Museum Professional Caroline Parker Named Interim Director of the Coral Gables Museum

MIAMI - Oct. 21, 2015 - PRLog -- The Coral Gables Museum, which celebrates, investigates and explores the built environment, has announced that its longstanding Director of Programs Caroline Parker has been named Interim Director of the Museum. The current Director, Christine Rupp, will remain at the Museum until November 6, 2015.

“The Board of Directors is extremely appreciative of Christine Rupp’s dedicated efforts since the Museum’s early beginnings in 2007 shaping it into the award-winning institution it is today,” said Wayne ‘Chip’ Withers, Chairman of the Board of the Coral Gables Museum. “Christine’s commitment to building programs and activities that highlight the City Beautiful as well as current global topics in the civic arts is something we are all grateful for. We look forward to Caroline Parker’s leadership taking the Museum to the next level.”

Parker has served as the Director of Programs since February 2010 where she has been instrumental in the integration of numerous programs surrounding the Museum. In 2011, she created the City Trekker Camp and initiated Family Day on Aragon, a monthly street-wide family program that partners with Books & Books and the Coral Gables Art Cinema. Combined, both programs serve thousands of individuals in the community annually.

She also developed school programs for K-12 students, and created public programs for adults that include lectures, concerts, and guided tours. Parker initiated programs for residents and visitors to Coral Gables that focus on the City’s heritage, such as guided bicycle and canoe tours, exhibit tours on Sundays, Saturday morning Downtown Walking Tours, and a bilingual self-guided cell phone audio tour. In addition, she has coordinated scores of Museum-presented and traveling exhibits over the last five years.

“Being with the Coral Gables Museum since 2007 before the groundbreaking, and having a major role in its development as a relevant, growing institution, has been a joy for me.  I leave behind a talented, energetic staff with innovative, creative ideas in place to ensure the future success of the Museum.” said Christine Rupp, current Director of the Coral Gables Museum.

Parker holds a Master of Science in Arts Administration from Boson University and a Graduate Certificate in Museum Studies and Bachelor of Arts in Art History from Florida International University. Her career includes serving as Program Coordinator at the Munroe Center for the Arts in Lexington, MA; Curator of Education at the Patricia & Philip Frost Art Museum at FIU in Miami; and Operations Manager & Museum Educator at the Historical Museum of Southern Florida in Miami.

“The Coral Gables Museum is the only museum is Miami-Dade County dedicated to the civic arts. As Interim Director, I plan to expand and enhance local partnerships with architecture and urban planning organizations. I also plan to bring more traveling exhibits and notable speakers to South Florida. Our 24,249 square-foot facility is located in the heart of downtown Coral Gables within the cultural hub that is Aragon Avenue,” added Parker in reference to the Museum’s neighbors Books & Books, Coral Gables Art Cinema, Italian Language School Dante Alighieri and the Colombian Consulate of Miami, to name a few.

According to Parker, the Coral Gables Museum, now in its  fifth season,  is experiencing a positive growth spurt this year. To date,  they have  increased both full-time and part-time staff, created strong educational partnerships with Dream in Green and the Everglades Foundation, and experienced increased attendance to its public programs, especially second Saturday Family Day and first Friday’s Mercedes-Benz of Coral Gables Gallery Night Live!

The Coral Gables Museum is currently presenting the internationally-travelled exhibit, “Anne Morgan's War: American Women Rebuilding France, 1917-1924” (on view September 10 - November 28, 2015), and two original exhibits that address sustainability projects in Miami Dade County: “Trailblazers: The Perilous Story of the Tamiami Trail” (on view October 2, 2015 - May 22, 2016) and “Ludlam Trail 2020: From Grassroots to Treetops” (on view October 2, 2015 - January 31, 2016).

The Coral Gables Museum was acknowledged with  four prestigious awards in the past 18 months. In April 2015, the Museum received the Silver Designation Bicycle Friend Business Award from the League of American Bicyclists and the Special Prize from the Brazilian International Press Award Board for its 12 Stadiums | 12 Cities: Brazil 2014 World Soccer Destination exhibit.  In December 2014, the Museum won the Diamond Award from the Coral Gables Chamber of Commerce in the Outstanding Non-Profit Organization category. In April 2014, the Museum received an Honorable Mention in the Preservation Education/Media category from the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation.

About The Coral Gables Museum
Located at 285 Aragon Avenue, 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. The Museum optimizes its mission by cultivating effective partnerships, and providing programming that includes exhibitions, collections, educational offerings, lectures, tours, publications and special events. The Museum is the Official Visitors Center of the City of Coral Gables. For more information about educational programs or volunteering, visit www.coralgablesmuseum.org.