Miami, Fla. – Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) is hosting its tenth anniversary Art + Soul Celebration, one of South Florida’s premier social and fundraising events in support and celebration of the PAMM Fund for Black Art, on Feb. 11.

This year’s event honors actor and activist Jesse Williams.

The evening will feature cocktails, music, and dancing, including a specially-curated dinner catered by Ghetto Gastro, as well as live performances by Guitars over Guns, Deep Fried Funk, and DJ Pam Jones. The party continues with cocktails, desserts, and dancing under the stars with live entertainment. Gallery access starts at 9 p.m. For information and ticketing, visit pamm.org/artsoul2023.

“Through the PAMM Fund for Black Art and our annual Art + Soul Celebration, we have the ability to invigorate our collection showcasing major artworks by Black artists from around the world,” said PAMM Director Franklin Sirmans.

“I am so pleased that we are honoring my friend Jesse Williams, who has been working with artists as a collaborator and collecting art by Black artists for more than a decade. While known for his role on television’s ‘Grey’s Anatomy’ and most recently in the Broadway play ‘Take Me Out,’ Jesse began his professional career as a high school teacher and that aspect of who he is continues to play a part in the way he goes about navigating the world.”

PAMM is committed to raising public awareness and appreciation for the artistic legacy of Black artists, Sirmans said, ensuring that the works will be enjoyed and valued for generations to come.

Art + Soul also welcomes arts supporters and PAMM Ambassadors for Black Art for the reveal of the Ambassadors’ most recent art acquisition. The PAMM Fund for Black Art allows the museum to purchase and showcase contemporary art by Black artists for its permanent collection. Past Honorees of the Celebration include Dr. Lowery S. Sims, Pamela Joyner and David Alan Grier.

In 2022, PAMM raised more than $1 million for the fund, renamed from the PAMM Fund for African American Art to the PAMM Fund for Black Art, which more inclusively describes the various identities represented by the fund, including from Latin America and the Caribbean in addition to the African Diaspora.

The museum acquired “Wallace Simmons and Eric Allums, Birmingham, AL” and “Cabin and Palm Trees,” both photographs by Dawoud Bey, and “On the Other Side of Everything,” a hyperrealistic painting by Calida Rawles.

Since the inception of the Fund in 2013, PAMM has acquired 25 artworks for the museum’s permanent collection, including works by Terry Adkins, Romare Bearden, Kevin Beasley, Ed Clark, Theresa Chromati, Nari Ward, Lorraine O’Grady, Ebony G. Patterson, Faith Ringgold, Tschabalala Self, Vaughn Spann, Juana Valdes and others.

Proceeds from Art + Soul benefit the fund and are matched by the Knight Foundation. Art + Soul 2023 is presented by Northern Trust and sponsored by Baldwin Richardson Food Co., Celsius Inc., BET Networks, ArentFoxSchiff, and Amazon.

Visit pamm.org/artsoul2023.