Rem Cabrera
Arts superstar, Rem Cabrera joined the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs in 1981. For 17 years he served as the Department’s Chief of Cultural Development, playing a pivotal role in fostering the growth of the local arts community. His outstanding leadership and strong commitment to excellence helped define and develop the policies and programs of the Department. He developed grant programs to address the needs of choreographers, playwrights and visual artists, recognizing that a cultural community’s identity begins with the vision of its artists. Among the many programs he administered are the (now known as) Michael Spring Major Cultural Institutions Grants Program; the South Florida Cultural Consortium Fellowships for Visual and Media Artists Program; Dance Miami Choreographers Program and the Playwrights Development Program (formerly known as Downstage Miami), the latter two of which he created. He was the first Assistant Director for the Colony Theater on Miami Beach and a former Carbonell voter. Cabrera also championed statewide support for visual artists through the State’s cultural arts agency. His extensive expertise was valued on advisory councils and grant panels nationwide and he was honored with numerous awards. Cabrera has served as a panelist for the National Endowment for the Arts, the New England Foundation for the Arts, SouthArts, the Florida Division of Arts and Culture, Miami-Dade Art in Public Places, the City of Miami and YoungArts. However, his proudest achievement was co-founding the South Florida Theatre League, whose annual industry award, the Remy, was named in his honor.