The evening included two major announcements: a monumental $25 million donation to the museum from Jorge M. Pérez and the Pérez family, and the 2023 Pérez Prize recipient, which was awarded to Christopher Cozier. The $25 million gift is a further extension of the generous investments the prominent family has contributed to the museum and Miami as a whole.

“Art of the Party is a moment to express our gratitude for the civic, philanthropic, and cultural community that supports PAMM and makes possible our shared belief in the transformative power of the arts. We are so grateful for Jorge and Darlene’s generosity towards PAMM throughout the years—including this monumental gift—and for their dedication to Miami’s creative community as a whole. Their support elevates the institution in every way and positions PAMM for continued success in utilizing art as a catalyst for genuine human interaction, communication, and exchange. We are also thrilled to honor artist Christopher Cozier with the Pérez Prize, an artist who advocates for the power of art to be a tool of connection,” said PAMM Director Franklin Sirmans.

At the event, Christopher Cozier was presented with the Pérez Prize, an unrestricted award of $50,000 which applauds artistic achievement, funded by a gift from Jorge and Darlene Pérez. Taking on a myriad of mediums including drawing, printmaking, installation, and sound, Trinidad-based artist Christopher Cozier’s work investigates how the relationship between contemporary Caribbean moments and the region’s colonial past can inform understanding of the wider contemporary world. Cozier’s practice sits in line with PAMM’s unique position at the crossroads of the Americas, and the museum’s dedication to fostering knowledge of Caribbean art, as seen in the museum’s Caribbean Cultural Institute: a curatorial and research platform that promotes the art of the Caribbean and its diasporas through scholarship, exhibitions, fellowships, public programs, and collection development.

Left to Right: Franklin Sirmans, Cristopher Cozier and Irenee Shaw. Photo by Getty Images – Jason Koerner.

“I’ve always believed that no city is truly great without a world-class art museum,” said Jorge M. Pérez, internationally recognized philanthropist and founder of the Pérez Family Foundation. “That belief led to our family’s initial gift a decade ago, and remains the driving factor in this latest contribution. Our entire family is in awe of how far this incredible institution has come, and we are proud to be in a position to help it fuel its mission of deepening South Florida’s artistic and cultural offerings.”