The Holidays Look Bright at Artis—Naples

Anyone who has spent time in Naples during the holidays knows that it is a great place to share the joys of the season with family and friends, with beautiful weather, bright lights all around and plenty of options for indoor and outdoor recreation and entertainment.

This season at Artis—Naples, the holidays return with a lively array of programming and exhibitions to add to family entertainment options, including exhibitions in The Baker Museum, The Nutcracker performed by young dancers from Naples Ballet and Holiday Pops, with the Naples Philharmonic led by Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly.

On the visual arts front, four stunning exhibitions at The Baker Museum offer the opportunity for a day – or two! – spent enjoying colorful masterpieces in glass by Dale Chihuly in Dreaming Forms: Chihuly Then and Now, monumental sculptures by Rodin in Rodin: Truth Form Life/Selections from the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Collections, mystical canvases by Rene Magritte in Magritte: Reflections of Another World/Paintings from the Van Parys Family and often-used artistic themes in Subject Matters: Selections from the Permanent Collection.

Dreaming Forms: Chihuly Then and Now, is the anchor exhibition for the season and marks the third time Chihuly’s work shave been presented at The Baker Museum.

“We are delightedto celebrate the 20th anniversary of The Baker Museum with our third Chihuly exhibition,” said Kathleen van Bergen, CEO and President of Artis—Naples. “We opened the museum in 2000 with a Chihuly exhibition, so there is a lovely symmetry to having his thrilling work help us launch our 20th anniversary season.”

Turning to the performing arts, Naples Ballet presents the beloved holiday classic The Nutcracker, with its young dancers bringing Tchaikovsky’s timeless tale to life in this enchanting 75-minute performance danced to a recorded score. Audiences will follow Clara and her beloved nutcracker on their enchanting journey from a battlefield of voracious mice and valiant soldiers, across a moonlit winter landscape and into a dazzling land of sweets!

Performances are at 3 pm and 7 pm on Saturday, December 5 in Hayes Hall with socially distanced seating.

On December 18 and 19 at 8pm, Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly and the Naples Philharmonic usher in the holidays with a 75-minute program of cherished classics of the season.

Audiences can hear favorite holiday tunes from socially distanced seating in Hayes Hall or at a table for four in Norris Garden and enjoy an outdoor simulcast of the performance on a 24’ movie screen.

Dale Chihuly, Red Reeds, 2010, 10 x 43 x 2′ Artis—Naples, The Baker Museum, Naples, Florida, installed 2020 © Chihuly Studio

Dale Chihuly, Gilded Fiori Boat (detail), 2020, 5½ x 16 x 7½’
Artis—Naples, The Baker Museum, Naples, Florida © Chihuly Studio