Capping Off Season Four with the Photography of Lisa Leone

Photographer and filmmaker Lisa Leone honed her craft in 1990s New York, capturing images of her friends, many of whom went on to become some of the most influential figures in hip-hop and beyond. And while she was documenting the people, music and culture of the times, a young curator named Franklin Sirmans was also on the rise. Before digital was a thing, he described riding the train, meeting with one magazine editor at a time to pitch his story ideas about the intersection of hip-hop and contemporary art, often with Lisa’s 35mm slides in tow.

Earlier this month, on July 9, we celebrated Lisa’s seminal work at Dante’s HiFi, a local gem that bills itself as "the first vinyl listening bar dedicated to analog audiophile music culture in Wynwood” with David Wikes on the turntables. As the finale of a formidable fourth season of commissioning artists and building community through the arts, it was standing room only, with many of Commissioner’s earliest supporters, their friends and our newest members excited for a conversation between Lisa and Franklin, better known today as the director of our beloved Pérez Art Museum Miami. In a last minute switch-up that required Lisa to join in virtually (read: via FaceTime on a cellphone), and welcomed peer and artist Carlos “Mare 139” Rodriguez, audiences cozied up to hear three old friends revisit the artist’s early works and the legendary stories behind them.

In a dramatic artwork unveiling—daresay our favorite moment at every reveal event—Collectors received one of six never-before-published photographs and the book Here I Am–Photographs by Lisa Leone. These six works, each an edition of 10, were carefully selected by Lisa with support from curatorial partner Primary. Together, the collection for Commissioner comprises astonishing images Brian (1992), Jungle Cruise (Bronx, 1992), Summer Harlem (1992), Lauryn Hill (East Harlem, 1993), Fab 5 Freddy (Paris, 1993), and Mike D and Fatlip (Los Angeles, 1995). See the works below and here.

Big love to co-conspirators Joanna Davila, Richard Guzman, Mariana Pariani and Greg Pierre Louis; to longtime curatorial partner Primary; and to media partners The New Tropic and South Florida PBS. Thank you to Season Four partners Mitchell Wolfson Sr Foundation, New World School of the Arts, The Jorge Pérez Family Foundation’s Pérez creARTE grant program, Maven Leadership Collective and Tito’s Handmade Vodka, and in-kind faves Fever Tree and Volley Tequila. Finally, a resounding applause for members, who, through their contributions and participation, demonstrated that collecting art and supporting artists is better for everyone when we work together.