On Thursday, October 15th, Coral Gables Art Cinema celebrated its 10th anniversary.
Coral Gables Art Cinema shares their history with us:
The City of Coral Gables envisioned developing Aragon Avenue as a cultural corridor in December of 2005 with the release of an RFP soliciting proposals from cultural organizations to provide year-round programming at 260 Aragon.
A proposal from Steven Krams and his international cross-channel company Magna-Tech Electronic (MTE) brought the City’s vision to life. The Coral Gables Art Cinema was embraced by the City Commission through an ordinance (2008-16) adopted June 26, 2008 authorizing the City Manager to execute a lease agreement with Krams’ 501(c)3 organization and affirmed the City’s commitment with $250,000 funding from its City Improvement Plan fund. Krams personally financed $135,000 of the project.
The Coral Gables Art Cinema was championed by the public and private sectors with funding from: Coral Gables Community Foundation, Harry and Mary Perrin Fund administered by Mayor Slesnick committed $250,000. MTE and other motion picture companies contributed $435,000 in cash and in-kind equipment and services. Bacardi made a $50,000 gift. Gables Cinema Founding Circle donors contributed $35,000.
2020 marks a decade as an anchor of Coral Gables community and culture. Since opening our doors October 15, 2010 our nonprofit cinema and its pre-eminent cultural programming has taken root and served almost 400,000 customers and infused $18 million into the local economy. In a typical year almost 20% of Coral Gables residents visit the Coral Gables Art Cinema. A 2017 review of the ValiD merchant portal showed $73,523 in revenue from customers using parking garage 2. Coral Gables Art Cinema has grown into $1million budget organization, with Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs investing $125,000 annually in our operations.
Coral Gables Art Cinema is a world-class institution and boasts world-class leadership in its board of directors, including: Mitchell Kaplan who reinvented the community bookstore and has been profiled by the New York Times, Steven Krams a recognized leader in the international Cinema industry, Don Slesnick former Coral Gables Mayor, David Duckenfield former Deputy Assistant Secretary in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Public Affairs, Ana Salas Siegel General Counsel for NBCUniversal Telemundo Enterprises, and Dr. Flor A. Mayoral dermatologist and photographer.
Coral Gables Art Cinema is one of the brightest beacons the City has to offer and has been a source of significant economic impact on the neighboring businesses, who will now need every opportunity to reboot as we emerge from this crisis. Our history has demonstrated our contribution to our community.
