The Wolfsonian–Florida International University announces the appointment of six new members to its advisory board. The advisory board exists to support the mission and continued growth of The Wolfsonian–FIU; it advises the director on issues including programs, policies, and short- and long-range plans; and assists in fundraising efforts.
“Having these distinguished individuals on our advisory board is an incredible honor for The Wolfsonian,” says Wolfsonian director Cathy Leff. “With their wide-ranging professional and personal interests and their diverse backgrounds, they not only bring a tremendous amount of experience and a variety of perspectives to the institution, but they reflect the vital and eclectic nature of our community and our audience.”
The members serve an initial one-year term and are then considered for a three-year appointment. The newly appointed advisory board members are:
Roger A. Baumann, Susanne Birbragher, Sara Solomon, Stephen Urice, Michael Valdes-Fauli, and James M. Woolems.
Roger A. Baumann, an entrepreneur with more than twenty years of technology, marketing, and business development experience. He is currently the CEO of CardRoom International, LLC and COO of Skin Type Solutions, Inc. Previously, he was CIO of Affiliated Networks (later Marex) and CEO of LexSys Software Corporation.
Susanne Birbragher, cofounder and CEO of artnexus.com, an award-winning site that complements ArtNexus magazine (for which she is associate publisher and creative director). She also serves as a liaison between corporations and leading art events, and was a co-chair of the junior host committee of Art Basel | Miami Beach.
Sara Solomon, a vital presence in the South Florida arts, cultural, and social service communities for many years. She has been a Guardian Ad Litem for more than thirteen years and is a mentor in Take Stock in Children. She is involved with organizations including the Funding Arts Network, the Women’s Fund, and Voices for Children and a former board member of several cultural organizations.
Stephen Urice, an archaeologist and attorney who has focused his career at the crossroads of art and the law. After completing his Ph.D. in art history at Harvard, he then attended Harvard Law School. He has held several positions at not-for-profit cultural organizations including the Frederick R. Weisman Art Foundation, the Rosenbach Museum & Library, and the Pew Charitable Trust. He is an associate professor of law at the University of Miami and co-author of the standard art law text, Law, Ethics and the Visual Arts.
Michael Valdes-Fauli, an award-winning marketing executive and managing director of The Jeffrey Group; he runs the agency’s New York office and focuses on its U.S. Hispanic practice. His writing has appeared in several publications including the Miami Herald, Ad Week, and PR Week, and he is the founder of the Wolf Pack, The Wolfsonian’s young advisory group.
James M. Woolems, owner and founder of Woolems, Inc., a luxury contracting firm based in West Palm Beach that concentrates on residential and commercial construction. His community involvement includes his position on the board of Real Life Children’s Ranch in Okeechobee and serving as a finance committee member for Sacristan at St. Edwards Catholic Church in Palm Beach, along with support of cultural organizations including the Armory Arts Center, the Anderson Ranch Arts Center, and the Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts.
The Wolfsonian is a museum, library, and research center that uses objects to illustrate the persuasive power of art and design, to explore what it means to be modern, and to tell the story of social, historical, and technological changes that have transformed our world. The collections comprise approximately 120,000 objects from the period of 1885 to 1945—the height of the Industrial Revolution to the end of the Second World War—in a variety of media including furniture; industrial-design objects; works in glass, ceramics, and metal; rare books; periodicals; ephemera; works on paper; paintings; textiles; and medals.
The Wolfsonian is located at 1001 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach, FL. Admission is $7 for adults; $5 for seniors, students, and children age 6 -12; and free for Wolfsonian members, State University System of Florida staff and students with ID, and children under six. The museum is open Monday, Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday from noon-6pm; Thursday and Friday from noon-9pm; and is closed on Wednesday.
Contact 305.531.1001 or visit www.wolfsonian.org for further information.
The Wolfsonian receives ongoing support from The Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners; the City of Miami Beach, Cultural Affairs Program, Cultural Arts Council; the William J. and Tina Rosenberg Foundation; Continental Airlines, the Official Airline of The Wolfsonian–FIU; Bacardi USA, Inc.; and Arrowood Vineyards & Winery.
The Wolfsonian