Collecting Art as Memory Work
“You are the person who is responsible for saving your culture. Not the Met, not the Whitney, not the MoMA, but you.”
—David Driskell
To honor seven years of nurturing an arts ecosystem, we gathered at El Espacio 23 for a meaningful conversation titled Collecting Art as Memory Work with contemporary artist Reginald O’Neal and community historian Nadege Green of Black Miami-Dade, moderated our co-founder, Dejha Carrington.
With a focus on redefining arts patronage, our speakers offered insights into how their practices engage with both deeply personal and historically significant narratives of our time. We envisioned a future that provides greater access to the cultural tools—whether through painting, storytelling, or the act of collecting itself—that help us make meaning and understand the places we inhabit.
When discussing the responsibility of arts institutions to rectify historical wrongs, Reginald echoed the profound works of celebrated artist and educator David Driskell: “No one will ever care more than we do.” This sentiment served as a poignant call to action, prompting Nadege to ask, “What will they erase from our communities if we don’t show up to tell our stories for ourselves?”
When collecting art becomes a shared and intentional act, it shifts from exclusivity to participation, decentering who holds cultural power and inviting more voices to shape our collective memory.
Together, we celebrated artists, mutual support, and the value of connection over commodity. Download our Seven-Year Impact Report to learn more.
We are incredibly grateful for the artists, members, friends, and our dedicated onsite team—Claudia Des Rosiers, Natalia Duran, Richard Guzman, and Myriam Davani Hosseini—who made the event so special. A heartfelt thank you to Lee Pivnik, Season Five commissioned artist, for providing essential coontie seeds to help grow our gardens (click here for instructions, pick up at step #3). We also extend our appreciation to Anelys Alvarez, Patti Hanna, Luis Manjarres, Daniela Olivera, Victoria S. Rogers, and Belissa Alvarez, at El Espacio 23 and the Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation for their sincere support.
Photography by Chantal Lawrie.
