Photo: Olivia McKelvey
“Growing up in the Historic Cocoa Village, Vashti Verschoor remembers clothing boutiques and restaurants lining the village streets.
The Cocoa Village she knows now has completely different look.
Today, the 42-year-old mom of two is one of many artists who has work represented throughout the village. Whether it be intricately and whimsically painted benches, electrical boxes or even storm drains, Cocoa Village is bursting with color around every corner.
“Artwork is our primary, first written language,” Verschoor said. “The way that we speak to each other, the way that we documented our history, it all started with drawings on a cave wall. So, I think that when we support local art, we’re supporting our primary language, and I’m so proud the village has supported me and others alike.”
Cocoa Village has numerous community art projects such as the painted benches, the artwork displayed across electrical boxes at traffic lights, and now even storm drains that are displaying artwork, leaving “marks of beauty” throughout Cocoa…
If you are interested in learning more about the community art projects in Cocoa Village or would like to become a sponsor for one of the benches, please visit cocoafl.org/1438/Community-Art-Projects. ”
— Olivia McKelvey, Florida Today
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