Haven’t been to the Baker Museum yet?
Now’s your chance.
The Baker Museum is offering free admission on Sundays beginning May 17 and continuing through Sept. 6, along with Art After Hours on the last Wednesday of each month.
Summer at the Baker also includes jazz in the Daniels Pavilion.
The Naples Philharmonic Jazz Orchestra plays the music of hard bop innovator Horace Silver on May 13. On May 17, the Naples Philharmonic Youth Jazz Orchestra performs works from across the jazz tradition, under the direction of Brandon Robertson. The month closes out on May 23 when the Naples Philharmonic Youth Symphonia brings the magic of chamber music to Community Day.
MORE INFORMATION:
“Each summer, Artis-Naples offers summer programming that reflects our mission to inspire, educate and entertain the diverse community we serve,” said Artis-Naples CEO and President Kathleen van Bergen. “By pairing free admission to The Baker Museum with thoughtfully curated performances and community programs, we ensure that meaningful artistic experiences remain accessible and engaging throughout the year.”
The Baker Museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $10 for adults but free on Summer Sundays. Children under 17 are also admitted free.
The Baker Museum also participates in the nationwide Blue Star Museums program, presented by the National Endowment for the Arts and Blue Star Families. This program offers free admission to active military and up to five family members from Armed Forces Day, Saturday, May 16, through Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 7. Those who qualify should present military IDs at The Baker Museum upon arrival.
Inside the Baker in May
The following exhibitions are on view inside the Baker Museum in May:
“sonia louise davis: to reverberate tenderly”: Visual artist, writer and performer sonia louise davis works within a lineage of Black feminist abstraction and avant-garde music. Her latest multisensory exhibition, “to reverberate tenderly,” is a living environment for creative activity that reflects the artist’s deep engagement with improvisation. The exhibition includes textile-based soft paintings, a wall mural composed of painted gestures and neon elements, and custom steel instruments, or “sounders,” that can be activated by performers. The artist creates her soft paintings using an industrial tufting machine, running yarns through the surface of each work to create voluminous forms with high relief and texture. davis has invented a personal vocabulary of lines, curves, dots, rings and dashes that she considers akin to musical notation. These marks are interwoven, layered and repeated throughout the gallery, creating a musical score in three dimensions. Her exhibition explores the possibilities of a new kind of sonic space, one that is attuned to vulnerability and generosity while offering a soft landing for ideas to resonate. Closes May 24.
“Florida Contemporary 2025-26”: This annual exhibition that runs through June 28 presents a select group of notable visual artists practicing in Florida. Highlighting the diversity of artistic approaches to personal, local and global themes, Florida Contemporary invites visitors to celebrate the state’s vibrant art scene. Featured artists are:
Mally Khorasantchi, whose colorful, large-scale collage-based paintings reflect on the dichotomies found in humankind and in nature: beauty and discord, reality and falsehood, or representational and abstract (For more, read/hear “Mally Khorasantchi collage in Florida Contemporary exhibition inspired by 100th anniversary of Gershwin's 'Rhapsody in Blue.'”);
Boy Kong, whose work is inspired by a mixture of Ukiyo-e, surrealism, graffiti art and animal folklore;
Jillian Mayer, whose varied practice includes film, performance, sculpture, drawing and installation, with many of her works focused on concerns around the ubiquity of technology in contemporary life (For more, read/hear, “Miami sculptor Jillian Mayer’s Slumpies a sardonic commentary on ubiquity of technology”) ; and
Reginald O’Neal, whose richly painted canvases expand the art historical traditions of portraiture with work that is simultaneously sentimental and sinister (For more, read/hear “Reginald O'Neal's 'Jazz Figurines' series in Florida Contemporary originated in random stop in New Orleans souvenir shop”).
“Discovering Ansel Adams”: This exhibition offers insight into how Ansel Adams arrived at the powerful, mature visual language he used from the 1940s onward. It begins with Adams’ first photographs of Yosemite National Park, which he took in 1916 as a 14-year-old tourist from San Francisco. Visitors follow his progression from early experimentation to mastery, witnessing the pivotal moments that shaped his approach to photography. His photographs, technical innovations, and artistic choices offer a compelling look at how he transformed his passion into a lifelong mission to capture and protect the natural world. Drawn from the extensive Ansel Adams Archive at the University of Arizona’s Center for Creative Photography, this exhibition presents a rich collection of photographs, documents, and personal artifacts, offering a rare window into the formative years of Adams’ career. Runs to Aug. 2.
