Pérez Art Museum Miami’s 12th Annual Art + Soul Celebration 2025
On Saturday, February 1, Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) welcomed over 350 artists, philanthropists, and museum supporters to the 12th annual Art + Soul party, the museum’s premier social and fundraising event in support and celebration of the PAMM Fund for Black Art, which supports the purchase and showcase of contemporary art by Black artists for the museum’s permanent collection. The museum raised more than $1.4 million for the Fund.
During the celebration, PAMM Director Franklin Sirmans announced the Fund for Black Art’s newest acquisition, lil e-man (2024) by Lauren Halsey. 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, Ebony G. Patterson, Isaac Julien, Lorraine O’Grady, Faith Ringgold, Tschabalala Self, Vaughn Spann, Juana Valdes, Nari Ward, and Kennedy Yanko.
Lauren Halsey, lil e-man, 2024. Hard-coated foam, metal, and paint. Collection Pérez Art Museum Miami, museum purchase with funds provided by Jorge M. Pérez, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and PAMM Ambassadors for Black Art. Photo Courtesy of Pérez Art Museum Miami.
The evening also honored Thelma Golden, director and chief curator of the Studio Museum in Harlem for her outstanding impact on the history of American Art, whose focus on Black Art has changed the fields of art history and cultural criticism. The event is led by co-chairs Holly Gaines and Eric Johnson, Tracey Robertson Carter and Christopher Carter, and Patricia Howell, and honorary co-chair Deryl McKissack.
Left to Right: Franklin Sirmans & Thelma Golden. Photo Credit: Morgan Sophia Photography
“Art + Soul is about the power of showcasing art from the African diaspora and celebrating Black excellence. While efforts to honor diversity for all are increasingly challenged, the PAMM Fund for Black Art stands as a vital beacon of progress and resilience,” said PAMM Director Franklin Sirmans. “With the generous support of our donors and community, we are building a collection that reflects the best art of our time, ensuring PAMM remains a leader in shaping a canon of Black art to be celebrated for generations to come.”
Guests enjoyed cocktails; music by Guitars over Guns, the Diaspora Vibe Afrobeat Allstars, and DJ Niara Sterling; and dancing, as well as a curated dinner by chef Akino West.
Chef Akino West. Photo Credit: WorldRedEye.com
Attendees also had the opportunity to view the museum’s current exhibitions which include: Narratives in Focus, the newly opened presentation of photo-based works from PAMM’s collection; José Parlá: Homecoming, celebrating the artist’s artistic return to his hometown; Hurvin Anderson: Passenger Opportunity, a monumental painting drawing inspiration from Caribbean immigration stories; Xican-a.o.x. Body, a major exhibition showcasing Chicano artists who foreground the body as a site of political agency and imagination, artistic investigation, and alternative forms of community; Every Sound is a Shape of Time, a dynamic group presentation of works from the museum’s collection made between 1958 and 2020; and One Becomes Many, the museum’s first exhibition of works by Brazilian artists from its collection.
Proceeds from Art + Soul benefit the PAMM Fund for Black Art. Art + Soul 2025 is sponsored by Baldwin Richardson Foods Co., The Office of Miami-Dade County Commissioner, Keon Hardemon, J.P. Morgan Private Bank, Lincoln Financial, Paramount, Amazon, Knock, Inc., GIVENCHY, and Maker’s Mark.
Photo Credit: Morgan Sophia Photography and WorldRedEye.com
Date Posted: February 4, 2025
