Silvia Karman Cubina
Executive Director and Chief Curator
Miami Connection
At the Bass Museum, housed in a 1930s Art Deco building in Miami Beach, Cubiñá has elevated South Florida's status as an art destination by curating international contemporary exhibitions that blend art, design, fashion, and architecture, reflecting Miami's diverse cultural fabric. Her leadership since 2009 has driven institutional growth, including a shift to nonprofit status and programming that caters to residents and tourists amid Miami Beach's evolution. Through The Moore Space and Bass initiatives, she has fostered emerging artist showcases and community engagement, earning praise for bolstering the greater South Florida arts ecosystem.
About
A native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, Silvia Karman Cubiñá earned a degree in art history from Boston College and began her career at institutions like the Mexican Museum in San Francisco, the Cuban Museum of Art in Miami, and as Adjunct Curator at inova, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. In 2002, she founded and directed The Moore Space in Miami's Design District, an acclaimed contemporary art space backed by collectors Rosa de la Cruz and Craig Robins, where she organized landmark shows like French Kissing in the USA. Appointed Executive Director and Chief Curator of the Bass Museum of Art in 2009, succeeding Diane Camber, she has curated over 30 major exhibitions including Isaac Julien: Ten Thousand Waves, Ugo Rondinone: good evening beautiful blue, and Mickalene Thomas: Better Nights. Her Miami connection runs deep through these roles, lecturing internationally and serving on prestigious juries like the Guggenheim’s Hugo Boss Award. She remains actively involved in the local arts community, including selection for the James L. Knight Foundation's Advisory Arts Committee.