AwardApril 30, 2021
María Magdalena Campos-Pons awarded with the Pérez Prize 2021
On Saturday, April 17, Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) hosted the seventh annual Art of the Party and announced the Cuban artist María Magdalena Campos-Pons as the recipient of the 2021 Pérez Prize. The unrestricted award of $50,000 honoring artistic achievement, funded by a gift from local patrons of the arts and PAMM’s supporters Jorge and Darlene Pérez. The annual event, which included an intimate, in-person dinner on PAMM’s waterfront terrace or the option to dine at home with a virtual presentation, raised over $500,000 for PAMM’s arts education programs that have served over 300,000 children since opening in December 2013.
“Despite the hardships of 2020, I’m grateful we can safely come together, both virtually and in-person, to support a Miami institution that is reflective of this city and this community. Art, in its many forms, has the unique power to bring us together, even this past year when we’ve been apart. From outreach programs and interactive school tours to art talks and performances, PAMM brings art to life for thousands of people of all ages in-person and online. Education is at the core of everything we do and Art of the Party helps fund these life-affirming programs,” said PAMM Director Franklin Sirmans.
At the event, PAMM Director Franklin Sirmans announced María Magdalena Campos-Pons as the recipient of the third annual Pérez Prize for her artistic achievement. The Cuban artist is known for a unique multimedia approach to her artistic practice, which includes photography, painting, sculpture, film, video and performance. As the descendant of Nigerians who had been brought to Cuba as slaves in the 19th century, her work is deeply autobiographical, addressing history, memory, gender, and religion and how these important issues relate to the formation of identity.
Last year’s prize was awarded to Puerto Rican artist Daniel Lind-Ramos, whose work speaks to the legacy of African diasporic traditions and Latin American history through an Afro-Caribbean lens. The inaugural prize in 2019 was awarded to Christina Quarles whose paintings mine the line between abstraction and figuration while exploring sexuality, race and gender.
“The Pérez Prize honors creatives who use art to overcome the challenges that affect our society most," said Jorge M. Pérez. "As an acclaimed professor and artist—who's touched so many through her work exploring history, race and culture—there's no one more deserving of this prize than Maria Magdalena. I couldn’t be more honored to support her in furthering her craft.”
For more information visit: https://www.pamm.org
“Despite the hardships of 2020, I’m grateful we can safely come together, both virtually and in-person, to support a Miami institution that is reflective of this city and this community. Art, in its many forms, has the unique power to bring us together, even this past year when we’ve been apart. From outreach programs and interactive school tours to art talks and performances, PAMM brings art to life for thousands of people of all ages in-person and online. Education is at the core of everything we do and Art of the Party helps fund these life-affirming programs,” said PAMM Director Franklin Sirmans.
At the event, PAMM Director Franklin Sirmans announced María Magdalena Campos-Pons as the recipient of the third annual Pérez Prize for her artistic achievement. The Cuban artist is known for a unique multimedia approach to her artistic practice, which includes photography, painting, sculpture, film, video and performance. As the descendant of Nigerians who had been brought to Cuba as slaves in the 19th century, her work is deeply autobiographical, addressing history, memory, gender, and religion and how these important issues relate to the formation of identity.
Last year’s prize was awarded to Puerto Rican artist Daniel Lind-Ramos, whose work speaks to the legacy of African diasporic traditions and Latin American history through an Afro-Caribbean lens. The inaugural prize in 2019 was awarded to Christina Quarles whose paintings mine the line between abstraction and figuration while exploring sexuality, race and gender.
“The Pérez Prize honors creatives who use art to overcome the challenges that affect our society most," said Jorge M. Pérez. "As an acclaimed professor and artist—who's touched so many through her work exploring history, race and culture—there's no one more deserving of this prize than Maria Magdalena. I couldn’t be more honored to support her in furthering her craft.”
For more information visit: https://www.pamm.org
