The city of Naples, on Florida's Southwest coast, offers a highly sophisticated arts scene.
Naples, perched on Florida’s Paradise Coast, invites visitors to enjoy a taste of the high life. World renowned for its upscale trappings, including high-end retailers and hotels, the city named after one of Italy’s finest also boasts a thriving arts scene. No doubt posh, the upscale performing arts and cultural offerings throughout Naples can make anyone feel like royalty.
“Naples has rapidly grown into a cosmopolitan hot spot,” said Scott McCormish, president of ExploreNaples.com. “The arts industry here is every bit as important to tourism as the world-class shopping, hotels and fine dining that people can enjoy when visiting the city.”
Here are a few exciting highlights to enjoy in the jewel of Collier County:
Art Galleries
While shopping is a major pastime for locals and visitors in the bustling Fifth Avenue South and Third Street South shopping districts, a notable niche has been carved out for those who enjoy the visual arts.
Gallery Row in downtown Naples is a connoisseur’s dream, boasting a strong concentration of the city’s 100-plus galleries. Located at Broad Street South and Third Street South, Gallery Row is a perfect place to spend an afternoon enjoying one amazing collection after another.
Noteworthy galleries include Native Visions Gallery and Shaw Gallery, both offering historic and contemporary art from notable international and American artists.
Performing Arts
In Pelican Bay, in the city’s northern section, sits a glittering figure of arts in the city. For more than 30 seasons, Artis-Naples has been a mainstay of the Naples cultural scene, offering performances in theater, dance and classical and popular music.
Nestled around the two sculpture gardens, the Kimberly K. Querrey and Louis A. Simpson Cultural Campus houses Hayes Hall (a 1,477-seat theater) and The Baker Museum (housing 16 art galleries) as well as Daniels Pavilion, a black-box theater (a simple, unadorned performance space). Throughout the year, Artis-Naples presents a range of programs, including music, film, dance, comedy, Broadway musicals, lectures and exhibitions featuring internationally acclaimed artists.
Artis-Naples is also the home of the Grammy-nominated Naples Philharmonic The internationally renowned group has performed with some of classical music’s greats, including Renée Fleming, Itzhak Perlman and Joshua Bell. The Naples Philharmonic Youth Orchestra also performs here several times each season.
Museums
Artis-Naples, The Baker Museum, formerly known as the Naples Museum of Art, is located on the grounds of the Kimberly K. Querrey and Louis A. Simpson Cultural Campus. It features a collection of more than 300 paintings and drawings by American masters and one of the largest collections of 20th-century Mexican art in the Southeast. It hosts numerous traveling exhibitions as well.
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.
Antiques
The art of antiquing has exploded as a pastime in recent years. Whether you’re looking for a piece from a specific period or just browsing, Naples offers exciting options. The epicenter of the Naples Antique district can be found at Central Avenue and 10th Street.
In The Plaza on Third Street South, you’ll find The Englishman, which offers fine antique art and furniture from the 18th, 19th and early 20th centuries. Some of these shops are known around the world and special events are held frequently. Among the many other shops worth visiting is Auctions Neapolitan.
If escaping to the Paradise Coast is high on your list of priorities, Naples can provide an enriching experience in the arts set in a lively, sophisticated city.
