Written by Kerren Dieuveille
Hi Culture Shockers! Welcome back to our Summer Road Trip. This next stop has us journeying downtown to the Pérez Art Museum Miami.
Stop #3: Pérez Art Museum Miami
Upon entering the first floor of the Museum, we were greeted with the introductory section of the “Get in the Game: Sports, Art, Culture” exhibition. To the left of the museum entrance, you will find a four person ping pong table set up with a Lotus Pond in the center that is open for visitors to play. Against the backdrop of a wall lined with soccer balls, this section immersed us in the exhibition which also continued upstairs.
Before venturing upstairs to the larger portion of the “Get in the Game” exhibition, we explored the artwork currently on display on the first floor from a selection from PAMM’s permanent collection. This portion of the exhibition featured paintings, sculptures, and mixed media created by over 100 artists from around the globe– including a signed dress made of Miami Heat jerseys, a basketball hoop with a net made of braiding hair, and paintings and portraits of community involvement in sports and by basketball players. Through the exhibition's depiction of the history and legacy of sports, the fandom it creates, and the emotions it inspires in its community, it highlights “how sport has inspired both personal expression and shared cultural memory.”
Afterwards, we made our way into a small alcove to view “Held in Layers: Selections from PAMM’s Collection,” which highlights a colorful vignette of paintings. We then moved on to the “This is America” collection which marks the 250th anniversary of the United States by tracing “how American artists have responded to pivotal moments of crisis and transformation,” with emphasis put on “national perspectives historically underrepresented in American art.”
Then, we headed to PAMM’s most anticipated exhibition of the season, “Basquiat: Figures, Signs, Symbols,” which is “the largest presentation of the [Jean-Michel Basquiat’s] work to date in Florida.” This exhibition includes sculptures and paintings from the Kenneth C. Griffin Collection which will be on display at PAMM until June 6, 2027.
Don’t miss out on the chance to view some of Jean-Michel Basquiat’s artworks this summer at PAMM and continue to follow us on our Summer Road Trip!
To visit Pérez Art Museum Miami for only $5, secure your Culture Shock tickets here: cultureshockmiami.com/events/p%C3%A9rez-art-museum-miami.
Catch you at our next stop…