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Guest Writer

Arts Abound This Fall with Artis—Naples


Naples Philharmonic, Free Community Chamber Trinity by the Cove

 

Audiences won’t need to wait until the fall for the highly anticipated 2024-25 Artis—Naples season to begin. July marked the exciting commencement of Alexander Shelley’s tenure as artistic and musical director of the multidisciplinary arts organization, and his influence on the season is evident in the impressive lineup of programs across the visual and performing arts.


The Baker Museum is the first stop on the cultural journey. As We Rise: Photography from the Black Atlantic, Selections from the Wedge Collection, which opened in July, continues through October 13. This exhibition offers a timely exploration of Black identity through a captivating range of photographs from the African diaspora. September brings Becky Suss: The Dutch House, a solo exhibition featuring new paintings inspired by Ann Patchett’s 2019 novel of the same name that was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. October welcomes Alex Katz: Theater and Dance, the first comprehensive exploration of Katz’s playful and inventive collaborations with choreographers, dancers and avant-garde theater ensembles. The exhibition features unpublished sketches, major sets, paintings and rare archival materials from the Paul Taylor Dance Company. Other early season highlights include the continuation of “Deep Cuts from the Ahmet Ertegün Collection,” closing on October 13, and the annual “Florida Contemporary” exhibition showcasing three noteworthy Florida artists grappling with themes relevant to the Sunshine State.



Alex Katz (American, b. 1927). Last Look, 1986. Oil on board, 24 x 60 1/4 in. Alex Katz Studio.

©2024 Alex Katz / Licensed by VAGA at Artists Rights Society (ARS), NY. Courtesy American Federation of Arts

 

Music lovers will delight in the first few months of the 2024-25 season, starting with the Naples Philharmonic’s beloved free chamber concerts offered throughout Southwest Florida from September 5-11. Thousands of students from Collier and Lee counties will also enjoy full orchestral experiences throughout September and October with the Naples Philharmonic’s signature schooltime education concerts. Later in the fall, Alexander Shelley conducts his first Naples Philharmonic Masterworks program as artistic and music director on November 1-2. The program features Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition, Gabriela Ortiz’s Kauyumari and Arturo Marquez’s Guitar Concerto, an Artis—Naples co-commission, performed by guest guitarist Pablo Sáinz-Villegas.


Before the community officially welcomes Shelley in his new role, a variety of other musical performances will take center stage. The Sypert Salon series gets underway with an enticing program featuring noteworthy works by French composers George Onslow and Louise Farrenc. The All That Jazz series returns on October 16 with trombonist John Allred and the Naples Philharmonic Jazz Orchestra, and fans can also look forward to three tribute acts in August and October. The popular Billy Joel tribute act Turnstiles starts the month with a bang on August 1, and The Motowners return to Naples on August 14-15 to perform R&B classics from the 1960s and ’70s. In mid-October, Chicago tribute band Brass Transit joins Assistant Conductor Alvin Ho and the Naples Philharmonic for a symphonic celebration of the Windy City-based supergroup’s greatest songs.


As always, October is an especially energizing time of year as the Naples International Film Festival rolls out the red carpet once again. Cinephiles can enjoy screenings of some of the newest and best independent films, mingle with filmmakers and participate in thought-provoking panel discussions. The opening night film and party kicks off on the Kimberly K. Querrey and Louis A. Simpson Cultural Campus on October 24, with NIFF films screening at a local partner cinema and on the organization’s cultural campus from October 25-27. The festivities conclude with a closing night awards ceremony and wrap party on October 27, and later that night the Naples Philharmonic and Principal Pops Conductor Jack Everly perform Batman (1989) in Concert in Hayes Hall.


For tickets and additional details, visit artisnaples.org.

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