Bird lovers, artists and anyone who appreciates Florida’s wild places will want to make time for the Indian River Bird & Nature Art Show, presented each year by the Pelican Island Conservation Society in conjunction with National Wildlife Refuge Week. The show fills the historic former Sebastian Public School building at 1235 Main Street, a landmark that has become a fitting home for a celebration of local wildlife and landscapes.
This is a juried exhibition, so the work on the walls represents some of the strongest bird and nature art in the region. Expect paintings, photography, sculpture and mixed media capturing herons and roseate spoonbills, mangrove shorelines, lagoon sunrises and the quiet corners of Florida’s scrub and marsh country. Every piece is available for purchase, with sales supporting both the artists and the conservation work of the Society.
The connection to Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge, the nation’s first national wildlife refuge, gives the show real meaning. Visitors often pair a morning at the exhibition with a walk on the refuge boardwalk or a stop at one of the nearby things to do around Sebastian. Admission is free and welcoming to all ages, making it an easy and rewarding stop during refuge week.