Lola Garcia has spent more than 30 years shaping young minds in Miami-Dade County Public Schools — and if you know anything about middle schoolers, you know that takes equal parts patience, passion, and a gift for bringing people together. The sixth of nine children in a proud Miami family, Lola found her way to the Coconut Grove Arts Festival through a friend, a volunteer shift, and a genuine love for community.
As Secretary of the Coconut Grove Arts Festival Board of Directors, she brings the same consensus-building instincts she honed in school hallways and administrative groups to one of South Florida’s most beloved cultural institutions.
We sat down with Lola to talk about her journey, her pride in the Festival’s outreach, and why she is already dreaming of the day she can chase great art around the world.
Q. Let’s get started! Tell us a bit about where you’re from, your background, your family, and your career. What experiences and accomplishments have shaped who you are — and how do they inform your role on the Coconut Grove Arts Festival Board of Directors?
I was born and raised in Miami. I am the sixth child of nine—my parents were good Catholics!
Careerwise, I am a teacher and counselor by trade and have worked with Miami Dade County Public Schools for over 30 years. I should be retiring in about five years. While I was never an administrator, I often took on administrative tasks such as working on grants, School Improvement Plans, testing, community school, and School Advisory Councils.
One particular skill learned during my involvement in these groups was building consensus—this to me was one of the most important skills, something I continue to use in my present work counseling middle school students and organizing and training teachers for testing.
Q. How did CGAF first get on your radar? What drew you to the Festival, and what inspired you to get involved at the leadership level?
I had a friend on the Festival Board, Daryl Grice. He worked with me at Booker T. Washington High School. He spoke to me about the Festival and possibly being on the Board. For a few years, I volunteered at the Festival working in a merchandise booth with Marty Rubenstein, a Board member who ran one of the merchandise booths back in the days when the Board literally did everything at the Festival. I guess my volunteering and my skills on administrative groups at school finally got me a spot on the Board.
Q. The Arts Festival has been a community tradition for more than six decades. What do you think keeps it so vital — and what does it say about the spirit and cultural identity of Coconut Grove, South Florida, and the broader arts world?
My memories of Coconut Grove are of bed races, playing frisbee in Peacock Park, going to a show at the Playhouse. To me, it was always a unique place, quaint, a little bit of old-Miami history. Being on the Board showed me so much more of the Festival’s community outreach and how it has grown immensely over the years. It keeps Miami as destination for art and culture, and the art scene has grown here. From the numerous small annual art festivals to Basal. Miami and Coconut Grove draw in the crowds to drink in our cosmopolitan ambiance.
Q. What makes you most proud when you think about the Festival’s impact? Whether it’s the artists it supports, the students it reaches, or the community it brings together — what stands out to you?
Our continuing desire to bring art to all—art lovers, collectors, children, students—this is something that keeps me involved. I take pride in our outreach. I know how hard it is for students to pay for college, and we give them a chance to pursue their dreams.
Q. Most people see the Festival from the outside. What would surprise them about everything that goes into making it happen — and the work the organization does year-round?
It’s a lot of organizing, planning, and critiquing what worked, what didn’t, and what can possibly work in the future. I would like to see us plan more projects for the community so they can recognize us as an organization with a heart not just a weekend festival.
Q. Looking ahead, what excites you most about CGAF’s future? Where do you see the Festival heading, and what role do you hope it plays in nurturing the next generation of artists and collectors?
I think our scholarships help, but it would be good to keep track of these recipients, see where they are and how we can still assist like having them being a part of our emerging artists program or even a future board member.
Q. Finally, outside of the Festival — what are you most passionate about?
I’m looking forward to retiring and doing a good bit of traveling. I would love to see art around the world. I have had some opportunity, but not enough. My first experience with a major art museum changed me. There is something about seeing great works of art that excites me, amazes me. It is almost unreal when you see it. I would love for my husband, my children, and my grandchildren to experience this too.