Pérez Art Museum Miami welcomes its one-millionth visitor

PAMM welcomed its one-millionth visitor since opening in its Herzog & de Meuron-designed building on December 2013. As Miami’s flagship museum, PAMM serves a multicultural population in one of the fastest growing regions in the country. The museum’s diverse programming and special exhibitions have helped to draw visitors to Miami from across the globe.

“After just three years in our home on Biscayne Bay, we are very proud to reach this important milestone and acknowledge the public’s continued support of our institution,” said PAMM Director Franklin Sirmans. “PAMM sits at a pivotal geographic location at the crossroads of the Americas. Our goal has always been to serve our diverse community by offering a place for people to come together and have a global dialogue about contemporary art. As we celebrate this milestone, we’re pleased that we’ve been able to create these connections with such a vast audience.”

Throughout its history, PAMM has sought ways to enrich the lives of the diverse communities that make up Miami-Dade County through its dedication to progressive arts education and programs. The museum’s robust Knight Schools education program, the largest outside the Miami-Dade County school system, reaches approximately 40,000 students annually.

“Great art defines and lifts the soul of a community,” said Alberto Ibargen, president of Knight Foundation, a founding supporter of PAMM. “We’re delighted that PAMM has reached this important landmark so quickly, by providing a space for all Miamians to come together, be inspired and connect around great art and a common cultural experience.”

Innovative programming, such as PAMM’s recently launched Art Detectives program – an exciting new arts education program that promotes critical and timely dialogue between local middle-school students and police officers – enables PAMM to effect positive change within Miami. In April, Miami-Dade County Public Schools recognized PAMM’s arts education programs with its prestigious Superintendent’s Choice Award.

“Prez Art Museum Miami is a shining jewel in our community and a great partner with Miami-Dade County Public Schools,” said Superintendent of Schools Alberto M. Carvalho. “A 2017 Superintendent’s Choice honoree, PAMM has helped to expand our students’ world view and opened to them new possibilities of creativity and personal artistic expression.”

Recent exhibitions have also contributed to growth in visitation at PAMM. The 2016 blockbuster exhibition, Julio Le Parc: Form into Action drew a record-breaking 132,249 visitors. Other successful shows include Ai Weiwei: According to What?, which saw nearly 114,000 visitors, and Poetics of Relation, which had more than 90,000 visitors.

City of Miami Mayor Toms Pedro Regalado explained, “In the three years since PAMM opened in its new building, downtown Miami has transformed into a central destination on Miami’s cultural map. The Museum has also strengthened Miami’s reputation as a global capital of contemporary art year round.”

In February 2017, the museum launched its new PAMM Free Community Night on the first Thursday of each month. Reflecting PAMM’s mission and vision of serving as a place for community conversation and dialogue, this program immediately reached new audiences and met record-breaking attendance numbers.

Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez said, “We have one of the most diverse and dynamic cultural communities in the hemisphere. With outstanding art exhibitions and exceptional educational programs, Prez Art Museum Miami continues to serve our residents and visitors with a deep understanding of the value of the arts in building communities, educating the youth and advancing Miami-Dade County’s artistic impact on the world’s creative dialogue.”

To mark the occasion, the lucky one-millionth visitor, Anya Brjevskaia and her two-year-old son Alexandre Forbin, were welcomed by PAMM staff with confetti, balloons and celebration. Brjevskaia had just moved from New York last summer with her son and husband Charles Forbin. Her experience from living in New York amongst the many galleries and cultural institutions gave her an appreciation for the arts that followed her to Miami. A patron of the city’s arts and culture scene, Brjevskaia is a frequent visitor of PAMM and was introducing her aunt Rita Mamoshkena, who was visiting from Moscow, Russia, to the museum as the one-millionth visitor moment happened.

They received a gift basket with art supplies, art catalogues of the museum’s latest exhibitions, PAMM branded goodies, a $100 gift certificate for PAMM Shop, a complimentary meal at Verde restaurant, and a year-long Sustaining-level membership.

Read on Art Daily