“There & Here: New Perspectives of the Permanent Collection”: In celebration of The Baker Museum’s 25th anniversary, this exhibition stands as a testament to the enduring legacy of artistic exploration and cultural preservation. Co-curated with a dedicated community advisory committee, "There & Here: New Perspectives of the Permanent Collection" showcases an exceptional selection of highlights and rare treasures from the museum’s permanent collection. Through this thoughtfully curated display, the exhibition examines the profound ways individuals preserve their identities and sustain meaningful connections to their cultural heritage, even amidst the challenges of geographical dislocation. By combining artistic expression with engaging community programs, "There & Here" strives to illuminate the diverse narratives of heritage and resilience. Visitors are invited to explore this compelling intersection of art and identity, gaining fresh perspectives on the museum’s enduring role in fostering connection and cultural dialogue. Ongoing (multi-year exhibition); located on second floor.
“The Passion of Collecting: Stories in Glass and Ceramics from the Sibrack Collection”: This exhibition celebrates a major gift to the permanent collection of The Baker Museum from longtime supporters Dr. Laurence and Rita Sibrack of Naples, avid art collectors for more than 30 years. The Dr. Laurence and Rita Sibrack Collection of Contemporary Glass and Ceramics comprises 74 works by 60 artists. Together, these works represent every major process of studio glass, from flame-worked to blown to cast. Ceramics are represented by striking figurative and abstract works. The collection includes some of the best-known figures associated with the studio glass movement, including Lucio Bubacco, Dale Chihuly, Amber Cowan, Dan Dailey, Michael Glancy, Judith Schaechter, Preston Singletary, Matthew Szösz, Loretta Yang, Toots Zynsky and more. Originating in the 1960s, the studio glass movement saw artists around the United States innovating methods of utilizing glass as a medium for original artistic expression. Before this time, glass was used for functional objects and was manufactured in large factories through industrial processes. The artists of the studio glass movement created techniques that could be accomplished on a more intimate scale in their studios, where they were free to experiment and create. Runs to Nov. 1. For more, visit “Baker Museum receives transformational gift of glass and ceramic art.”
“Seventeenth Annual Student Exhibition”: The 17th Annual Student Exhibition includes more than 250 works by local public, private and home-schooled students, grades pre-kindergarten through 12. A broad array of media, including painting, drawing, collage, sculpture, ceramics and photography are represented in this showcase of outstanding artwork created by talented student artists. Runs to July 5.
“Louise Nevelson: Dawn’s Forest”: The monumental sculpture “Dawn’s Forest” by preeminent American artist Louise Nevelson (1899-1988) is one of the most iconic works in The Baker Museum’s permanent collection. The work is made of various white-painted abstract wood elements, some as tall as 25 feet, created by Nevelson in her signature assemblage style over a period of more than a year. This is a permanent exhibit located in the Drackett Gallery and throughout Hayes Hall. Ongoing exhibition.
Chihuly Collection: Dale Chihuly is a multimedia artist known for pushing the boundaries of glass and revolutionizing the American studio glass movement. The Baker Museum is the permanent home to four of his dynamic large-scale installations: “Blue Icicle Chandelier,” “Red Chandelier,” “Red Reeds” and “Persian Seaform Ceiling.” On view to museum visitors during all normal operating hours.
Outside, visitors enjoy the Baker Museum Sculpture Trail. Works are interspersed throughout the Kimberly K. Querrey and Louis A. Simpson Cultural Campus and Sculpture Trail at Pelican Bay. The Baker Museum Sculpture Trail offers a distinctive way to experience art in harmony with nature. This dynamic outdoor exhibition features sculptures from The Baker Museum’s collection and select loans, including works by George Rickey and Albert Paley. Visitors can enjoy self-guided tours anytime. Ongoing exhibition. For more, hear/read, “Baker Museum collaborates with Pelican Bay Foundation on outdoor sculpture trail.”
Concerts at the Daniels Pavilion in May
Here is more information about the concerts taking place inside the Daniels Pavilion in May:
All That Jazz: The Music of Horace Silver, Naples Philharmonic Jazz Orchestra: The music of hard bop innovator Horace Silver takes center stage in the final All That Jazz performance of the 2025-26 season series. A true musical alchemist, Silver blended soul, blues and gospel into jazz, creating tunes that were as danceable and joyful as they were deeply expressive. Wednesday, May 13, 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.
Naples Philharmonic Youth Jazz Orchestra Spring Concert: Celebrate another great season with the Naples Philharmonic Youth Jazz Orchestra. Led by Brandon Robertson, this spring performance showcases the energy and skill of Southwest Florida’s top young jazz musicians performing works from across the jazz tradition. Sunday, May 17 at 7 p.m.
Naples Philharmonic Youth Symphonia Spring Concert: The Naples Philharmonic Youth Symphonia brings the magic of chamber music to Community Day. These talented young strings players will perform various works by famed composers like Mozart and Haydn. Saturday, May 23 at 2 p.m.
Support for WGCU’s arts & culture reporting comes from the Estate of Myra Janco Daniels, the Charles M. and Joan R. Taylor Foundation, and Naomi Bloom in loving memory of her husband, Ron Wallace.
