Public Libraries:
1
Art Cinemas:
1
Museums:
6
Private Art Galleries:
32
Coral Gables: The City Cultural
The City Beautiful began as a place of art, architecture and culture carved out of the lush tropics. Less than a century later, Coral Gables has matured into a cultural center that would astound even its visionary founder.
With its museums, galleries, theaters, gardens, historical sites and other attractions, the Coral Gables cultural landscape is unequaled by any city of its size in the world. Residents can choose from thousands of live and visual arts performances. They can attend one-of-a-kind festivals and visit renowned cultural institutions.
When George Merrick founded Coral Gables, he did so with artistic flare. In the 1920s, the Miami Grand Opera performed in a drained Venetian Pool and Paul Whiteman's band entertained poolside dancers under the stars from the half-drained pool - which is an artistic and architectural marvel in its own right.
Today's Coral Gables offers an unparalleled array of performing and visual arts.
Landmarks:
Coral Gables, the garden city, has many beautiful entrances, plazas and icons that were constructed in the early planning of the City to help announce one's arrival to a special place. Many have green space around them. All enhance the city and make it famous as a tranquil place with lush greenery and stunning design. The Douglas Entrance, at SW Eighth Street and Douglas Road, is a grand structure also known as Puerta del Sol. The Granada Entrance, at Granada Boulevard and SW Eighth Street, is built of native coral rock. Country Club Prado Entrance, at Red Road and Eighth, is built of brick and stucco, which is sometimes left unfinished to look aged. The Prado Entrance also marks the beginning of Country Club Prado Boulevard, a 200-foot-wide garden piece than runs south for a mile and a half. Thanks to the Coral Gables Garden Club, new entrances have been added to Coral Way at Douglas and Red roads. Another grand entrance is being built on the north side of the city at Ponce de Leon Boulevard and Southwest Eighth Street. Plans are also under way to create a larger than life bronze statue of city founder George Merrick, to be placed in front of City Hall, or nearby it in Merrick Park. The De Soto Fountain, at De Soto and Granada boulevards, is strategically located as a pause between the towering Biltmore Hotel and the magnificent Venetian Pool. The Alhambra Water Tower, on Alhambra Circle at Ferdinand Street, creates a beautiful Moorish feature on a small triangular piece of green space.
Museums & Cultural Centers
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Casa Bacardi, 1531 Brescia Avenue, phone 305-284-2822; The Casa Bacardi, at the Institute for Cuban and Cuban-American Studies, University of Miami, is an interactive center highlighting Cuban history and culture. The Center features: a music pavilion, a products pavilion, the Cuban Information Center, a cinema, a conference room, and exhibits. It is a unique place to appreciate and learn about Cuba's past as well as its present. Click here for website
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Coral Gables Merrick House, 907 Coral Way, phone 305-460-5361. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this structure stands as a tribute to the history of South Florida. Merrick House was the home of Reverend Solomon G. Merrick, his wife Althea and their six children. The Merricks' oldest son, George, founded and developed the City of Coral Gables. The master-planned city was incorporated in 1925. An example of early Coral Gables architecture, the house exists much as it did in the 1920s and is operated as a museum. It is filled with the Merrick family's artwork, photographs, furniture and personal treasures. Click here for website
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Coral Gables Branch Library, 3443 Segovia St., phone 305-442-8706: The 28,000-square-foot library building blends contemporary design with Mediterranean influence. Honduran mahogany doors, wrought-iron Spanish chandeliers and a spacious lobby with red tile floors carry out the Spanish atmosphere. The Coral Gables Branch of the Miami-Dade Public Library System holds 120,315 books, videos and audio cassettes. The Children's Room is the proud home of the original set of Raggedy Ann and Andy dolls donated by the wife of author Johnny Gruelle. The historic dolls were restored with funding from the Dade Community Foundation. Outside the library, lush tropical landscaping includes a butterfly garden with benches. Click here for website
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The Coral Gables Museum (under way). In 2010, the City will dedicate the historic municipal building at 285 Aragon Avenue as a general museum. Popularly known as the Old Police and Fire Station, the complex is one of the simplest but most elegant public buildings in Coral Gables. Built in 1939 by the Works Project Administration (WPA), the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building was designed by Phineas Paist, who was vital in the development of George Merrick's dream city and later principal architect for the City of Coral Gables. The exterior sculptures seen on the west side of the façade, along Salzedo, were executed by Theresa Keller (known professionally as Jon Keller), a noted modern sculptor of the period. The sculptures depict firemen and the families saved through the valiant efforts of firefighters. The mission of the Museum will be to celebrate the past and present City Beautiful and offer a vision for the future. Exhibits will be either of a storyline/permanent nature or temporary and traveling. The use of the term "general" means that all disciplines will be incorporated into interpretation. Some temporary exhibits may be about subjects or collections that are not associated with the City. Interesting collections from residents or others will be displayed on a temporary basis; these will be chosen based on established criteria. In addition to permanent and temporary exhibits, the Museum program will include archival collections, educational offerings for students and adults, publications, and special events. An on-site gift shop is planned, as well as significant space for community meetings. Click here for website.
