CCI fellow Celia Irina González (left) and CCI curatorial associate Iberia Pérez González.Photo Lazaro Llanes

Pérez Art Museum Miami Announces Gifts Totaling $7 M. for Caribbean Cultural Institute

by · ARTnews

During a week when all eyes (art world ones, at least) are on Miami, the Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) has announced a pair of substantial gifts in support of the museum’s Caribbean Cultural Institute (CCI). The Mellon Foundation (which helped PAMM establish the CCI in 2019 with a $1 million gift) has continued its support with a further $2 million, and the Green Family Foundation (GFF) has gifted $5 million to the institute, which will be renamed the Green Family Foundation Caribbean Cultural Institute. The funds will be used on the CCI’s operating expenses and in support of its endowment.

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The Green Family Foundation was founded in 1991 by Steven J. Green (the ambassador to Singapore from 1997 to 2007) and Dorothea Green. The foundation is well-established philanthropically in Miami: Florida International University’s Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs is named for the family; Green Space Miami, an art space dedicated to the creative community in Miami-Dade County, opened in 2020; and Dorothea Green became a PAMM trustee in 2023.

In a statement, GFF president Kimberly Green noted the foundations long-running dedication to access, equity, and cultural exchange. “Our deepened partnership with PAMM strengthens the creative collaborations, research, and documentation of the cultures that define the region. Supporting CCI means investing directly in the next generation of thinkers, scholars, and artists shaping our future” she said.

The foundation’s gift will support PAMM’s ongoing collaboration with Florida International University. Artists and researchers working with CCI will be able to access the university’s collections and archives dedicated to Caribbean art, and FIU will in turn publish this research. The current CCI fellows include artist M. Florine Démosthène, writer Rianna Jade Parker, and anthropologist Celia Irina González.

“The foundation’s support ensures that CCI can continue to expand its long-term research, programming, and community initiatives—work that reflects Miami’s identity and deep ties to the Caribbean,” said PAMM director Franklin Sirmans.