10 Takeaways from Wake Up Naples: "Arts and Culture in Collier County"

Arts and culture are key for any growing community, large or small. Artis—Naples, Gulfshore Playhouse and the United Arts Council of Collier County are leading the way in our community.  At the Chamber's first Wake Up Naples session of 2019, Kathleen van Bergen, CEO & President of Artis-Naples, Kristen Coury, Founder & Producing Artistic Director of Gulfshore Playhouse and Laura Burns, Executive Director of United Arts Council gave us insight into the current state of arts and culture in Naples and what’s to come for the future. 

Here are 10 takeaways from the talk:
​

1. Artis—Naples, the home of the Naples Philharmonic and the Baker Museum, is making the arts more accessible to everyone in the community through world class education programs.
2. Only 50% of Artis—Naples’ revenue every year comes from ticket sales, donors are a huge part of their continued growth.
3. The Baker Museum will expand to 17,000 square feet in the upcoming year to hold more works of art!
4. Gulfshore Playhouse has six full length runs of professional theatre, including new works and reinvented classics
5. Gulfshore Playhouse brings in over 100 artists a year to Naples from all over the country, including some from Broadway.
6. A contest in the form of a festival, hosted by Gulfshore Playhouse, is held every year for new theater productions as a chance to introduce new works to the community.
7. In Downtown Naples, Gulfshore Playhouse is constructing a new theatre that will hold a stage the size of Broadway.
8. The United Arts Council of Collier County is a grassroots advocate for arts and culture within the community and acts as an umbrella for many different forms of art.
9. The United Arts Council of Collier County provides arts and culture after-school enrichment programs directly to the students, making it easily accessible and convenient for our future talent.
10. The United Arts Council pours into the local arts community with hopes of kids exploring the world, learning, and then coming back to Naples to live and work.​

Wake Up Naples is a monthly breakfast event includes dynamic speakers and valuable networking opportunities.  Make sure to keep an eye out for future events!