Franklin Sirmans — Director, Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM)
Current Role & Vision
Since October 2015, Franklin Sirmans has served as the Director of PAMM, where he champions the museum’s mission to reflect Miami’s diverse community and global perspective Canvas+15Wikipedia+15Your Luxury Africa+15. In his early tenure, he secured the museum’s largest art gift to date—a major acquisition from Design District developer Craig Robins, adding over 100 contemporary works to PAMM’s collection Wikipedia+1Miami New Times+1.
Curatorial Background
Before PAMM, Sirmans held influential curatorial roles:
- Department Head & Curator of Contemporary Art, LACMA (2010–2015): He curated notable exhibitions such as Noah Purifoy: Junk Dada, Fútbol: The Beautiful Game, and retrospectives for Blinky Palermo and Glenn Ligon global-black-studies.miami.eduCalifornia State University, Chico+7Wikipedia+7artspeak.fiu.edu+7.
- Curator of Modern & Contemporary Art, The Menil Collection (2006–2010): Organized major shows including NeoHooDoo: Art for a Forgotten Faith, Maurizio Cattelan: Is There Life Before Death?, and Vija Celmins: Television and Disaster global-black-studies.miami.edu+7Wikipedia+7discovery.affidavit.art+7.
He also curated nationwide exhibitions like One Planet Under a Groove: Contemporary Art and Hip Hop and Basquiat—and served as artistic director for Prospect.3 New Orleans (2012–2014) LACMA+9Wikipedia+9artmiamimagazine.com+9.
Awards & Leadership Achievements
- David C. Driskell Prize (2007) recognizing contributions to African American art and culture
- Gold Rush Award, Rush Philanthropic Art Foundation (2009)
- Served as exhibition juror and curator for Art Basel Awards 2025, highlighting his global influence in contemporary art discourse Independent Curators International+6Wikipedia+6California State University, Chico+6Canvas+1FAD Magazine+1.
At PAMM, he has overseen initiatives like the Caribbean Cultural Institute Fellowships, reinforcing the museum’s role as a regional and diasporic platform California State University, Chico+13The Westside Gazette+13global-black-studies.miami.edu+13.
Editorial & Scholarly Work
Sirmans has served as editor-in-chief of ArtAsiaPacific and U.S. editor of Flash Art. He has written for prominent publications including The New York Times, Art in America, ArtNews, Newsweek International, Essence, and Grand Street discovery.affidavit.art+8Wikipedia+8artmiamimagazine.com+8.
Impact & Philosophy
With a consistent focus on cultural equity, Sirmans has positioned PAMM as a community-forward institution committed to showcasing Afro-Caribbean and Latinx art. His leadership model blends curatorial rigor with grassroots engagement, aligning institutional growth with public accessibility in Miami’s dynamic arts ecosystem .
Quick Facts
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Birthplace | New York City |
| Education | B.A. in Art History & English, Wesleyan University |
| Major Roles | PAMM Director (2015–present); LACMA Curator (2010–2015); Menil Collection Curator (2006–2010) |
| Notable Projects | Exhibitions: Basquiat (2005), One Planet Under a Groove, NeHoHooDoo; Director, Prospect.3 (2012–14) |
| Awards | Driskell Prize (2007); Gold Rush Award (2009) |
