Charlie Cinnamon’s passing
Our community lost a legend yesterday with the passing of Charlie Cinnamon. Charlie left his imprint on South Florida in so many ways.
In 1963, when looking to create a promotion for the Coconut Grove Playhouse’s production of “Irma la Douce,” he organized a “clothes line” art show that featured a handful of local artists and a few hundred onlookers.
That art show is now better known as the Coconut Grove Arts Festival, and Charlie’s vision helped to transform it into one of South Florida’s most successful cultural events.
A native of New York, Charlie moved to Miami in the late 1950s and was eager to make his mark on the city.
It was a visit to the Coconut Grove Playhouse that launched him on his path to becoming a key figure in Miami’s arts world and South Florida is a much better place because of that decision.
Charlie’s legacy will live on with the arts festival. He will be missed by all who had the pleasure of being in his company.
Monty Trainer,
President,
Coconut Grove Arts Festival
This story was originally published November 3, 2016 at 9:20 PM with the headline "Charlie Cinnamon’s passing."