Naples Art announced today the appointment of Frank Verpoorten as its executive director and chief curator, effective immediately.
A renowned leader, professional, and academic in the art world with more than 20 years of curatorial and artistic leadership in museums in the United States and Europe, Verpoorten will lead Naples Art into an exciting new phase as a premier Naples hub for artists, art enthusiasts and students.
Verpoorten previously served as director and chief curator for Artis—Naples, The Baker Museum, where he grew and advanced the appreciation of the permanent collection during his seven-year tenure, raising the museum’s profile and building a reputation for distinctive, world-class exhibitions.
Verpoorten’s impressive fundraising efforts during his tenure resulted in significant donations, gifts of art, endowment support, and exhibition sponsorship/underwriting. He oversaw the programming of stimulating exhibition seasons that included installations from The Baker Museum’s collection, national and international exhibitions, the acquisition of notable collections as well as showcases of emerging and under-recognized artists.
Prior to his tenure at Artis—Naples, Verpoorten’s esteemed career includes 10 years in New York City as culture attaché at Flanders House (2009 – 2012), director of visual arts and exhibitions curator at Snug Harbor Cultural Center and the Newhouse Center for Contemporary Art (2005 – 2009) and curator of the Dahesh Museum of Art (2002 – 2005).
Verpoorten attended the Ph.D. Program in Art History at the City University of New York and holds dual master’s degrees in Cultural Studies and Art History from Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium.
Naples Art Board chair Ricki Baker shares, “We are extremely excited to welcome Mr. Verpoorten to the helm of Naples Art and look forward to our continued growth in the Naples artistic community under his leadership.”
Verpoorten adds, “I have long admired Naples Art’s commitment to art education as well as its prime location in the heart of Old Naples, adjoining a park teeming with activity and a pedestrian destination par excellence. I join the organization with the intention of propelling Naples Art to greater prominence, to elevate its exhibition program, and to ensure its future viability and relevance as an organization that embraces diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion. This joining of forces is a welcome opportunity for me to continue to foster the relation with the Naples community, which I have come to know well over the past eight years. I am confident that I can strengthen the mission of Naples Art so that it may fulfill its greatest potential as an institution of art educational purpose.”
For more information about Naples Art, call 239-262-6517 or visit NaplesArt.org.
