MIAMI, FLA.- Pérez Art Museum Miami announced the acquisition of eight artworks by artists represented by Miami-based galleries for the museum’s permanent collection, the largest number of works purchased by PAMM’s Collectors Council in a single session since its inception 15 years ago. The new artworks were purchased with $145,000 provided by PAMM’s Collectors Council, which specifically dedicated this round of funding to bolstering Miami’s arts ecosystem, taking into account the vital importance of supporting local artists and galleries while acknowledging the significant financial toll that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought upon Miami’s arts community.

“As Miami’s flagship arts institution, PAMM must do what we can to shine a light on the city’s vibrant, multi-cultural community of artists and galleries who have been hit hard by the current crisis,” said PAMM Director Franklin Sirmans. “Our Collectors Council, made up of prominent Miami-based collectors, has purchased an impactful selection of works—the most ever in its 15 years of operation—which both supports the Miami arts community and bolsters our collection in a major way.”

The new acquisitions include works by artists represented by Central Fine Gallery, Emerson-Dorsch Gallery, Nina Johnson Gallery, PRIMARY, Fredric Snitzer Gallery, Mindy Solomon Gallery, and Spinello Projects. Notable works from the acquisition include a large assemblage sculpture by Yanira Collado that testifies to the importance of artistic traditions in the preservation of cultural knowledge; an abstract-geometric painting by Kelley Johnson that creates striking optical effects; a flag featuring elaborate beadwork by Haitian artist Myrlande Constant, whose work blends Vodou myths with references to the contemporary moment; a painting by Conrad Egyir, who uses portraiture with text to create narrative paintings of Afro-diasporic figures; a soft sculpture consisting of an oversized bag of sugar by Lucia Hierro; and another large abstract work on canvas by Eamon Oré-Girón.

“It would be hard to overstate the importance of our local art galleries to Miami’s cultural and economic well-being. We hope this gesture will inspire others to support these spaces (and others) during this challenging time. We are all in this together,” said René Morales, PAMM Director of Curatorial Affairs and Chief Curator.

In addition to PAMM’s dedication to supporting Miami’s arts landscape during this crisis, these acquisitions further exemplify the museum’s commitment to diversifying its collection with artworks by underrepresented communities, including the U.S. Latino experience, the African diaspora, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

The works purchased by PAMM’s Collectors Council:

• Untitled/sumando lineas (2019), a multimedia assemblage by Miami-based artist Yanira Collado that addresses the concept of restoration of cultural memory

• Exorcism (1994–2019), an adorned flag by Myrlande Constant, whose work blends Haitian Vodou myths with references to contemporary concerns

• Eros. Allegory of Love (2019), a painting by Conrad Egyir from a series inspired by the allegory of Eros, the Greek god of love

• Fet Chaloska (2005–2016), a work by Viktor El-Saieh included in a 2017 solo exhibition at Central Fine Gallery in Miami Beach, the result of extensive exploration of the sinister Haitian carnival figure Chaloska

• Can I Borrow a Cup of Sugar (2020), a large sculpture by Lucia Hierro that addresses sugar as a political, economic, and social object

• Untitled (2020), a painting by Kelley Johnson, whose work centers on abstract geometric motifs that create optical vibrations

• Infinite Regress LXXV (2019), a painting by Eamon Oré-Girón, whose work evokes a variety of references ranging from modernist architecture and design to “New Age” cosmic diagrams, traditional textiles, and Mesoamerican indigenous cultures

• Work on Felt (Variation 8) (2020), a musical sculpture by Naama Tsabar that can be activated as a live instrument in musical performances