Coral Gables Museum’s Soccer Exhibit Receives 2015 Brazilian International Press Award

CORAL GABLES, Fla. - April 9, 2015 - PRLog -- Coral Gables, FL – April 9, 2015 – The Coral Gables Museum, which celebrates, investigates and explores the civic arts, has received a 2015 Special Prize from the Board of the Brazilian International Press Awards for its 12 Stadiums | 12 Cities: Brazil 2014 World Soccer Destination exhibit.

“We are honored to be recognized by the Brazilian International Press Awards Board for developing the original and interactive exhibit with the Centro Cultural Brasil-USA,” said Christine Rupp, Director of the Coral Gables Museum. “The 12 Stadiums | 12 Cities: Brazil 2014 World Soccer Destination exhibit showcased the new and cutting edge architecture of the soccer stadiums hosting the FIFA World Cup throughout Brazil and gave visitors a better understanding of the cultures of the Cup’s host cities.”

The Special Prize is the third award that the Museum has received in the past year.  In December 2014, the Museum won the Diamond Award from the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce for Outstanding Non-Profit Organization. In April 2014, the Museum received an Honorable Mention in the Preservation Education/Media category from the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation.

Curated by Brazilian architect and designer Adriana Sabino and designed by the Little Gables Group, the 12 Stadiums | 12 Cities: Brazil 2014 World Soccer Destination exhibit held in May of 2014 featured extraordinary photos of the stadiums by native artistic photographers, architectural drawings and models, videos, interactive kiosks, foosball tables, the FIFA 2014 video game and objects that depict the soccer club fans’ culture, showing how soccer permeates the urban life in all the cities.

The Museum transformed its 2,000-square foot open air plaza into an outdoor soccer field, where it simulcast two soccer games (Brazil v. Croatia) and (Brazil v. Mexico) in English and Portuguese at viewing parties sponsored by ESPN. Complementing the exhibit, the Museum presented panel discussions with architects who designed the stadiums; Soccer 101 workshops; Leblon mixology mixers; films and art classes for children.

Created by Brazilian journalist Carlos Borges in 1997, the Brazilian International Press Awards recognize organizations and individuals, who promote a positive image of Brazil. They will be presented on May 9, 2015 at the Amaturo Theater at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts in Fort Lauderdale, FL. The Brazilian International Press Awards are presented by LATAM Airlines Group and sponsored by TV Globo International, Brazil Americas Bank, the Consulate General of Brazil/the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, South Florida Points of Culture/Ministry of Culture. Event partners are the American Organization of Teachers of Portuguese and the Brazilian International Press Association.

The Board of the Brazilian International Press Awards is composed of 25 leading figures and leaders in culture, education and Brazilian media abroad. They are invited to serve on the Board by the President of the Focus Brasil Foundation.

The Coral Gables Museum’s mission is to celebrate, investigate and explore the civic arts of architecture and urban and environmental design, including fostering an appreciation for the history, vision, and cultural landscape of Coral Gables; promoting beauty and planning as well as historic and environmental preservation for a broad audience, including children, families, and community members, as well as local, regional, national and international visitors. It operates as a public-private-partnership between the City of Coral Gables and the Coral Gables Museum Corp., which operates the Museum. The Museum optimizes its mission by cultivating effective partnerships, and providing programming that includes exhibitions, collections, educational offerings, lectures, tours, publications and special events. For more information about educational programs or volunteering, visit www.coralgablesmuseum.org.