NAPLES, FLA.- Artis—Naples, home of The Baker Museum and the Naples Philharmonic, announced today that The Baker Museum is the recipient of several major architecture awards and recognition from four prominent organizations and publications.
Designed by Weiss/Manfredi Architecture/Landscape/Urbanism, The Baker Museum’s repair and expansion project followed damage sustained during Hurricane Irma in 2017. “The phenomenal work done by Weiss/Manfredi has made The Baker Museum into an undeniable and enduring work of art,” said CEO and President Kathleen van Bergen. “Radiating beauty, elegance and strength, the museum stands prominently among Southwest Florida’s most visually stunning buildings, and these awards demonstrate that we are clearly not alone in recognizing this. Marion Weiss and Michael Manfredi’s beautiful, climate-resilient design protected the museum during the near-category five winds of Hurricane Ian, keeping the building and its precious contents safe from any damage.”
Recently announced architecture awards for The Baker Museum are:
• American Institute of Architects Florida Design Awards 2021 – Restorations & Additions category
• Society of American Registered Architects | New York Council – Professional Design Excellence 2021
• Fast Company magazine’s 2022 Innovation by Design Award
• Honorable Mention – International Architecture Awards for 2022 by The Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design
“We are thrilled and honored to receive these awards. Equally important to the exhibitions mounted inside The Baker Museum is the statement and atmosphere the building creates outside. We are grateful for the recognition of the incredible work on this game-changing project on our Kimberly K. Querrey and Louis A. Simpson Cultural Campus,” van Bergen added.
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ARTIS—NAPLES
Home of The Baker Museum and the Naples Philharmonic, Artis—Naples is unique among cultural institutions nationwide, equally dedicated to both the visual and performing arts featuring artists of global distinction.
KIMBERLY K. QUERREY and LOUIS A. SIMPSON CULTURAL CAMPUS
Led by CEO and President Kathleen van Bergen, we offer audiences more than 800 paid and free events annually within a variety of venues and settings situated throughout the 8.5-acre Kimberly K. Querrey and Louis A. Simpson Cultural Campus. Artis—Naples welcomes thousands of visitors each year for a broad array of artistic and educational opportunities perfect for audiences of all backgrounds and interests. The cultural campus is home to five buildings, including two performance halls (Frances Pew Hayes Hall and Myra J. Daniels Pavilion), The Baker Museum, the Toni Stabile Education Building and the Kohan Administration Building.
NAPLES PHILHARMONIC
The Naples Philharmonic has long been recognized as one of the cornerstones of Southwest Florida’s arts community. As part of Artis—Naples, the Naples Philharmonic performs more than 140 orchestral and chamber music concerts, as well as opera and ballet, education, community and special event concerts annually between September and June in the 1,477-seat Hayes Hall, the 283-seat Daniels Pavilion and around the Southwest Florida region. The Naples Philharmonic has enjoyed a history of working with world-class music directors, with Andrey Boreyko being the fourth and most recent. Following the completion of Boreyko’s eighth and final season in 2022, a search is underway for the Sharon and Timothy Ubben Music Director position. Other podium leadership includes Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly, celebrating 13 years in this role in the 2022-23 season and bringing pops performances that celebrate music in its many forms. In 2017, conductor Radu Paponiu was named assistant conductor of the Naples Philharmonic and director of the Naples Philharmonic Youth Orchestra, and in 2019 he was promoted to associate conductor. Starting with the 2022-23 season, Alvin Ho has joined the artistic team as assistant conductor of the Naples Philharmonic.
THE BAKER MUSEUM
The Baker Museum is one of the foremost fine art museums in Southwest Florida. The museum hosts several traveling exhibitions annually to complement installations of works from its permanent collection. Comprising more than 4,000 objects, the museum’s broad holdings of 20th- and 21st-century art reflect the generosity and commitment of area collectors. Of particular strength are The Baker Museum’s collections of American and Mexican modern art, including significant gifts from the collection of Olga Hirshhorn.
With more than two decades of collecting and exhibiting, the museum is dedicated to
stewardship and scholarship from both its growing permanent collection and outside sources. At the same time, The Baker Museum seeks out the best traveling exhibitions from the leading arts institutions in the world—including recently the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and the Smithsonian Institutions—to enrich the Southwest Florida community. In fall 2020, Artis—Naples celebrated the opening of an 18,000-square-foot expansion of The Baker Museum, designed by Weiss/Manfredi Architecture/Landscape/Urbanism, that created new spaces for multidisciplinary exploration and social interaction.
EDUCATION AND COMMUNITY
In addition to creating and presenting visual and performing arts, Artis—Naples provides robust education and community activities for students of all ages. Each season thousands of Collier County Public Schools interact with Artis—Naples education programming both on its cultural campus and in classrooms. The Lifelong Learning program provides engaging lectures and study opportunities for adults seeking to engage more deeply with the arts.
The Friends of Artis—Naples, with more than 3,400 households who give $75 or more, offers activities, travel experiences and events geared toward creating a deeper relationship between patrons and the arts.
In 2017, Artis—Naples acquired the Naples International Film Festival (NIFF), expanding its film offerings and providing a platform for the festival’s continued excellence and growth. In 2019, NIFF was named one of MovieMaker Magazine’s “Top 25 Coolest Film Festivals in the World,” and in 2022 celebrates its 14th year in the community.
