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It seems counterintuitive that a collection of more than 400 art pieces could be an intimate one, but that’s exactly the draw of The Olga Hirshhorn Collection at The Baker Museum. Together these works are more striking than the typical assemblage by such an illustrious collector, as they were amassed not for easy identification, hefty price tags or the big names that sign them—but for their deep meaning to their collector. These were the works that made Olga Hirshhorn happy; the works she chose to live with.
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Pi by Kenneth NolandBestowed to The Baker Museum upon Hirshhorn’s passing in October 2015, the hundreds of personal pieces were curated down to a selection that will be on display—complemented by works on loan from The Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden founded by Hirshhorn’s husband, Joseph, in Washington, D.C.—through July 23, 2017. Virtually any artistic item that resided in her Naples home is now a part of The Baker Museum’s permanent collection, joining hundreds of varied small works previously donated to the museum by Hirshhorn from her famous “Mouse House” carriage home in Washington, D.C.
In the current exhibit you’ll find objects from the Hirshhorns’ world travels alongside works by titans such as Pablo Picasso, Louis Eilshemius, Willem de Kooning, Georgia O’Keeffe, Alexander Calder, Larry Rivers, Josef Albers—some of whom were widely known to be personal pals of the Hirshhorns, as indicated by the handwritten notes gracing some of the works. The selection of diverse sizes and styles reflects her eclectic taste and gravitation toward whimsy, successfully conveying her belief of art as a joyful thing.
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And just as the exhibit is a chance for viewers to get up close and personal with significant slices of art history, it is also a remembrance of an influential woman who was so formative in the Naples arts culture ever since she came to call the town home in the early ’60s. In tandem, conductor Andrey Boreyko will also lead the Naples Philharmonic in Scale: A Tribute to Olga Hirshhorn at Artis—Naples on March 30 and April 1, and Hirshhorn Museum chief curator Stéphane Aquin will speak to the importance of the Hirshhorn Collection in a lecture on March 29.
20 More Things We Highly Recommend
Consult this list to pencil in your picks of the region’s best cultural offerings.
Origami in the Garden exhibit at The Baker Museum (through April 23) and Naples Botanical Garden (Dec. 3 through April 23)
Between the two partnering sites you’ll see more than 30 origami- inspired works in steel, bronze and more, ranging from palm-of-the-hand-small to 21 feet tall.
Jerry Seinfeld at Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, Nov. 10
Those of us who missed the boat with last year’s sold-out routine by the comedy giant at Artis—Naples now have a second chance to see his unfailingly funny stand-up.
My Fair Lady by Gulfshore Playhouse, Nov. 12 through Dec. 11
Kristen Coury directs the theater’s first musical in nearly a decade with a 10-person, two-piano ensemble. It’s choreographed by Adam Cates, who is working on the production of Anastasia headed to Broadway this spring, and stars artistic associate Jeff Binder, who spent 11 years on Broadway in The Lion King.
Wycliffe Gordon at Artis-Naples, Nov. 16, and the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center, March 24
If you like jazz trombone, you know this high-energy master is not to be missed.
Bob Dylan and His Band at Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, Nov. 20
The legend is notoriously hit or miss in his performances, but we’ll take the chance to cross this mega concert off our bucket list.
Robert Indiana: Now and Then exhibit at The Baker Museum, Nov. 30 through May 3
One of pop art’s biggest presences puts together more than 50 of his works—think the iconic LOVE print and sculpture—known for their crossover from paper to canvas to three-dimension.
Havana Cuba All-Stars at Artis—Naples, Dec. 5
On their first U.S. tour, the 11-piece group entices listeners to its newly accessible homeland with contemporary and traditional Cuban forms.
Judy Collins at the Southwest Florida Performing Arts Center, Dec. 11
“Judy Blue Eyes”—forever linked in our memories with names such as Joni Mitchell, Joan Baez and Stephen Stills (you may have heard the song Suite: Judy Blue Eyes by Crosby, Stills & Nash)—sources from her 50-album history for the performance.
Garrison Keillor at Artis—Naples, Dec. 14
We expect a fresh perspective from the funnyman after the conclusion this year of his radio variety show A Prairie Home Companion.
Postcards and Perceptions: Florida Seminoles & Tourism exhibit at the Collier County Museum, Jan. 4 through April 29
A fascinating collection of simple images conveys the complex pressures and adjustments the Seminoles endured in early-20th century Florida.
Palettes: Past, Present & Pursuits: The Leoma Lovegrove Retrospective exhibit at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center, Jan. 6-24
The Matlacha painter known for a charming and quirky vibrancy puts together her first reflective collection. Presume a riot of color.
A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder at Artis—Naples, Jan. 17-22
The 2014 Best Musical Tony winner promises laughs and gasps in its story about an heir trying to off the eight relatives who stand in the way of his inheritance.
Marvin & Me by TheatreZone, Jan. 27
Symphony vocalist Valerie Lemon performs a tribute of stories and songs to Marvin Hamlisch—one of only two people to win an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony and Pulitzer Prize—pulling from her 12 years on the road with the iconic composer and conductor.
Beautiful—the Carole King Musical at Artis—Naples, Feb. 7-12
Go inside the life of a one of the biggest-ever female singing/songwriting stars with this true story played out on stage.
To Kill a Mockingbird by Florida Repertory Theatre, Feb. 14 through March 8
We’re counting on this adaptation of Harper Lee’s classic to be as moving as the original.
Carol Burnett at Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall, March 21
The audience gets to ask questions of the fan-favorite actress, comedian, writer and singer in this “Evening of Laughter and Reflection.”
The Cave by Jeff Lindsay by Theatre Conspiracy, March 24 through April 8
The local author of the books behind TV series Dexter penned this premiere about a Union solider, Confederate soldier and slave looking to escape the Civil War.
Art Walks the Runway at the Sidney & Berne Davis Art Center, March 30 through April 1
We always look forward to creations both wacky and divine from this annual three-day display from local and couture designers.
Madame Butterfly by Gulfshore Opera at the Southwest Florida Performing Arts Center, April 2-3
A conductor from the Metropolitan Opera and singers from around the globe complete this full-scale production.
Matthew Morrison with the Naples Philharmonic at Artis—Naples, April 9
Whether you loved or hated his ever-optimistic character on Fox’s TV hit Glee, you can’t deny the Broadway actor has dancing and singing chops with staying power.