John Marquez: art collector

Beneath the laid-back, effortless grace of a Floridian in his early 40’s, John Marquez has forged a remarkably rapid reputation for his advances as an art collector.

Photo credit: Kevin Beltran

Marquez shares his story with a degree of charming modesty that gives the impression that opening Marquez Art Projects, one of the most anticipated art spaces in Miami, was a stroke of mere serendipity.

As he tells it, the need for space to house his growing collection aligned perfectly with the chance to repurpose a former shoe warehouse.

The stylishly inky green, 8,000-sqft building located in Allapattah houses four rotating galleries, which showcase professionally curated selections from the family’s collection of both emerging and established artists. The architecture plans were originally conceived by world renowned architect and museum curator, Terence Riley. After his passing, the plans were later adapted by his former student, Wesley Kean (KoDA) and interiors were designed by Miami-based Rodrigo Albir (RoDA).

It is this nous that distinguishes the occasional from the serious collector – just as sharing one’s collection is the hallmark of an art patron.

<<I still see it as an extension of my personal space that I’ve opened up to the public in Miami>>

“I still see it as an extension of my personal space that I’ve opened up to the public to visit in Miami”, Marquez says.

In Miami he is a well-known property developer, starting at it quite young, renovating properties to begin with, and graduating to building multi-family projects throughout South Florida.

In the art world, he is making a name for himself as a heavy weight international collector with Marquez Art Projects (MAP). Admission to visit the non-profit foundation is completely free year-round.

Harold Ancart and Hayley Barker – photography by Oriol Tarridas

Miami, an art destination in its own right

Miami has form when it comes to art patronage.

Art Basel Miami Beach may be the anchor, but there are a number of satellite fairs and then, there are the foundations and private museums: The Rubell Museum, The Margulies Collection at the WAREHOUSE, and Espacio 23, to name just a few.

Miami has long been irresistible to the well-heeled, with its great, year-round balmy climate, manicured golf courses, cosmopolitan lifestyle and phenomenal estates.

There is a new wave of New Yorkers moving to Miami and as Marquez says, “I hope they too get inspired by the art scene”.

He curates the art at his home himself, whereas the curatorial task at the museum is a collaborative effort, including Adam Green and ICA’s artistic director, Alex Gartenfeld, adding gravitas and a tight, disciplined approach.

From street art to “oil on canvas”

Marquez’s journey as a collector is well-documented. While he credits his family with planting the initial seeds, het has clearly evolved from collecting “wall decoration art” to building a serious, prolific collection driven by a deep passion

As a young real estate developer, he began with a strong focus on street art, but over the past decade his interests have shifted. His collection has evolved along with his taste, first embracing figuration, then moving into abstraction.

The space and the artists

The MAP exhibition spaces are divided into four galleries. The central gallery, affectionately referred to as ‘The Jewel Box’, is dedicated to showcasing solo exhibitions by emerging visual artists. These artists are selected from different sources: galleries, personal connections, and discoveries through social media.

The Jewel Box functions as a hybrid space, encouraging dialogue on new art and emerging artists, stimulating creativity and ideas.

In September 2023, the inaugural solo presentation featured newly commissioned work by Spanish-born, Brooklyn-based artist Cristina de Miguel. Since then, MAP has featured solo exhibitions of new work by Jose Delgado Zuñiga, Noelia Towers, and most recently Katarina Caserman.

The remaining three galleries house a rotating selection of works from the Marquez Family Collection.

Genesis Belanger and Emily Mae Smith – photography by Oriol Tarridas

On view in time for Miami Art Week 2024, MAP has newly curated exhibitions featuring recent acquisitions, and themes of landscape, surrealism and abstraction.

Works inspired by landscapes include paintings by Harold Ancart (represented by Gagosian) and Hayley Barker (represented by Night Gallery).

Surrealist artists on view from the permanent collection include Daniel Correa Mejía (represented by PPOW Gallery), Emily Mae Smith (represented by Perrotin) and Genesis Belanger (represented by Perrotin and Rodolphe Janssen), and works from Roby Dwi Antono (represented by Almine Rech).

Last, highlighted abstract work include a massive Vaughn Spann diptych (represented by David Castillo and Almine Rech), Diego Singh (represented by Luhring Augustine and Central Fine), and work by the late Sarah Cunningham (represented by Lisson Gallery).