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Curating for the community
Franklin Sirmans
Director, Pérez Art Museum Miami
When Franklin Sirmans joined Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) as director, he wanted to promote artistic expression and advance the public’s knowledge and appreciation of art. He believes museums are about people and his idea for the museums of the future focuses on the relationship between social change and visual culture.
“I remember being young and seeing Jean-Michel Basquiat bring together the beginnings of hip-hop culture, music, poetry, fine art, collaboration and partnership,” say Sirmans. “That perhaps became an unconscious pattern for me.”
During Sirmans’ nine years as director, PAMM has become a hub for the study of Caribbean and Latinx diasporas. “Our spot on the map acts as our reference point in wanting to be the best at presenting the work of Latin America and the Caribbean, along with looking more closely at the African diaspora,” he says. “Location wise, we need to recognise these talented artists – and it’s important that we do it well.”
Sirmans’ leadership has been built on creating meaningful and authentic relationships with artists across the world. He and his team also strive to support progressive arts education and build community cohesion. “People ask what the most valuable piece in the collection is,” says Sirmans. “It depends how we define value. Sometimes it’s about how art affects people, touches them or how they can learn something.”
“In the future, I would love to see more museums having different relationships with the community, relationships that are more engaged in conversation and allow these dialogues to influence the way that we do things.”
Explore the collection at Pérez Art Museum Miami, 1103 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami 33132. pamm.org
