Marquee Moments at Artis—Naples

Planning a schedule filled with more than 300 Broadway shows, exhibitions of never-before-seen artwork, concerts ranging from Motown to Handel and more is no easy feat. “Crafting the season is a mind-boggling yet magical puzzle,” says Artis—Naples President and CEO Kathleen van Bergen.

   The most talked about show of the Broadway Series is sure to be The Book of Mormon (above) arriving at Artis—Naples for a limited six-day run beginning January 13, 2015. The first musical from South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone is a nine-time Tony Award winner. Since its debut in 2011, The Book of Mormon has remained one of Broadway’s hardest-to-get tickets, consistently selling out shows on both sides of the Atlantic. A word of caution: The show’s irreverent brand of humor and explicit language are intended for adults—leave the kids at home.

   The Broadway hits continue when Pippin (above) takes the stage March 24, 2015, four decades after first delighting audiences with slick Fosse-esque choreography and high-flying stunts. The revival, featuring captivating acrobatics by the award-winning Montreal-based Les 7 Doigts de la Main, will dazzle audiences.

   The Naples Philharmonic Orchestra opens its Masterworks series with a welcome concert for new Musical Director Andrey Boreyko (above), who will handle his role in Naples while also serving as musical director for the Orchestre National de Belgique in Brussels and the Düsseldorfer Symphoniker in Düsseldorf, Germany. In his first season, Boreyko draws musical talent from all corners of the globe, including Russia’s Mariinsky Orchestra, and pairs the Naples Philharmonic with stars including Chris Botti (below, left) and record-setting six-time Tony Award winner Audra McDonald (below, right) for memorable performances.

   In his second year as artistic director of The Baker Museum, Frank Verpoorten has a clear vision: secure the recognition the museum deserves in Florida and beyond. The foundation, he says, is already in place. World-class facility? Check. Exceptional staff? You bet.

   A permanent collection of more than 3,000 pieces of modern and contemporary art? Double check. To ensure the community recognizes these strengths, the museum is in the process of seeking accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums, the governing body of museums in the United States.

   Looking ahead, its fifteenth anniversary season will be comprised of seven exhibits that highlight the museum’s permanent collection and give Naples art lovers the opportunity to experience some of the most sought-after traveling exhibitions. “What you’re going to see this season is, as usual, a very ambitious exhibition, as well as exhibitions that we generate from our own collection,” Verpoorten says. The exhibit “100 Years of American Abstractions” showcases 50 artworks from the museum’s permanent collections, some of which have never previously been shown at the Baker. Featured artists include Dale Chihuly, Willem de Kooning and A.E. Gallatin.

The  Baker Museum’s “Gods and Heroes” exhibit will present works including Antiochus and Stratonice, by Jacques-Louis David.

   Verpoorten is most excited about what he calls this year’s “blockbuster” event, “God and Heroes: Masterpieces from the École des Beaux Arts, Paris,” featuring 140 paintings, sculptures, works on paper and more dating from the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. “This is a very ambitious exhibition with a lot of work that has rarely left France,” he says. “Until World War II, Paris was the center of the art world. Generations of American artists made their pilgrimage to study at the École, and the focus of the exhibit is all the epic themes that were a part of the students’ instruction.” The exhibition, opening February 19, provides the chance to view works from masters including Rembrandt and François Boucher. Many of the works come from the collections of prestigious venues like the École des Beaux Arts and the Louvre, providing a rare chance to see these works so close to home.

Coney Island, a work by Weegee (Arthur Fellig), to be shown in an exhibit of his photography beginning January 17.

   Photography lovers will want to mark their calendars for a presentation of the documentary-style work of Weegee composed of more than 400 pieces from a private collector of the renowned photographer’s images of the realities of life in New York City. In the spring, “Florida Contemporary” returns again to bring together the works of the state’s most respected painters, sculptors, photographers, graphic artists and local rising talents.