The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation, in partnership with The Miami Foundation, has announced the recipients of its 2025 Pérez CreARTE Grants, recognizing outstanding contributors to South Florida’s arts and cultural community. The Public Humanities Lab at Florida International University is excited to share that it has been selected as one of this year’s grantees.
This honor was announced at the Pérez Family Foundation’s inaugural Grantee Summit at the Pérez Art Museum Miami, which also celebrated the Foundation’s 10th anniversary and a decade of supporting South Florida’s arts and cultural community. This new cycle of CreARTE grants will distribute over $5 million across 43 innovative projects over the next two years, advancing visual and performing arts, experimental programming and educational initiatives throughout Miami-Dade County.
Through the CreARTE program, The Public Humanities Lab at Florida International University will receive support to deepen the collaboration between the Public Humanities Lab and Iris PhotoCollective/IPC ArtSpace, through exhibitions and activations in the Little Haiti neighborhood. The main objective of the collaboration has been to create a place for people from all walks of life to come together in community for art and conversation.
This second round of CreARTE funding, will allow PHL to curate six exhibitions: four large-scale exhibitions by established photographers and two smaller-scale exhibitions by local, community-based emerging artists, all of which will work toward the common goal of sparking conversation around the theme “This is U.S.: Voices of Miami’s Diasporas”. This second phase not only expands PHL’s reach through an emphasis on emerging artists and youth voices, but also works toward deepening of our partnerships with cultural and arts organizations.
This grant allows The Public Humanities Lab at Florida International University to continue to bring students to university community to Little Haiti to engage with the photographs on the wall through conversations, musical performances and poetry.
“The CreARTE grant program has fundamentally transformed the work that we do at the university and in the community,” said Founding Director of the Public Humanities Lab, Dr. Rebecca Friedman. “We have introduced countless FIU students to Little Haiti’s rich and multilayered creative scene and brought artists and other creatives to FIU.”
The Pérez Family Foundation’s Grantee Partners Summit was an encouraging day, bringing together fellow artists, nonprofit stakeholders, and even civic leaders such as Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava to celebrate the power of art in our community. Highlights included discussions on the role of private philanthropy in supporting the arts; a fireside chat moderated by Anna Kaiser of Bloomberg, featuring Jorge M. Pérez, Kristina Newman-Scott (Knight Foundation) and Dianne Bailey (Bank of America); and a cocktail reception with live music by Young Musicians Unite.
For more information about the CreARTE program and the Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation, visitjmperezfamilyfoundation.org/grant-opportunities.
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About the Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs:
The Steven J. Green School of International & Public Affairs educates the leaders and changemakers of tomorrow through innovative teaching and research that advances global understanding, contributes to policy solutions, and promotes international dialogue. One of the leading schools of its kind in the world, the Green School is a full member of the prestigious Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs (APSIA), one of only 25 in the U.S. and 40 in the world. The school, which offers programs at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral levels, encompasses eight departments that bridge the social sciences and humanities, and is home to some of the university’s most prominent international centers, institutes, and programs.
About FIU:
Florida International University is a Top 50, preeminent public research university with 55,000 students from all 50 states and more than 140 countries, as well as an alumni network of more than 340,000. Located in the global city of Miami, the university offers more than 200 degree programs at the undergraduate, graduate and professional levels, including medicine and law. FIU faculty are leaders in their fields and include National Academy members, Fulbright Scholars, and MacArthur Genius Fellows. A Carnegie R1 institution, FIU drives impactful research in environmental resilience, health, and technology and innovation. Home to the Wall of Wind and Institute of Environment, FIU stands at the forefront of discovery and innovation. With a focus on student success, economic mobility and community engagement, FIU is redefining what it means to be a public research university.
About The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation:
Founded in 2015, The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation at The Miami Foundation (the Pérez Family Foundation) fulfills the philanthropic vision of Jorge M. Pérez, Founding Executive Chairman of The Related Group, and his family to develop South Florida as an exemplary world-class urban center. Now more than a decade into its work, the Pérez Family Foundation promotes sustainable, inclusive and just communities by supporting programs and organizations focused on arts and culture, education, health and well-being, environment and economic development — with a particular preference for initiatives that can serve as models for other urban centers. In total, the Pérez family has committed over $100 million in support of over 160 non-profit organizations, both personally and through the Pérez Family Foundation. For more information, please visit www.jmperezfamilyfoundation.org.
About The Miami Foundation:
The Miami Foundation is building a Greater Miami where everyone can thrive. Since 1967, The Foundation has invested over $772M to strengthen our community in partnership with more than 1,000 fundholders and 50,000 donors. By accelerating leadership, generosity, and a sense of belonging across Miami, we inspire people to become changemakers, and we create ways for donors, nonprofits, leaders, and locals to work together on solutions for our community. At The Miami Foundation, everyone has a role they can play in creating a thriving Greater Miami.
About FIU’s Public Humanities Lab (PHL):
The Public Humanities Lab serves as FIU’s hub for public-facing research, teaching and community initiatives in the areas of arts and culture.
About IPC ArtSpace:
IPC ArtSpace in Little Haiti is a vibrant creative place for artistic exploration. Our mission is to enrich our community by actively encouraging the arts through education and outreach.