Hospitality Design - November 2020 - 73

El Espacio 23, the contemporary art center Pérez opened
in late 2019 in Miami's Allapattah neighborhood

What first attracted you to Miami?

Since I arrived in South Florida almost 40 years ago, I've happily built both
my business and my family here. I saw potential from day one. Being the
gateway to the Americas, and possessing incredible natural beauty and
tropical weather, I just knew it had a bright future ahead. [It's changed from]
a solely fun-in-the-sun destination to a truly global city, with world-class
architecture, great art, and a robust economic engine.

Did your interest in art start as a child?

When I was a young boy, my mother would take me to the best museums in
Colombia, Argentina, and Cuba, and while I didn't know it at the time, these
day trips paved the way for a lifelong passion. Today, art continues to be a
strong link to my family and my culture. It reminds me where I came from,
which, in turn, guides me to where I'm going. My ultimate goal is to be able
to help others experience this. By opening my own art center, El Espacio 23,
and by continuing to work with institutions like PAMM and the National
YoungArts Foundation, I'm achieving just that.

What inspired the Jorge and Darlene Pérez Prize in Public Art &
Civic Design program?
We are always looking for new ways to expose individuals across the entire
economic spectrum to new ideas, philosophies, and cultures. Placing
museum-quality art in public spaces has been at the center of this effort.
While we integrate these types of works into our real estate projects, we
wanted to expand the program and support arts professionals-both artists
and administrators-who focus on public installations. We just announced
the inaugural winner, Vinnie Bagwell, who is an incredible talent.

You've also provided grants to nonprofits that promote
economic and educational parity, like Grameen America
and Catalyst Miami. How can disadvantaged communities
be elevated?

Inequity and social injustice are issues that I saw regularly during my youth
in Cuba and Latin America, which left an irrevocable mark on my life and
career. Surface-level fixes, like traditional subsidized housing, will only go
so far. To drive real change, local governments will need to work with the

El Espacio 23, which kicked off with the exhibition "Time For Change:
Art and Social Unrest," houses some of the Jorge M. Pérez Collection

private sector to identify and address root causes of poverty and inequality.
At Related, we are using our development expertise to help rethink the way
neighborhoods are built. We believe diversity and inclusion are at the heart
of any thriving community; we are going to great lengths to deliver housing
of the highest quality across all pricepoints, ensuring the projects bring
meaningful benefits to everyone, not just those who call them home.

Can you describe one such example?

Providing individuals and their families, regardless of their socioeconomic
status or background, with housing they can be proud of is one of my
life's greatest missions. As part of this promise, we're working with local
and national government partners to transform some of the nation's most
historically impoverished neighborhoods into thriving communities.
Among these is our renovation of Liberty Square in Miami's Liberty City.
The project was originally built in the '30s and in recent years had become
run-down. While we're still far from done, the first few phases in this
redevelopment have been delivered and the change has been dramatic. hd
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