Few names are so synonymous with Miami as Jorge M. Pérez. The larger-than-life figure landed in Florida on the brink of adulthood in 1968. Within three decades, he became a preeminent name in real estate development and a philanthropic force to be reckoned with. His firm’s new generation of projects, which include the St. Regis Resort & Residences, Bahia Mar in Fort Lauderdale, and the Ritz-Carlton Residences in West Palm Beach, have seen the founder of the Related Group leave an even deeper imprint on the state.
In his 70s, Pérez has set his sights on more landlocked territory. His children introduced him to Aspen during the pandemic, and the patron quickly adopted the Roaring Fork Valley as a second home. In December, the Aspen Art Museum announced the establishment of the Pérez Fund for Public Access, a $1 million gift in support of the museum’s educational and public engagement activities, as well as bilingual programming. (Pérez, born to Cuban parents, grew up in Argentina and Colombia.)
But that’s not all: The collector is busy putting the final touches on a sculpture park, accessible to the public by appointment, that will punctuate the 200-acre property he recently acquired on Snowmass. He sat down with Nicola Lees, the Aspen Art Museum’s CEO and artistic director, after a recent visit to what promises to become a destination in no time.
Nicola Lees: The one thing that struck me immediately when we met was your infectious excitement for artists, and how artists respond to your interest and curiosity. Where does that come from?
Jorge M. Pérez: I think it started with my mother, who used to take me to museums and talk to me about art and philosophy. When I first arrived in New York, I just fell in love with MoMA, the Guggenheim, and the Whitney. I wanted to own these things, to be surrounded by them. In those early days, I could only afford lithographs. I still own my first ones; they happened to be a Man Ray, a Marino Marini, and a [Joan] Miró. Once I started, it was like I never wanted to stop. Now it’s like I’m a heroin addict—I need it.
My connection with artists comes from the fact that I love their art for art’s sake. It’s not just something I want to put on the wall and show people and say, “Hey, look, I have a great art collection.”
Lees: For me, it really is about wanting to dive into the unknown with artists. In many ways, you have been the person who brought that spirit to Miami.
Pérez: I had decided to stay in the United States and become an American citizen, and I felt I was losing my roots. Art brought me back to Latin America—at the beginning, I only collected Latin American art. When the Miami Art Museum ran out of money and said, “We need funds to complete it, and we want a great collection, particularly in Latin American art”—because Miami is 55 percent foreign-born, and most of that is from Latin America—I felt it was an obligation to give them everything I owned at that time, every piece of art and the money to finish the fantastic museum that Herzog & de Meuron had designed.
I kept looking around and thinking, We’re becoming a bigger and bigger share of the U.S. population, yet we don’t have any great institutions named after a Latin person. I thought it was time to set an example. When I gave that collection away, it freed me. That was in 2011, but we continue to part with works of huge personal significance. We just gave the Tate my favorite painting—a Joan Mitchell triptych. It had been in our bedroom; it was the one artwork in the house that never changed. I was very sad when I gave it, but then when I saw it there, I just thought, Wow, this is the right thing. It looks so much better together with all the Rothkos than it ever would in my house.
Lees: When you think about how many people will stand in front of that painting and have a transformative moment, it really is quite a moving gift, Jorge.
Pérez: Having children and people who can’t afford a museum ticket go there and see it, that is extremely important to me. Art should not only be for the rich.
Lees: We’re passionate about connecting with everyone in the [Roaring Fork] Valley, particularly children and young people, as well as schools whose resources are often limited. The majority of youth in our service area identify as Hispanic or Latinx, so it’s really important for us to offer bilingual programs and education. Your gift is going to completely transform what the museum can achieve in this field.
Pérez: What really changed my mind in Aspen was this: I was totally rehabbing a house and doing an addition, and about 90 percent of the workers were Hispanic. I started talking to them, and I said, “The Aspen Art Museum is free.” You should have seen how many of them actually went and really enjoyed it.
Lees: I came last month to visit you and your wife, Darlene, in this incredible new property. I’d love you to talk more about your passion for sculpture in the landscape, and this idea of creating something that feels permanent up there on top of Snowmass Mountain.
Pérez: Walking around and looking at sculpture in nature is completely different from having a small space in a museum. One of the reasons I moved from a smaller piece of land in Aspen to this one—200 acres on top of the mountain—is that I’ve always wanted room to walk and discover sculptures in different places, communicating with nature.
Lees: How many do you have up there now?
Pérez: We’re getting close to 100.
Lees: When I think about your collection, I always think of the word vitality. Hearing you speak about what you’re building is actually very similar to how I think about the museum. I really want it to be a living museum. When you’re standing in front of an artwork, and say, “I really love this”—how does that happen? Does it need to happen in person?
Pérez: I almost always buy art in person. I get goosebumps in front of great art. But that response comes from study. People don’t believe it, but I probably spend three or four hours every day studying art. Once I start studying an artist, I start buying across their career, trying to find pieces they made when they were 18 and pieces they’re making now in their 60s. It’s extraordinary to see that progression.
When I’m buying art, particularly when I’m spending a significant amount on a piece, I’ll reach out to specialists. If it’s a Spanish artist, I’ll call Manuel Borja-Villel or Manuel Segade Lodeiro and ask, “What do you think about this piece?” Koyo Kouoh, who unfortunately passed away, was someone I’d call every time I bought a piece. They’re all very honest with me, and I want that. That said, it doesn’t mean I’ll always follow the advice. I tend to go counter to what’s popular.
I love taking chances. I don’t just want to buy artists who have already been proven. I also want to go to those who haven’t yet been proven, who aren’t in museum collections, but who I believe, through my research and observation, are going to be great.
Lees: Collecting artists who are in the early stage of their career, who may not have a market yet, is also a way to support them in crucial moments of their development, when they need the financial support to afford a studio or materials, for example. I am also curious to ask you, how did you connect with Aspen in the first place?
Pérez: During Covid, my kids said, “Dad, Aspen is the coolest place.” They were in their early-to-mid 30s, and it really is a great town for that age. I rented a house just for them. Within a week, I fell in love with Aspen. I still have some negotiating to do with the family, but I’d love for the whole collection and the house to become a kind of artist colony and residency.
Lees: It really is the perfect place. We are so honored to have you as part of our community and can’t wait to spend the summer with you.
Order your copy of the 2026 Aspen issue here.
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