie Schulte; and Exhibition Sponsors: Diane D. Jacobsen and Schumann Foundation Endowment for Exhibitions.

The 2026 International Lecture Series is made possible by Presenting Sponsor: Harry and Virginia Van Wormer Lecture Fund; Supporting Sponsors: Kjestine and Peter Bijur, FHL Foundation, Laura and Donn Nystedt, Emily and Ned Sherwood, Carolyn and William Stutt Endowment for the International Lecture Series, and Caroline and Tommy Vandeventer; Patron Sponsors: Susan L. Bouma and Kenneth W. Cunningham, Jr. Endowment Fund; and Reception Sponsor: Wilmington Trust.