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Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, 10901 Old Cutler Road, phone 305-667-1651; Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden is one of the world's preeminent botanic gardens with extensive collections of rare tropical plants including palms, cycads, flowering trees, vines, lakes, animals, tours, delicious food and incredible beauty. Established in 1938, the 83-acre garden is among the region's most popular visitor attractions and offers a variety of programs in environmental education, conservation and horticulture. An international leader in tropical plant research, Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden plays an important part in preserving the biodiversity of the tropical environment. Click here for website
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Lowe Art Museum, 1301 Stanford Dr., phone 305-284-3535: Opened to the public in 1952, the Lowe is the first art museum in South Florida. Located on the University of Miami campus, the free-standing museum's 10,000-object collection is one of the most important in the southeast. The Lowe is known for its Renaissance and Baroque, American, Native American, pre-Columbian and Asian art. Forty-one Renaissance and Baroque paintings and sculptures are the backbone of its Western collection. The Americas Collection includes 1,470 works surveying art in the Americas during the 19th and 20th centuries. The Lowe's pre-Columbian collection was begun in 1958 but achieved international stature with the gift of 531 works by Robert M. Bischoff in 1984. The Lowe's important Asian collection features Chinese, Korean and Japanese ceramics, painting and sculpture. Click here for website
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Piag - Museum & Gallery, 2724 Ponce de Leon Boulevard. phone 305-443-0770. PIAG Museum is a non-profit organization 501 (c3) dedicated to planning, organizing, promoting and disseminating the visual arts in all its forms. Many artist are rejected in art galleries because they do not have an extensive curriculum. We give opportunity to artist to showcase their work considering more their talent, creativity and quality of art work than his resume. Our Gallery Nights every first Friday of the month are unique and many times are fun when we have projects for the public to participate. We also have live entertainment Jazz and Latin music with Saxophonist Emilio Antonio. They also have a Mobile Museum to bring art and music to people at events and schools. Click here for website.
Theatres:
Actors' Playhouse Productions opened its initial season in November 1995 at the company's new home in the Miracle Theatre performing arts center on Miracle Mile. In addition, the City is home to New Theatre, Gables Stage, and the Jerry Herman Ring Theatre on the University of Miami campus.
Additional Cultural Amenities: The University of Miami offers outstanding cultural programs such as live performances at Gusman Concert Hall, international exhibits at the Lowe Art Museum, and an annual music festival, click here to learn more about Arts and Culture on the UM campus. The Tropical Baroque Festival and the Beaux Arts Festival are also annual events of national acclaim. Others include the Coral Gables Chamber Symphony and Opera, the Miami Symphony Orchestra, and the Mainly Mozart Festival.
Actors’ Playhouse, 280 Miracle Mile, phone 305-444-9293: Exciting professional theatre soars from the stages of the historic Miracle Theatre, a magnificently restored Art Deco gem. This leading regional performing arts company produces critically acclaimed dramatic and musical theatre. The private, nonprofit organization presents a full season of theatrical productions for adults, a children’s theatre series, extensive educational programming and a wide array of community services. The 600-seat mainstage auditorium has been beautifully restored and a portion of the large balcony area has been transformed into a separate, 300-seat facility for children’s theatre, smaller productions and use by community cultural groups. A third, 100-seat black-box performance space is designed for innovative new work, cutting-edge experimental theatre and to provide space for rehearsals, educational programs, and visual arts exhibitions. Click here for website.
GableStage, 1200 Anastasia Ave., phone 305-445-1119: Located in the magnificent Biltmore Hotel, this company’s year-round programming presents mainstage productions that range from the classic to the contemporary. It is also involved with the educational community to promote educational theatre programs. The 150-seat theatre is host to award-winning and critically acclaimed plays. Click here for website.
New Theatre, 4120 Laguna St., phone 305-443-5909. Utilizing the talents of South Florida artists, this group produces an eclectic mix of classic and contemporary plays for the South Florida community. New Theatre produces a year-round season of plays, each running for six weeks. The 104-seat theatre plays to an annual audience of close to 15,000 which includes students from the city’s schools and universities. The student segment makes up more than 22 percent of New Theatre’s audience, making it one of the youngest of any theatre in South Florida. Click here for website.
Jerry Herman Ring Theatre, 1321 Miller Dr., phone 305-284-3355: Created in 1946, the Ring has performed at three different sites – including a circus tent and a round building used to train Allied navigators during WWII. The name for the Ring grew out of the company's first in-the-round performance which placed the audience in a "ring" around the stage. The current building was constructed in 1951. Its unusual circular design and first-of-its-kind, flexible seating arrangement drew national headlines. The Ring hosts live theatre via the University of Miami's famous theatre company and the producing arm of the Department of Theatre Arts. Click here for website.
