Patty and Jay Baker Donate $1 Million to Launch Full-Time Academy at Naples Players

A transformational moment has arrived for Southwest Florida’s performing arts community. With a generous $1 million gift from philanthropists Patty and Jay Baker, The Naples Players is launching its first full-time, year-round performing arts academy. The contribution opens a new era for arts education in Collier County, solidifying the Bakers’ commitment to culture, community, and creative growth.

The Naples Players Academy (TNPA) aims to cultivate talent across disciplines: acting, voice, dance, musical theater, technical theater, and arts leadership. This commitment elevates the institution from part-time classes and performances into a full educational anchor in the region’s arts ecosystem.

Why This Gift Matters

While Naples has long had vibrant theater activity, access to sustained, high-level training often requires traveling or relocating. The Baker gift bridges that gap by making intensive arts education available locally. Students—from middle school through adult learners—can now anticipate a structured curriculum rooted in professional theater standards.

For The Naples Players, the infusion ensures stability, program expansion, and credibility. It’s one thing to run seasonal shows and sporadic classes; it’s another to anchor a full academy with staffing, facilities, curriculum development, and ongoing recruitment. This gift gives that foundation.

Patty and Jay Baker are already well-known local benefactors. Jay, co-founder and former president of Kohl’s, brings a legacy of philanthropy and community investment. Patty is an accomplished Broadway producer and passionate arts advocate. Their combined experience in commerce and culture positions them uniquely to steward such a transformative gift.

Their history of support to Naples arts and health institutions is broad: they’ve contributed to hospital infrastructure, senior programs, performing arts venues, and local nonprofits. This latest gift further entwines their legacy with Naples’ cultural identity.

Challenges and Opportunities Ahead

Launching a full-time academy is ambitious. TNPA will need:

• Faculty and staff with high-level training to deliver rigorous curriculum

• Facility upgrades or new space suited for rehearsals, classrooms, performance labs, and technical infrastructure

• Sustainable funding models beyond the Baker gift—tuition, scholarships, grants, donor cultivation

• Community buy-in from parents, schools, and local cultural institutions

• Recruitment and retention of students in a region where arts education competition is growing

If well executed, however, the academy can become a magnet for regional talent, nurture the next generation of performers, and anchor Naples more firmly on the cultural map of Florida and beyond.

Thanks to the Bakers’ vision and generosity, Naples may soon become a regional hub for arts education—as well as performance. The Naples Players Academy promises to change not just how theater is produced locally, but how artistic talent is nurtured and retained in Southwest Florida for generations to come.