Earlier this month, philanthropist, art collector, and founder of The Related Group, Jorge M. Pérez, announced the inaugural winners of The Pérez CreARTE Grants Program during the preview of his new Miami art space, El Espacio 23. First announced last May, the program saw hundreds of applicants for grants awarding a total of $2 million to 23 recipients in the arts.
Focusing on three areas—spaces for creation, arts education and access, and artist fellowships and residencies—the program was created to help honor and nurture the artistic community of Miami. Including winners like Miami Light Project, O Cinema, Miami New Drama, Miami City Ballet, Bakehouse Art Complex, Young Musicians Unite, Moonlight Makerspace, and The Fountainhead Residency, the distinctive categories focus on maintaining and growing established creative spaces; providing accessible, effective arts education and pre-professional training to youth and young artists; and recognizing and supporting both local and national artists during vital times in their careers.
Courtesy of the Pérez Collection.
“The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation is proud of the CreARTE program and all of our magnificent grantees, who work tirelessly to support South Florida’s creative community,” said Pérez. “The funds distributed will have far reaching effects, supporting initiatives, ranging from artist residencies to writing fellowships to physical spaces for creation, and we cannot wait to experience the powerful results.”
After announcing the Pérez CreARTE Grants Program recipients, the celebration of El Espacio 23 invited winners and other attendees to preview the space’s debut exhibition, “Time for Change: Art and Social Unrest in the Jorge M. Pérez Collection.” Curated by Jose Roca with the help of Pérez Collection’s Anelys Alvarez and Patricia M. Hanna, the show creates a dialogue on public unrest, marginalized peoples, and questions of identity through a series of nearly 100 works from the collection.
Courtesy of the Pérez Collection.
What began as a place for Pérez to store his growing art collection, soon became the 28,000 square-foot El Espacio 23. Located in Miami’s Allapattah neighborhood, it will serve artists, curators, and general public with regular exhibitions, residencies, and other projects.
