The Pérez Art Museum Miami has appointed 46 year old curator Franklin Sirmans as its new director. Sirmans will be entrusted with the responsibility of planning exhibitions and educational programs, expanding the Museum's collection and facing the economic challenges involved in maintaining the institution and the working staff. The search for a new director, which began after Thom Collins left the directorship of the institution at the beginning of this year to become director and president of the Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia, culminated with the selection of Sirmans, who will assume the post on October 15. Sirmans was department head and curator of contemporary art at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), where he worked for five years. Before that, he was the curator of modern and contemporary art at the Menil Collection in Houston and curatorial adviser of contemporary art at MoMA PS1. He was also editor of the magazine Flash Art, USA.