Artis–Naples had their first preview party of the season—an exclusive event for members of the Baker Museum to preview new art collections. And as the museum’s in-house caterer, we get the honor of bringing these exhibits to life with custom-designed menus and stylized décor.

Artis—Naples continually goes above and beyond to captivate and inspire their guests, so we made it our mission to have our catering service complement that by serving a menu inspired by the exhibit on display.

Customizing an Artistic Preview Party

Understanding the Exhibit on Display

The exhibit on display was titled Johnny’s Pool and included photographs from the collection of French artist Jean Pigozzi. The photos in the exhibit were shown for the first time from his private archive and while the famous “blue pool” at the Pigozzi family’s Villa Dorane at Cap d’Antibes has been the backdrop for many famous peoples’ photos since 1953, the way Pigozzi uses dramatic light and different pool-toy props is always new and exciting.

Making a Plan to Surpass Expectations

By taking the time to get to know our clients and their event needs, we are able to anticipate and prepare for challenges, as well as find ways to impress and amaze guests. And while Artis–Naples provides us with no shortage of studios, galleries and exhibitions to serve as inspiration, we also want to know all about the guests who are attending.

The Baker Museum members look forward to attending an event that surpasses expectations with beautiful art, great company and delicious hors d’oeuvres. That’s why we customized a menu to include exceptionally innovative food and stylized displays that immerse guests in a South-France theme—the perfect match to French artist Jean Pigozzi’s work.

Considering All Aspects of Décor

Décor has a big impact on the atmosphere of an event. But it is much more complex than just that—it affects everything from how guests move about your event to the photos taken. This is one reason why working with a creative custom caterer is so critical. For instance, our professionals are able to design décor that accomplishes multiple goals within your desired atmosphere. To set the scene for this event featuring the Johnny’s Pool exhibit in this historic and artistic setting, we planned the following:

• Modern yet casual décor: The perfect fit to the many black and white photos
• Fresh plants, herbs and glass material: Bringing in elements from the collection on display mimics an outdoor French garden
• Fresh lemon decorations: Adds a great pop of color and another garden element to the station

Designing a Custom Menu Inspired by Art

While Jean Pigozzi’s photos alone could whisk guests away into the fun of the glitterati, we made sure delicious hors d’oeuvres elevated their experience. Our culinary team brought together the exhibit theme and the highest-quality ingredients to design this incredible Johnny’s Pool South-France menu. Knowing guests would desire French cuisine inspired by Johnny’s Pool, we created these dishes to bring the exhibit and event theme to life:

• Ratatouille: Seasonal locally sourced zucchini, onion, tomato, eggplant, red pepper, fennel, garlic and fresh herbs roasted together and finished with sea salt and pepper; served with pistou toasted baguette and garlic aioli on the side
• Tapenade bar: Tapenade of black olives, capers, anchovies, garlic and extra-virgin olive oil and tapenade of sun-dried tomatoes, capers, lemon, basil and extra-virgin olive oil; offered with baguette croute
• Chèvre and fruit: French-style chèvre served two ways (cranberry orange and chive black pepper logs) and an herbed chèvre dip; fresh seasonal fruit of figs, apples, pears and spiced nuts

Since an environment can heavily alter a person’s impression of art, we were thrilled that the guests of Artis—Naples’ preview party were able to view Pigozzi’s fine work while enjoying hors d’oeuvres and décor thoughtfully produced by our skilled and experienced team. Such a well-coordinated event left guests excited for the next exhibit preview and with a great memory of incredible art and talent—in the form of both food and photos.

For a catering experience elevated by exceptional food and service, contact our creative professionals online or give us a call at (239) 774-3663.