Jorge M. Pérez, founder, chairman, and CEO of the Related Group, remembers returning to Miami after college and noting the city only had scant cultural offerings. That was quite disappointing for someone who liked to use his pocket money to buy art. ‘Now, we are well on our way to becoming one of the greatest cultural hot spots, not only in America, but the world,’ he says. ‘I remember recognizing that potential at my very first Art Basel.’
A few decades later, Pérez’s real estate development company had a multimillion-dollar portfolio, so he had plenty of opportunity to invest in some new works. And, as his company continued to prosper, so did his art collection. ‘I purchased The Most Beautiful of All Mothers, a large-scale sculpture by Adrián Villar Rojas, within seconds of seeing the piece at Art Basel Miami Beach,’ he recalls. ‘I also recognized the importance of Mary Obering’s series of paintings “From Siena to San Sepolcro”for my collection of American abstract painters.’
In his early years of collecting, he focused almost exclusively on artists from Latin America, ‘as a way of maintaining a connection to my heritage’, he explains. However, in the past decade, his collection has expanded to include paintings, photography, video, and installations by international contemporary artists.
‘Collecting is a very personal process for me,’ he says, ‘so I am naturally drawn to a particular aesthetic or movement, which results in the collection having a concentration on abstract painters from the United States and Germany as well as a significant holding of works by artists from Latin America and Africa. I follow my instincts and buy only what I truly love. Although I study art, and the market, I’m driven primarily by my gut. I purchase works where I feel some kind of emotional tie or strong personal connection.’
But then he is just as willing to share his finds. In 2012, he donated cash alongside a portion of his art collection, totaling $40 million, to support the construction of the Miami Art Museum. It was then renamed Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM). Since then, The Pérez Art Collection has grown to include approximately 5,000 pieces and he has given millions more in donations to date. ‘It is not every day that a collector gets to start from scratch,’ he says. And Pérez keeps giving: ‘We donated close to 200 pieces of Cuban art to PAMM in 2016 and another grouping of works to the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia in Madrid.’
He doesn’t stop there. In an effort to not only extend PAMM’s mission but also to share other pieces from his mushrooming collection, Pérez opened El Espacio 23, a 28,000-square-foot space, in 2019. Free admission and experimental programming are just part of the offerings, and it boasts an artist residency and loan program. ‘You know I also have a day job!’ Pérez adds. ‘I am the chairman of the Related Group, and part of our corporate philosophy is to incorporate art into every one of our real estate projects.’ (As if he needed another reason to keep searching for more works.)
Yet, one cannot accuse Pérez of being more committed to collecting than he is to his community. In addition to all the aforementioned largess, he also launched the CreARTE grant program though The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation, which helps bridge gaps in key areas impacting the creative community most. And, in addition to the Pérez Prize awarded every year by PAMM, his foundation also supports a yearly award given by the National Young Arts Foundation that recognizes emerging talent. When it comes to helping the community grow and flourish, Pérez is definitely one of Miami’s most devoted developers.
This article was originally commissioned for the Art Basel Miami Beach magazine 2022.
Top image: Jorge M. Pérez and his wife Darlene, 2022. Courtesy of the Related Group.