Festivals, Cinemas, Galleries:
Coral Gables plays host to festivals that draw visitors from all over the world. The city contains nearly 50 fine art galleries, many specializing in Latin American paintings and sculptures of unparalleled depth and quality.
The Tropical Baroque Music Festival draws performers and music fans from around the globe for its series of concerts held in March. The growing event features an outdoor concert at Fairchild Tropical Garden, performances at various venues throughout Coral Gables and a grand concert at the Biltmore. For information, call 305-661-2481.
The Mainly Mozart event brings chamber music to the Colonnade Ballroom in for a series of eight consecutive Sundays each May and June. For information, call 305-444-4755.
The first Friday of each month is Gallery Night in Coral Gables, when dozens of galleries and shops stay open late, hosting visitors with exhibits, snacks and receptions from 7 p.m.-10 p.m. Free rides shuttle art lovers between galleries. For information, call ArtSpace/Virginia Miller Galleries at 305-444-4493.
Performances of jazz, classical, popular and other music take place year round at Coral Gables Congregational Church, an elegant Mediterranean Revival structure built in 1924 on land donated by Coral Gables founder George Merrick. The church, at 3010 DeSoto Boulevard, can be reached by calling 305-448-7421.
Maurice Gusman Concert Hall on the University of Miami campus hosts more than 100 concerts and events each year in its 600-seat auditorium. The hall is the site of the popular Festival Miami concert series that is held each fall and showcases a wide variety of music from around the world. The hall, at 1314 Miller Dr., can be reached by calling 305-284-2438.
Steinway Piano Gallery, 4104 Ponce de Leon Boulevard. For information call 305-774-9878.
The Coral Gables Chamber Symphony and Opera (phone 305-443-7370) and the Miami Symphony Orchestra (phone 305-447-9500) add to the cultural amenities in Florida’s 47th largest city.
The Bill Cosford Cinema on the University of Miami campus shows art, foreign, student and experimental films during the school year. The Alcazar Cinematheque (235 Alcazar Ave., phone 305-445-8877) shows foreign films. The Spanish Cultural Center (phone 305-448-9577) in the historic Douglas Entrance hosts movies, lectures, performances, poetry recitals and art exhibits.
Live Music can be heard in certain restaurants in the Central Business District, near the University of Miami and in other locations that feature blues, jazz, rock, popular and other styles.
Several book stores feature live music, art exhibits and readings by famed international authors. Performing and visual arts events are held for children at the Coral Gables War Memorial Youth Center, 400 Anastasia Ave., phone 305-460-5339.
Architecture is one of the lasting gifts that Merrick gave to the City Beautiful. Historic properties, spectacular homes and significant landmarks line the city’s streets. Artful architecture includes: the Alhambra Water Tower, Biltmore Hotel and Country Club, Chinese Village, Colonnade Building, City Hall, Country Club Prado Entrance, Dutch South African Village, Florida Pioneer Village, French Country Village, French Normandy Village, Italian Village and Granada Entrance.
Artistic food is another big attraction in Coral Gables. Gourmet restaurants draw visitors from around the region and beyond. Creative cuisine abounds and sidewalk cafes are sprouting up all over the downtown district. The art, culture, dining, music and more have made for an exciting, vibrant nightlife in the city’s Central Business District.
The City has developed a brochure on arts and culture in Coral Gables. click here to download the brochure.
With world class cultural opportunities, Coral Gables truly is an art lover’s paradise.
New Projects Underway
Arts in Public Places Ordinance: The City of Coral Gables, with the support of the Miami-Dade County Art in Public Places professionals, is developing a more formal Art in Public Places program to assist in the maintenance of the historic public art through Municipal Construction Project funding and the acquisition, installation, and maintenance of new, equally significant public art for the enjoyment of citizens and visitors through the non-Municipal construction contributions. The City's art in public places program shall promote the City's diversity, character and heritage through the artworks and designs by artists integrated in the architecture throughout Coral Gables on public and private property. Click here for information on the Art in Public Places Ordinance.
Coral Gables Art Cinema: The City of Coral Gables has constructed a 600-car public parking facility in the heart of the downtown and has dedicated a portion of the ground floor space for a (proposed) small non-profit art cinema that would also be available to small and emerging non-profit groups wanting to present their talents but unable to find or afford the appropriate venue. Located immediately across from Books & Books, close to the proposed Coral Gables Museum, down the street from Café Abbracci and next to the Colombian Consulate, this new addition to Aragon Avenue will help further transform the street into an accessible and affordable cultural enclave for the public to enjoy. Once finished, the multipurpose auditorium will seat 144 patrons, be fully handicapped accessible, and capable of serving as a venue for film screenings, boutique or niche film festivals, lectures, book readings and other cultural events. Click here to download the Coral Gables Art Cinema proposed program.
