A.E. Backus Museum Exhibitions and Events for 2024-25

SPECIAL EXHIBITIONS

October 6 – November 15, 2024
The Best of the Best Annual Juried Exhibition
Our 43-year tradition continues to call amateur and professional artists to submit their finest work for the favorite annual exhibition that opens our season. A new independent jury panel rewards creative distinction, exceptional quality and skill, and outstanding presentation with awards and cash prizes. Entries accepted by advance appointment Sep 4 – 27; see Prospectus available Aug 5 for details.
Opening Reception – Saturday, October 5, 6:00-8:00 pm | Remarks: 6:30 pm

StitchPunk
November 22, 2024 – January 5, 2025
Imagine an existence where you pull one string and reality unravels. Twenty-seven artists from the U.S. (including three from Florida), United Kingdom, France, and Canada have interpreted the riotous creativity and far-out fusions of punk (Steampunk, Biopunk, Atompunk and more) to tell their own distinctive stories using fabric as their medium. In their hands, texture, stitching, stuffing, and more add a depth that cannot be conveyed through 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.
Opening Reception – Friday, December 6, 6:00-8:00 pm | Remarks: 6:30 pm

Florida Highwaymen at the Crossroads
January 11 – March 2, 2025
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. In this new exhibition featuring more than 50 paintings drawn together from around the state, Florida Highwaymen at the Crossroads reveals key moments, decisions, and twists of fate that helped put the Highwaymen on the map.
Opening Reception – Friday, January 17, 6:00-8:00 pm | Remarks: 6:30 pm
Don’t miss the HIGHWAYMEN CELEBRATION WEEKEND
February 14-15-16, 2025 www.BackusMuseum.org/celebration

Daydreaming – Niki Butcher’s Hand-Painted Photography
March 7 – April 27, 2025
Daydreaming invites you to see the 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 & 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, creating a picture of life far beyond what a camera could capture. Through her photography, Butcher captures places and people that stand out as beautiful, unique, endangered, and authentic, with a view that adds a bit more color, a good dose of humor, and an infusion of positivity.
Opening Reception – Friday, March 14, 6:00-8:00 pm | Remarks: 6:30 pm

30th Through the Eye of the Camera Annual Juried Exhibition
May 9 – June 20, 2025
For three decades this year, we continue to call photographic artists of all levels to enter their best work for the popular annual exhibition that closes our season. A new independent jury panel considers submissions and recognizes excellent examples with awards and cash prizes. Entries accepted by advance appointment Apr 10 – May 3; see Prospectus available Mar 13 for details.
Opening Reception – Friday, May 9, 6:00-8:00 pm | Remarks: 6:30 pm

As in past years, the receptions are free as a benefit for Members and $20 for Not-Yet Members. Anyone wanting to join can visit www.backusmuseum.org/join.

SIGNATURE EVENTS & SPECIAL OPPORTUNITIES

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 12 > Bidding Begins at 1:00p
Backus Benefit at Manor Auctions
The Backus Museum will be at Manor Auctions in Vero Beach to present a charity auction of Florida art to benefit our nonprofit activities and support the work you love. Consider building or adding to your own art collection in person or with live bidding online! It’s a great time to raise your hand in this special opportunity to support the Backus Museum. Catalog and pre-bidding available by Oct 1!

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 26 > 7:00-10:00p
NEW! Beanie’s Old Florida Ball
Join us for a spirited celebration of the art and times of A.E. “Bean” Backus with the newest fun signature event at the Backus Museum! Welcome the new Season and revisit Bean’s hallmark hospitality – all are included and no politics allowed. Enjoy a night under the stars with friends, sample local brews and spirits, and come dressed up or down, but ready to rock out with live music by JESSE & THE THIEVES. Whether it’s Poincianas, Palm Trees, or Rum Punch that take you back to “Old Florida,” you’ll have a ball with Beanie this Fall! Your party with a purpose benefits the work of the Backus Museum. Event seats available Sep 4!

SUNDAY, JANUARY 26, 2025 > 11:00a-2:00p
NEW THEME! The Floridiana Luncheon & Auction
Our Winter Signature Event has been a local favorite since its beginnings in 2013 as Sunday in Key West, but expands its theme this year to be “All Things Florida.” It’s sure to charm and captivate, whether you’re from the Keys or the Back Country! Attendees will enjoy the exhilarating auction and prizes, a Florida-themed luncheon menu of culinary delights, live music and the spectacular setting at the Pelican Yacht Club in Fort Pierce, with unmatched views of the Indian River Lagoon. Your party with a purpose benefits the work of the Backus Museum. Reserve your seats starting Dec 4!

SUNDAY, APRIL 6 > 10:00a-12:00n
NEW NAME! Jazz Brunch @ The Backus
We learned from “Bean” Backus that the best way to bring people together is art, food, and music. Jazz was Bean’s favorite — it was inclusive, improvisational, and you could cut loose and enjoy yourself. We welcome friends old and new for a morning brunch al fresco, accompanied by live music on the plaza. And the crowd grows at 12 noon to witness the annual raffle drawing to Win a Masterpiece of Florida Art, the peak of an exciting spring for our supporters every year (see more below). Your party with a purpose benefits the work of the Backus Museum. Event seats available Jan 29!

SUNDAY, APRIL 6 > Raffle Drawing begins 12:00 noon
Win a Masterpiece of Florida Art
This year you can support the Museum with a chance to win an original oil painting by master Florida artist James F. Hutchinson (1932-2023). Distant Rain, c. 2016 is a sweeping, magnificent scene of a late afternoon storm approaching the thirsty and resilient glades as seen by the painter who got his start in the Backus Studio but ascended to new heights and fame. Only 2,500 tickets will be available – get your tickets online or in-person before they’re gone! Tickets available Sep 4, www.BackusMuseum.org/raffle

ALL DATES AND PROGRAMMING SUBJECT TO CHANGE; PLEASE CHECK THE WEBSITE FOR ANY UPDATES OR CANCELLATIONS.

About the A.E. Backus Museum & Gallery
Since its founding in 1960 and the first day the doors opened in 1961, the A.E. Backus Museum & Gallery has been a center and catalyst for creativity and culture in our region. The Museum houses the nation’s largest public presentation of artwork by Florida’s preeminent painter, A.E. “Bean” Backus (1906-1990), and also continues its more than sixty-year tradition of exhibiting and celebrating the paintings of the original Florida Highwaymen, who got their start here. In addition, the Museum organizes and hosts changing exhibitions from artists of regional, national and international acclaim. The Backus Museum was recognized as the 2022 Best of the Best Community Choice Award for Best Art Gallery; and the 2021 Best Tourist Attraction – 2018 Best Museum / Best of the Treasure Coast by the readers of Indian River Magazine.
Schedule: Preseason Hours September 4-27: Wednesday – Saturday, 10 AM to 4 PM; Sunday, 12 Noon to 4 PM (We are temporarily closed for annual maintenance August 5 – September 3; and closed for installation September 28 -October 5, 2024). Regular Hours beginning October 6: Wednesday – Saturday, 10 AM to 4 PM; Sunday, 12 Noon to 4 PM. Admission is $5 per person; AARP, AAA, and Veterans with appropriate ID receive a $2 discount. Students with school ID, children under 18, active duty military, and current members are always free. Visitors are asked to follow the latest public health guidance for the safety and comfort of guests, staff, and volunteers.