Antonia Wright Receives First Commission
season seven explores systems and the artists who challenge them
Commissioner, an art membership program that brings locals together to support artists and collect art, has officially launched its seventh season in Miami. Inspired by collaborative models that center access and community, Commissioner combines annual member dues to commission four Miami-based artists at various stages in their careers.
Today, Commissioner is thrilled to announce that Cuban-American artist Antonia Wright will receive the first commission of Season Seven. Forty new works by the artist will be unveiled and distributed to 40 collector members at a private event at the artist’s home and studio on November 16 in Miami.
Portrait of Antonia Wright, photo by Lazaro Llanes courtesy of PAMM.
Responding to extremes of emotion, control, and violence in relation to systems of power, Antonia uses the body as a principal element in her work. Her piece State of Labor—a generative sound art composition that applies data sonification to protest the changing laws around access to safe and legal abortion—was acquired by Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) for their permanent collection. It is currently on view in their project gallery in an installation organized by Maritza M. Lacayo, Associate Curator at PAMM.
“These are challenging times for artists and communities across geographies,” says Dejha Carrington, Commissioner co-founder and executive director. “This season, we are uplifting artists and organizations that question systems and light their own paths—whether in how they develop their practices, the mediums they choose, or the ways they position themselves in our field.” She continues, “We’re honored to collaborate with Antonia Wright, and excited for our members—many of whom are new and emerging collectors—to become stewards of her work at this time and in this state.”
Since launching in 2018, Commissioner has funded more than $400,000 in new commissions with the support of 600+ members, placing over 1,300 works in the hands of people who may not have previously identified as collectors. For $1,800 per year or four payments of $550, up to 40 people can sign up at the Collector member level to receive four limited edition and/or original artworks. Each commissioned artist creates 40 new works for Collector members, which are revealed at signature events inspired by their practice.
For $90–$120 per year, the Patron member level offers single or dual access to monthly programming, plus a selection of Miami Art Week passes for Art Basel Miami Beach, Design Miami, New Art Dealers Alliance (NADA), Prizm Art Fair, and Untitled Art, Miami Beach. Additionally, in modeling an artist-invested community, Commissioner’s Arts Worker Program underwrites Patron memberships for at least 40 South Florida artists, arts workers, educators, and 10 faculty members of New World School of the Arts.
Members at all levels are invited to participate in Commissioner-curated art travel, anchored by artists and practitioners in select cities, including Detroit, Mexico City, Montréal, New York, and soon, New Orleans.
"I first heard about Commissioner through a Miami Tech newsletter,” recalls Adaeze Nwakobi, returning member and alum. “I moved to Miami to explore the art scene. With few connections in the city, I saw Commissioner as a perfect way to learn more about contemporary art and expand my social circle. Since joining, I’ve gained invaluable knowledge about the art world—both through the diverse artists they feature and the thoughtful programming they provide. It’s been a place where I’ve not only learned so much but also found warmth, care, and genuine hospitality."
Storytelling
In addition to the commissioning program and immersive experiences, Commissioner produces videos and stories that aim to bridge the gaps of understanding between artists and the broader communities in which they belong. Expanding access to diverse stories, content is elevated through our partnership with South Florida PBS’s ArtLoft—a weekly 30-minute art program showcasing the local artists, exhibitions, performances, and arts organizations in South Florida.
Diana Eusebio hosting an indigo workshop at Season Seven orientation, photo by Passion Ward.
Fall Programming
Commissioner is designed to dismantle barriers to art collecting and educate newcomers on using their social capital and collective power to support artists more responsibly. Members carry forward the mission with their participation and its enduring ripple effect beyond the program.
Kicking off Season Seven with orientation, this year’s in-person edition featured a fabric-dyeing workshop with Peruvian-Dominican and Miami-based textile artist Diana Eusebio on September 29 at the lush Miami Beach Botanical Garden. Eusebio researches natural dyed textiles from Indigenous Latin American and Afro-Caribbean traditions and connects ancestral practice with modern techniques.
A visit with Commissioner’s curatorial partner Primary will take place on October 18 in their flexible live–residency–workspace with Peruvian-American artist Piero Penizzotto. Growing up between New York and South Florida, Penizzotto’s sculptural practice is an ode to friendships and community. His exhibition Good Company opens to the public on October 19 at the gallery.
Rafael Domenech is designing an interactive workshop for members on October 20 at Andrew Reed Gallery, coinciding with the opening weekend of his solo exhibition Prologue: Residual images in italic. Exploring the overlapping friction between art, design, the built environment and the community it inhabits, Domenech is known for his collective-based projects that further emphasize the value of art as a catalyst for social exchange.
From October 31–November 3, twelve members travel to New Orleans for the Prospect.6 triennial. Titled The Future is Present, The Harbinger is Home, Co-Artistic Directors Miranda Lash and Ebony G. Patterson present New Orleans as a globally relevant point of departure for examining climate change, legacies of colonialism, and definitions of belonging and home. The Black School in New Orleans, a Black-centered experimental art school teaching BIPOC and ally students to become agents of change in their communities, is Commissioner’s local partner.
Since 2022, Commissioner has served as an Advisory Council member of The Black Rest Project, conceived by New York University’s Center for Black Visual Culture. The project interrogates the conditions of Black labor and systems in the arts and offers cross-disciplinary partnership, scholarship, and time to imagine anew. On November 8, Commissioner co-founder and executive director Dejha Carrington will join the panel Black Rest in Translation at Migration & Translation—the global convening held at NYU Paris during Paris Photo 2024. Moderated by Dr. Joan Morgan, panelists include Dr. Treva Lindsey, Dr. Gayatri Gopinath, Dr. Jennifer L. Morgan, and Dr. Tiffany Gil.
Miami Art Week
Collaborations for Miami Art Week in December include a second annual community kickoff with The Carter Project and Artists in Residence in Everglades (AIRIE); a book signing and artist talk at Dalé Zine with Anastasia Samoylova, Season Five Artist alumna, on the heels of her exhibition opening Floridas at The Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art; and curated tours, performances, and a selection of passes to art fairs. Commissioner is proud to partner with Project For Empty Space’s Body Freedom for Every(Body), an exhibition advocating for body autonomy and reproductive justice inside a 27-foot truck featuring artists Mickalene Thomas, Marilyn Minter, and Barbara Kruger, to name a few. Premiering in Times Square, New York, the truck is currently on a cross-country road trip to cities such as Austin, Texas; Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Washington, D.C. The last stop is Miami, Florida.
From the NY Times article In Miami, a Sculpture Built to Live In, photo by Steven Brooke.
Support
Commissioner is a recipient of the 2024 WaveMaker Grant at Locust Projects, made possible by The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, to create an interactive guidebook that will share insights, challenges, and strategies of the program, building on existing knowledge in the field. Titled “Commissioner as Social Practice,” the project will be published in 2026.
One hundred-plus members are now powering an almost sold-out Season Seven. Additionally, Commissioner is supported by Maven Leadership Collective, Mitchell Wolfson Sr Foundation, The Jorge Pérez Family Foundation’s Pérez creARTE grant program, and Tito's Handmade Vodka. The Miami Foundation and Diaspora Vibe Cultural Arts Incubator are fiscal sponsors.
To join Commissioner, please visit commissioner.us/miami. Winter programming will be released in December 2024.