The Miami Art Museum and Miami Art Central announced last week that they are forming a partnership in presenting exhibitions of original art works to the public. The move comes as plans by the Miami Art Museum move ahead for creation of an expanded museum. In six months, the two organizations plan to evaluate a possible merger. Whatever the outcome, the development means added impetus to the campaign to build a new museum in downtown Miami and heralds expanded relationships between public and private art institutions here.

Playing a key role in the partnership is Ella Fontanals-Cisneros, who founded Miami Art Central with the objective, she says, of stimulating an active dialogue with the community through exhibitions and education programs reflecting the interests of the local community.

The facility of Cuba-born Mrs. Cisneros is in a 1940s building in South Miami formerly occupied by Southern Bell Co., renovated under the direction of Italian architect Alessandro Fiorentino. It features 20,000 square feet of exhibition space on two floors where five major exhibitions per year and special events are staged.

Mrs. Cisneros was interviewed by Miami Today international editor Michael Hayes before the partnership announcement as she prepared special events at Miami Art Central in conjunction with the Art Basel Miami Beach art fair earlier this month. This is an excerpt from the weekly profile article published in Miami Today. To read the entire article in full, order this issue or subscribe to the print edition of Miami Today.