[2][3] Business magnate Arthur I. Appleton and his wife, the former Martha O'Driscoll bought land in the Ocala area during the mid-1970s and established Bridlewood Farm, a thoroughbred breeding and training facility.

This mission is made possible with the help of sponsors such as the Ina Gotler-Colen and Gladys Shafran Kashdin Endowed Acquisitions Fund for Florida Artists and the David and Lisa Midgett Foundation.

The artworks in this collection cover various artistic movements, such as Romanticism, Post-Romanticism, Realism, Orientalism, and the pre-Raphaelites, and come from such European nations as: France, Italy, the Netherlands, Russia, Great Britain, and Germany.

The objects available for viewing in this collection include ceramics, bowls, items made from gold and precious jade, statues, effigies, and censers.

There are a number of historical Chinese artifacts, including ceramic pieces of Tang Dynasty horse and guardian figures, rare celadon funerary vases, and Chinese Export Ware, which were made in China exclusively for export to western nations in a time where Orientalism was very popular in western culture.

One notable piece from the collection is a 20th century Dance Headdress with Hare Crest, called a Sibondël, created and used by the Baga people of the Republic of Guinea.

The artwork in this collection include paintings, sculptures, photography, and drawings, and features pieces by such notable artists as: Salvador Dali, Andy Warhol, and Takao Tanabe.

These pieces of art were created mostly during the 19th and 20th centuries, and were collected by Arthur I. Appleton, who served in the United States Navy during World War II.

This collection features artwork by British artists William Adolphus Knell, Captain Richard Brydges Beechey, Henry Scott, and Montague Dawson.