FOCA-Friends of Contemporary Art
The Friends of Contemporary Art (FOCA) is an informal group of people interested in learning about art trends, artists and collecting.
FOCA 2025-2026 Season Events
MARK YOUR CALENDAR
*November - December 2025: VIVA! FOCA Members Show (dates and details below)
*January: Artist Salon Jan. 8, 2026: This program is an extension of what artists do. Thus, non-practicing artists can watch the process of practicing artists speak of what they are doing and hear what their colleagues have to say. Artists will bring a work or two in progress, 10-minute speaking limit per artist. Program Chair Jill Kerwick.
*February: date TBD: Vero Beach Museum of Art: Construction- from Abstraction to Architecture. Examining the role of construction and modern and contemporary art, the exhibition traces its influences from early 20th-century geometric abstraction to representations of built environments and facades. Featuring works from the VBMA's collection and select loans, it highlights the lasting impact of structure, materials, and design in art. Guest Speaker Caitlin Swindell, Curator, VBMA
March 10, 2026: Collector : Beth Rudin
DeWoody-The Bunker Art Space in West Palm Beach FL.
More details for the Bunker Artspace event will
be forwarded to FOCA members in January.
The Bunker Artspace, located in West Palm Beach, Florida, showcases contemporary
art created by well-known and emerging artists
currently in the DeWoody collection. Over 10,000 pieces are currently in the
collection, contemporary artists whose works DeWoody collects and displays at
the Bunker. DeWoody's interest in art started as child where she attended
the Rudolf Steiner School after
which she earned a B.A. in anthropology and cinema studies from the University of California,
Santa Barbara . She
then worked as a production assistant on such movies as Hair and Annie
Hall . After marrying artist, James
DeWoody , she began to get deeply involved in the SoHo art
scene where she began to nurture young contemporary artists. In 1982, she went to work for Rudin Management Company,
owned by her father, where she rose to the rank of vice president. At the same
time, Beth Rudin DeWoody grew her art collection; sponsored new artists and
served as the curator of exhibitions. A special thank you
to FOCA member, Kim Bertin, who initiated, and generously funded our tour
guide’s fee for this program.
*March: Collector's Focus: March 25, 2026: A special
FOCA Focus will be a visit to the private collection of
Patricia and Peter Thompson in John’s Island. A special thank you to FOCA Board
Member, Mary Gallatin, who initiated and planned this special tour.
*Date TBD NSU Art Museum, Ft. Lauderdale: a visit to the Goodman Collection of Latin American Art.
More details will follow via emails and on the website regarding FOCA’s upcoming season. Please make sure our email address is in your safe senders list.
CONTACT: focaverobeach@gmail.com
(Image at right: Jill Kerwick , One More, 2024, Oil on Canvas)
VIVA FOCA! 5th Annual Members Exhibition:
A juried exhibition of area
Artists to support The Center for Spiritual Care
F
Sat. November 1st, 2025: FOCA member Submission deadline
Tues, November 4th, 2025: FOCA Judging date
Mon. November 10, 2025: FOCA Notification date of acceptance: emails will be sent.
Mon. Nov. 17: Artists drop off work between 10-12 p.m.
Fri. Nov. 21: Opening reception, 5-7 p.m.
Fri. Dec. 5: First Friday Gallery Stroll reception 5-7 p.m.
Tue. Dec. 9: Artists’ Talk, 3-5 p.m.
Wed. Dec. 24: Show closes, 5 p.m.
Fri. Dec. 26: Artists retrieve work between 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
FOCA News and Opportunities
THE CIRCLE
Do you have a passion for art? Do you want to learn how to help support the Vero Beach Museum of Art Education and Community Access Programs?
Join 'The Circle', a dedicated community of women committed to making arts and art education accessible to everyone!
Please contact Stuart Weismiller for more information at 203 912-3364 or stuart@weismiller1.com
SALLYWOOD
For the past year, I've been diligently working on getting distribution for SALLYWOOD, my first feature film as writer/director. Well, I have big happy news: in November, it will be released in cinemas nationwide. One of the big screen dates is the Majestic in Vero Beach but only on Sunday, November 16 at 3pm. I'd love for any FOCA member who'd like to see it, to be able to. Many have asked me about it. Just click on "Buy a Ticket Now"... https://fan-force.com/screenings/sallywood-the-majestic-11-vero-beach/
I will be doing a Q & A with the audience after the Vero screening. It should be a lot of fun. Thank you! Xaque Gruber
Art Basel
Miami/Art Week Miami - Thursday Dec 4 - Sunday, Dec 7, 2025.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~