Friday, March 18, 2016

Baker Baker Baker

All over Naples and Collier County, hospitals and cultural institutions are named for Jay and Patty Baker.  Jay was President of Kohl's, a national department store chain.  Patty has produced many Broadway musicals.  They are wealthy, civic-minded and generous.


The museum-formerly-known-as-the-museum-that-cannot-be-named-because-photography-is-not-permitted-but-now-can-be-named-because-photography-is-now-permitted is the Baker Museum,
the arts center of Artis Naples.  Patty Baker is the creator and co-founder of the museum.  She and her husband have contributed more than $10 million over the years.  More about the museum later.


The Bakers have given $23 million to the Naples Community Hospital (NCH) Downtown Naples Hospital, which was recently renamed the NCH Baker Hospital.  The Tower building at NCH North Naples Hospital is now the Jay & Patty Baker Tower in recognition of additional generous gifts.

And, a few weeks ago the Gulfshore Playhouse announced a $10 million gift from the Bakers to help build a new theater.  Whatever you think about wealth and disparities, the Bakers are a couple
who share their financial good fortune with the communities where they live.

14 comments:

  1. That's nice that there are people in this world who can about others instead of themselves and the community benefits from their generosity.

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  2. I'm sure they are also getting a benefit from the donations (tax deductions), but it is still a good thing for the community.

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  3. Baker Museum is definitely less of a mouthful Jack :) They certainly are a community minded couple.. good to see!

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  4. Kudos to the Baker's for being so civic minded. Too bad many other wealthy individuals cannot follow their example.

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  5. we need more people like the bakers! love that museum! that's a long name :)

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  6. Wealthy benefactors are a gift to any city. Hope that the citizens appreciate their generosity.

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  7. That is a lot of philanthropy. I got a laugh out of your remark about the photo status at the museum.

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  8. It's good to hear about people like that, Jack!

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  9. I think that museum must have been built since we were in Naples last. Nice that you can now take photos. That policy of no photos was based on old and now erroneous assumptions.

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  10. That's nice. But the entrance looks a bit gaudy to me.

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  11. The road I live on is named after them too! Good that they are so civic minded.

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  12. Many, but perhaps too few, wealthy people are like this. Think of Bill Gates.

    I am not a subscriber, shall we say, but something I admire about Islam is that it expects charity and it expects it to be anonymous. Or so I was told once in Cairo.

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  13. Please tell us that the name change was due to a certain photo blogger's successful lobbying efforts for indoor museum photography! With regard to the hospital, when will the 'Jack Wing' be announced???

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  14. These are staggering amounts.

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