Patty and Jay Baker Ignite Support Of New Gulfshore Playhouse Cultural Campus With Second $10 Million Match Pledge

Leading the nation's growth for arts and entertainment, Gulfshore Playhouse recently celebrated the completion of the design process and upcoming groundbreaking in September for the new Gulfshore Playhouse Cultural Campus featuring the Baker Theatre and Education Center.

Reaffirming their commitment to the transformative project, Patty and Jay Baker made a surprise announcement at the celebration, pledging to match all gifts made by July 4, 2021 up to $10 million. The Bakers, who kicked off the Next Stage Capital Campaign with the first match gift, now have pledged up to $20 million for the new Cultural Campus.

"Jay and I have always believed in laying eggs where we nest, and we nest in Naples. When Kristen shared with us her vision for creating a beautiful new state-of-the art theater in Naples that would serve our community with professional programming and impactful education initiatives, we stepped up as the first supporters," said Patty Baker, Gulfshore Playhouse board member, Naples philanthropist and Tony-award winning producer.

"We know this project will create transformational change in downtown Naples and enhance the vibrant redevelopment occurring in the downtown area. It's time to see this project come to life, and we invite others to join us in making it happen today," added Jay Baker, co-founder of the national retail chain, Kohl's, and longtime donor for Gulfshore Playhouse.

Responding to the call, Drs. Patricia and George Kraus have stepped up as the first match donors, pledging $1 million. A graduate of Dartmouth College and Tuck Graduate School of Business, Mr. Kraus is a serial entrepreneur and has been the founder of several companies. Author of "A Will, A Way", Mrs. Kraus has served on numerous charitable boards, including Youth Haven and Professional Givers Anonymous.

The Next Stage Celebration included a star-studded evening featuring Broadway's Jason Danieley and Emmy- and Grammy-award winner John McDaniel, Naples philanthropists, business executives and civic leaders. The event was attended by nearly 300 supporters committed to bringing to life the new Gulfshore Playhouse Cultural Campus, destined to elevate the region's growing reputation as a destination for the arts. In addition to Patty and Jay Baker, special guest speakers included, Steve Akin, Gulfshore Playhouse board chairman and co-chair of the Next Stage Capital Campaign; Michael Wynn, CEO of Sunshine Ace Hardware, and Kristen Coury, CEO and producing artistic director for Gulfshore Playhouse.

The evening also celebrated the success of this past season for Gulfshore Playhouse. While Broadway has been shut down for over a year, and theaters across the U.S. have cancelled their entire seasons, Gulfshore Playhouse has, despite the odds, surmounted all the obstacles successfully. Not only was Gulfshore Playhouse the only professional theater in the country approved by the national professional actors' union for indoor production in the last three months, resulting in two full-scale productions, as well as a series of Broadway cabaret concerts, but the nonprofit is on the precipice of breaking ground thanks to the generosity of the Bakers and countless others.

In the last four months of the pandemic, Gulfshore Playhouse raised another $14 million for the new Cultural Campus that will serve as an iconic visual and cultural center located at the gateway to downtown Naples. The new campus - one of the first in the nation to be formally named a "Theater and Education Center"- will spur more than $20 million annually in economic activity in Southwest Florida. In addition to an expanded operational budget of $10 million, another $10 million is anticipated in expenditures within the City on ancillary services such as dining, shopping, retail, transportation and lodging. The new campus will expand the creative job sector, employing nearly 60 full time employees, 10 interns/apprentices, and more than 400 visiting artists who will also invest in Naples' economy during their stay. Professional theater education internships and training programs offered by Gulfshore Playhouse will provide pathways for artistic careers, further boosting the creative economy.

Situated within the Design District on the corner of 1st Avenue South and Goodlette-Frank Road, the Cultural Campus also supports the City of Naples' redevelopment plans for the East of 41 downtown area. In February, the CRA accepted a valuable one-acre land donation from Gulfshore Playhouse to be used as a municipal parking garage that will support programming at the theater and serve various retailers, restaurants and shops, nearby. The initiative was supported by a bipartisan group known as the East of 41 Coalition, led by Naples resident and business owner Michael Wynn. The growing group of coalition members recognize the new Cultural Campus will help establish a vibrant destination district that will benefit existing and future businesses.

"This is a historic moment for our community. Our City founders, like my grandfather, recognized that a prosperous future was never guaranteed. Our future success as a community, and sustained prosperity, required visionary leadership who were willing to invest in our community, leaders committed to nurturing and guiding progress while staying true to the unique character of Naples," said Wynn. "There is no better representation of this balance of growth than this $60 million theater and education center. Because of Gulfshore Playhouse, tourists will eat in our restaurants, stay in our hotels, shop in our stores; this project will help businesses compete for workers. Communities that have a strong offering of arts and culture have been shown to have a competitive advantage in attracting workers. This project is also perfectly positioned to create ripple effects that will help broaden the prosperity for the area East of 41."

The Cultural Campus has been created as a cornerstone for culture, education and community engagement that epitomizes the region's growing reputation as a destination for the arts. Furthering the professional theater's mission of strengthening the cultural wealth of the region, the Baker Theatre and Education Center will be home to world-class productions that have the power to foster connections, catalyze conversations and bridge cultural differences. The Cultural Campus will also serve the entire region with accessible theater education programming and stunning cultural engagement spaces open to the public.

"We know that cultural centers are recognized for their importance of serving as a place for presenting powerful art, but equally important are the spaces within where people can engage, meet with friends, and discuss current events," said Coury. "In our 350-seat mainstage theater we'll bring together actors, directors, and designers from around the country to create new works, reimagine classics and showcase world premieres that inspire personal transformation.

"The programs taught in our dedicated education wing will serve students of all ages, and include a board room, classrooms, and rehearsal spaces. We have also created several of our theater and rehearsal spaces to be available as rental facilities for parties, weddings, and meetings."

"Gulfshore Playhouse is Naples' future - the new Cultural Campus is iconic, elegant and inspiring, the hallmarks of what makes our region so desirable," said Akin, "By investing in Gulfshore Playhouse, we have an opportunity to support Naples' long-term growth with enriching experiences, programs and architecture that will create lasting value for our region."

The new Gulfshore Playhouse Cultural Campus is anticipated to open Fall 2023.

With Collier County officials estimating between 122,000 and 162,000 new permanent residents in the area by 2040, the importance of having a variety of established world-class cultural opportunities that visitors and residents can enjoy, participate in and bring others to experience will become even more critical to enhancing the quality of life. As a regional professional theater, Gulfshore Playhouse is ideally positioned to support this growth and meet these needs - not only now, but well into the future.

Gulfshore Playhouse invites individuals, businesses and families to join with other Naples residents in creating something special for generations to come.

For more information about Gulfshore Playhouse, visit www.GulfshorePlayhouse.org or call 239-261-PLAY (7529).

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