JOSÉ CARLOS DIAZ IS PAMM'S NEW CHIEF CURATOR
The curator returns to the city where he began his career to take on the role of Senior Director of Curatorial Affairs & Chief Curator at the Pérez Art Museum Miami, with a vision focused on accessibility and intercultural dialogue.
Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) has announced the appointment of José Carlos Diaz as senior director of curatorial affairs & chief curator, following a national search. Known for his globally attuned and community-driven vision, Diaz will assume his new role on October 13, 2025.
“I see PAMM as both a cultural anchor and a civic gathering place in Miami—one uniquely positioned to reflect and connect the city’s many communities,” said Diaz. “I aim to make art accessible to as many people as possible. My curatorial approach consistently features globally influential artists, reinterpreting their legacies through modern lenses. I am excited to join PAMM and foster cross-cultural dialogues and new perspectives.”
Diaz joins PAMM from the Seattle Art Museum (SAM), where he was the Susan Brotman deputy director for art, overseeing programming across three locations. At SAM, he launched the multi-year Calder at SAM initiative and curated the acclaimed Calder: In Motion. He also organized Anila Quayyum Agha: Geometry of Light (2025), FriendsWithYou: Little Cloud Sky (2025), and contributed to major exhibitions including Suchitra Mattai: she walked in reverse and found their songs and Hokusai: Inspiration and Influence.
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José Carlos Diaz. Photo: Rafael Soldi
Previously, Diaz served as chief curator at The Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh (2016–2022), where he curated Paola Pivi: I Want It All, Farhad Moshiri: Go West, and the traveling exhibitions Andy Warhol: Revelation and Becoming Andy Warhol. Earlier in his career, he worked at The Bass Museum of Art in Miami Beach, Tate Liverpool, and the Liverpool Biennial, and began as an intern at The Rubell Museum in Miami.
Franklin Sirmans, PAMM’s director, emphasized the significance of Diaz’s appointment: “José is no stranger to Miami. His global expertise, paired with a deep understanding of this city’s artistic history, will be invaluable as we continue to shape conversations that connect local and international narratives.”
For Diaz, this new role represents a homecoming to the city where he studied and worked early on. At PAMM, he plans to strengthen the museum’s role as a cultural anchor by creating exhibitions that are visually striking, intellectually engaging, and broadly accessible.
José Carlos Diaz is a specialist in modern and contemporary art with wide-ranging curatorial experience in the U.S. and abroad. He earned a BA in art history from San Francisco State University and an MA in cultural history from the University of Liverpool. A 2018 fellow at the Center for Curatorial Leadership, he currently serves on the Board of Trustees of the Association of Art Museum Curators.
Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM), directed by Franklin Sirmans, fosters artistic expression and the exchange of ideas, reflecting the city’s diverse community. Formerly Miami Art Museum, PAMM opened its Herzog & de Meuron-designed building in Downtown Miami’s Maurice A. Ferré Park in 2013. Today, it stands as a landmark for sustainable design and innovative programming in the Americas.
*Cover image: José Carlos Diaz. Photo: Rafael Soldi.
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