The story of how the Coconut Grove Arts Festival came to be has become legendary. It began in 1963, when Charlie Cinnamon, the producer of the Coconut Grove Playhouse’s production of Irma la Douce, was looking to create a promotion for the play. Charlie organized a “clothes line” art show that featured a handful of artists and a few hundred onlookers. That art show soon became known as the Coconut Grove Arts Festival, and Charlie’s vision helped transform it into one of South Florida’s most iconic cultural events.
Charlie used window posters like the one shown here to promote the event through local businesses. In 1983 the artwork for the “window poster” was selected by a committee and the flyer became our first official Festival Poster. A piece of art that visitors could purchase at a low cost and it would become a lasting memory of their visit as well as an affordable piece of art for their homes. Some 34 years later, the poster is still one of most cherished collector’s pieces and our patrons from around the world still boast about their collection of all 34 posters!
Every year, artists are invited to submit an image for poster consideration. A committee then selects the artwork which is unveiled for all to see in January.
