Pérez Art Museum Miami Announces Acquisition of Artworks by Isaac Julien and Kennedy Yanko at Eleventh Annual Art + Soul Celebration
On Saturday, February 10, 2024, Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) welcomed over 700 artists, philanthropists, and museum supporters for the eleventh annual Art + Soul the museum’s premier social and fundraising event in support and celebration of the PAMM Fund for Black Art, which allows the museum to purchase and showcase contemporary art by Black artists for its permanent collection. The museum raised more than $1 million for the Fund.
Left to Right: Commissioner Keon Hardemon, Adia Hardemon, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, Walkiria Castillo Gilbert & Miami-Dade County Chairman Oliver G. Gilbert III. Photo by WorldRedEye.com
PAMM Director Franklin Sirmans revealed the fund’s most recent art acquisitions: Ogun’s Return (Once Again… Statues Never Die) (2022) by Isaac Julien and wild wild country (2023) by Kennedy Yanko. Past acquisitions for the museum’s permanent collection include works by artists such as Willie Cole, Carrie Mae Weems, Terry Adkins, Romare Bearden, Kevin Beasley, Ed Clark, Theresa Chromati, Nari Ward, Lorraine O’Grady, Ebony G. Patterson, Faith Ringgold, Tschabalala Self, Vaughn Spann, Juana Valdes, and more.
Isaac Julien, Ogun’s Return (Once Again… Statues Never Die), 2022. Collection Pérez Art Museum Miami, museum purchase with funds provided by Jorge M. Pérez, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and the PAMM Ambassadors for Black Art.
The evening honored curator and activist Mashonda Tifrere for her vision of inclusivity, entrepreneurialism, and sustainability. The event was led by co-chairs PAMM Trustee Eric Johnson and Holly Gaines, Tracey Robertson Carter and Christopher Carter, Patricia Howell, and honorary co-chair and PAMM Trustee Deryl McKissack.
“PAMM Art + Soul is possible thanks to a group of passionate people who believe in this community, this museum, and displaying art of the African diaspora,” said PAMM Director Franklin Sirmans. “The Fund is a key part of the vision for PAMM’s future—our commitment to celebrating diversity, embracing various life experiences, and showcasing a rich tapestry of cultures is resolute.”
Guests enjoyed cocktails and a seated dinner featuring a special menu developed by James Beard Award-winning chef Sophia Roe. Following a glamorous champagne toast to the acquisition reveal, guests danced and mingled under the stars with live performances by Rich Medina and Deep Fried Funk.
Attendees also had the opportunity to view the museum’s current exhibitions, which include Gary Simmons: Public Enemy, the most in-depth presentation of Simmons’ work to date, covering 30 years of the artist’s career. Encompassing 75 sculptures, paintings, works on paper, and installations, the exhibition also features a number of large-scale wall drawings Simmons created onsite. Also on view, Marcela Cantuária: The South American Dream, the artist’s first solo exhibition featuring all newly commissioned paintings and reliefs; and Jason Seife: Coming to Fruition, featuring all-new site-specific works including a custom wallpaper, triptychs, and a large-scale canvas.
Proceeds from Art + Soul benefit the PAMM Fund for Black Art. Art + Soul 2024 is sponsored by Baldwin Richardson Foods Co., Miami-Dade County Commissioner Keon Hardemon, J.P. Morgan Private Bank, Lincoln Financial Group, The Dean Collection, and The Miami Foundation.
ABOUT THE PAMM FUND FOR BLACK ART
The PAMM Fund for Black Art was established in 2013 as the Fund for African American Art with a $1 million donation, funded equally by Jorge M. Pérez and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, for the purchase of contemporary art by African American artists for the museum’s permanent collection. In 2021, PAMM renamed the fund to the Fund for Black Art, to more inclusively describe the various identities represented by the fund, including from Latin America and the Caribbean in addition to the African Diaspora. Through the Fund, the museum first acquired works by Al Loving, Faith Ringgold, and Xaviera Simmons, which joined other significant pieces in the museum’s collection by African American artists such as Leonardo Drew, Sam Gilliam, Rashid Johnson, Lorna Simpson, James Van Der Zee, Carrie Mae Weems, Kehinde Wiley, and Purvis Young.
Photos Credit: WorldRedEye.com
Date Posted: February 13, 2024