Baker Museum facts for kids
The Baker Museum is a fantastic art museum located in Naples, Florida. It's part of a bigger place called Artis–Naples, which also has the Naples Philharmonic orchestra. The museum first opened its doors in the year 2000. It was later renamed to honor Patty and Jay Baker, who were very generous supporters. This museum is a three-story building, about 2,787 square meters (30,000 square feet) in size, filled with amazing art. You can see art from different styles, like American modernism, Mexican art from the 1900s, and cool sculptures. Besides its own art, the museum often brings in special traveling exhibits. There's also a quiet place called the Sisters Reading Room, which has a library collection for visitors.
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What Art Can You See?
The Baker Museum has a huge collection of over 3,500 pieces of art. Most of these are from the 1900s and 2000s, especially American and Mexican modern art. The museum keeps adding to its collection through gifts and by buying new artworks.
The Ahmet Ertegun Collection
In 1999, the museum received the Ahmet Ertegun Collection. This collection has about 300 pieces of Modernist art created between the 1910s and the 1960s. You can find works by famous artists like Morgan Russell, Marsden Hartley, and Stuart Davis here.
The Harry Pollak Collection
The Harry Pollak Collection joined the museum in 2002. It focuses on Mexican art from 1900 to 1980. This collection includes art by well-known Mexican artists such as Leonora Carrington, Diego Rivera, and Rufino Tamayo.
The Olga Hirshhorn Collection
The museum added the Olga Hirshhorn Collection in 2013 and 2016. This collection is very diverse, featuring modern and contemporary art. It includes pieces by legendary artists like Josef Albers, Alexander Calder, Georgia O'Keeffe, Pablo Picasso, and Ed Ruscha.
The Paul and Charlotte Corddry Collection
In 2016, the Paul and Charlotte Corddry Collection was given to the museum. This collection showcases modern and contemporary art from American artists. Some of the artists featured are Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Rauschenberg, and Frank Stella.
Fun Things to Do at the Museum
The Baker Museum offers many exciting programs and events for visitors of all ages. They have special talks about their exhibits and workshops where you can try making art yourself.
Art After Hours
One popular event is "Art After Hours." On the last Wednesday of every month, from 6 PM to 9 PM, you can visit the museum for free! It's a great chance to explore the art and enjoy the museum in the evening. They also have "Artists' Studio Tour" events, which let you see where artists create their work.
The Museum Building
The Baker Museum building was designed by a Florida architect named Eugene Aubry. It first opened its doors to the public in 2000.
Repairs and Expansion
The museum had to close for repairs from September 2017 to December 2019 because of water damage from Hurricane Irma. After these repairs, the museum also got bigger! An expansion, designed by Weiss/Manfredi, was finished in 2020. This added about 1,672 square meters (18,000 square feet) of new space. This extra space helps the museum display more art, host more events, and create comfortable areas for people to gather.
