About JCMC
Established in 2005 by Venezuelan entrepreneur Juan Carlos Maldonado, the mission of the Juan Carlos Maldonado Collection (JCMC) is to contribute to the study and appreciation of Geometric Abstraction as a universal movement that transcends geographies and cultural backgrounds.
In order to fulfill our mission, the JCMC has an ever-expanding art collection that is activated by public programming and includes dynamic exhibitions, scholarly publications and loans of works to institutions.
Our Programs
Collection
Since its beginnings, JCMC’s collection has constantly been evolving. Having started with a strong commitment to modern geometric abstraction from Latin America, the collection’s focus grew to include both modern and contemporary artists exploring the style in a global context.
Furthermore, in 2018 JCMC acquired an important collection of Ye’kwana artifacts meticulously assembled by renowned anthropologist Charles Brewer-Carías, adding to its focus the study of art and artifacts of the Ye’Kwana indigenous tribe of Venezuela.
For more on the Collection and a selection of works click here.
Exhibitions
Since establishing a temporary home in Miami’s Design District in 2016, JCMC has curated exhibitions that aim to challenge conceptions and expand the awareness of geometric abstraction’s extent.
The inaugural exhibition in 2016 “The Unbounded Line” set the tone for the program showcasing over 50 works from the collection that explored the core motivation of JCMC’s continuous survey: the fascinating boundlessness of creative artistic energy within the geometric language and its relevance in the modern world. Following exhibitions have included modern and contemporary works, as well as Ye’kwana artifacts from the collection.
To learn more about JCMC’s exhibition program click here.
JCMC’s exhibitions are free and open to the public, click here for visitor information.
Publications
Publications are an important part of JCMC’s mission. In addition to publishing exhibition catalogs and making them accessible for free via digital download on our website, JCMC has contributed to several editorial initiatives including “Geometric Abstraction in Latin America. Arte en Colombia/ArtNexus, Anthological Texts” an anthological selection of texts on geometric abstraction published by ArtNexus in 2013 and more recently “Ye’kwana Basketry Symbology: Portal to a Parallel World” by Charles Brewer-Carias, published in 2019, presents a thorough investigation into the culture and cosmogony of the Ye’kwana indigenous people displayed through the craftsmanship of their woven basketry.
Click here to learn more about JCMC’s publications.
Loans
Making our collection of artworks, artifacts, and publications accessible to individuals and organizations for consultation, scholastic research, and exhibitions is a major part of our programming. The collection has lent works to institutional exhibitions worldwide, including: The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; The Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; Perez Art Museum Miami; The Patricia and Phillip Frost Art Museum at FIU, Miami; and Pinacoteca do Estado de Sao Paulo and MALBA, Buenos Aires. Most notably, since 2016 Penetrable BBL Bleu, 1999 by Jesús Soto is on long-term loan at the Perez Art Museum Miami’s Mary M. and Sash A. Spencer Sculpture Garden.
Click here to learn more about JCMC’s loan program.
About the Collector
Born in Venezuela, Juan Carlos Maldonado is a businessman specialized in the insurance, banking and health sectors. A graduate from Wofford College and MIT, Maldonado developed a career in banking and later went on to manage for over 15 years one of Venezuela’s most important insurance companies, Seguros La Previsora, a family business.
With a focus on Geometric Abstraction, and with the support of curator Carlota Perez-Appelbaum, in 2005 Maldonado began building a collection centered on personal curation and supported by historical and market research. This dynamic allowed him to continue to learn about the style that interested him so much and strengthened his commitment to share this work with the public.
As a custodian of the works in his collection, and understanding the educational potential they represented, in 2016 Maldonado established the Juan Carlos Maldonado Collection (JCMC) with a temporary base in Miami’s Design District. Since then, the space has produced multiple exhibitions and publications.
Maldonado continues to pursue his passion for business and art. He owns and operates various businesses and leads the Juan Carlos Maldonado Collection. Maldonado is a member of the Museo Reina Sofia International Board and the The Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami (ICA Miami) Acquisitions Advisory Board.