Baker Museum facts for kids

The Baker Museum in Naples, Florida, in 2020. This picture was taken after its big renovation and expansion project.

The Baker Museum is an exciting art museum located in Naples, Florida. It used to be known as the Naples Museum of Art. This museum is part of a larger place called Artis–Naples. Artis–Naples is also home to the Naples Philharmonic orchestra. The museum first opened its doors in the year 2000. It has three floors filled with amazing art. The building is quite large, with about 30,000 square feet of space.

The museum's main collection features many types of art. You can see modern American art and Mexican art from the 1900s. There are also cool sculptures and other 3D artworks. Besides its own collection, the museum often brings in special art shows. These "traveling exhibits" come from other places. The Baker Museum also has a special reading room. It's called the Sisters Reading Room. Here, you can find many art books in the Saldukas Family Foundation library collection.

What Art Can You See?

The Baker Museum has a huge collection of art. There are more than 3,500 pieces! Most of this art is from the 1900s and early 2000s. It focuses on American and Mexican modern art. The museum's collection keeps growing. They get new art through gifts from people and by buying pieces.

The Ahmet Ertegun Collection

In 1999, the museum received the Ahmet Ertegun collection. This collection has about 300 pieces of Modernist art. These artworks were made between the 1910s and the 1960s. You can see art by famous artists like Marsden Hartley and Stuart Davis.

The Harry Pollak Collection

The Harry Pollak collection joined the museum in 2002. It features modern Mexican art. These artworks were created from 1900 to 1980. Important artists in this collection include Diego Rivera and Leonora Carrington. You can also see art by José Clemente Orozco and David Alfaro Siqueiros.

The Bryna Prensky Collection

In 2007, the museum received the Bryna Prensky collection. This collection also has Mexican art. It includes works by artists such as Mario Rangel and Felipe Saúl Peña.

The Olga Hirshhorn Collection

The Olga Hirshhorn collection was added in 2013 and 2016. It's a very diverse collection. It has both modern and contemporary art. Some of the well-known artists are Alexander Calder, Georgia O'Keeffe, and Pablo Picasso. You can also find art by Willem de Kooning and Ed Ruscha.

The Paul and Charlotte Corddry Collection

The Paul and Charlotte Corddry collection was given to the museum in 2016. This collection focuses on modern and contemporary art by American artists. It includes works by artists like Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Rauschenberg, and Frank Stella.

Fun Things to Do at the Museum

The Baker Museum offers many cool events. They have talks about their art shows. You can also join workshops to learn about art. There's a special event called "Art After Hours." During this time, you can visit the museum for free! This happens on the last Wednesday of every month. It's from 6 PM to 9 PM. These events help people learn about and enjoy visual arts.

The Museum Building

The Baker Museum building was designed by a Florida architect named Eugene Aubry. It first opened to visitors in 2000. In September 2017, the museum had to close. This was because of water damage from Hurricane Irma. After two years of repairs, the museum reopened in December 2019.

The museum also went through a big expansion project. This project was finished in the summer of 2020. It added an extra 18,000 square feet of space. This new space holds more art from the collection. It also has areas for events and places for people to gather. The company that designed this expansion was Weiss/Manfredi.