The EFC Collection
Ella Fontanals-Cisneros is a Cuban-born philanthropist and art collector with an abiding passion and a discerning eye for contemporary art and design. Born in Cuba and raised in Venezuela, her vision and affinity for the arts have made a significant impact on the Miami art community and art organizations around the globe.
Ms. Fontanals-Cisneros began collecting works by artists from Latin America in the 1970s. The Ella Fontanals-Cisneros Collection has since grown to include some of the most noteworthy and cutting-edge artists and works from around the world. Parts of the EFC Collection have been on loan to a number of renowned global institutions including the Tate Modern (London), the Reina Sofia Museum (Madrid), Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), and The Perez Art Museum (Miami) just to name a few. The collection is now comprised of more than 2,700 artworks - some prominent artists include Glenda Leon, Gustavo Perez Monzon, Marina Abramovic, Lygia Clark, Ai WeiWei, Carmen Herrera, Gego, Damien Hirst, Julio Le Parc, Sol Lewitt, Ana Mendieta, Helio Oiticica, among others.
The Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation (CIFO) was established by Ms. Fontanals-Cisneros in 2002. In 2003, she founded Miami Art Central (MAC), which brought important international art exhibits to the city of Miami. In addition to serving as Chair of CIFO and MAC, Ms. Fontanals-Cisneros has served on these boards of trustees: The New Museum New York, Tate Americas Foundation, the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in North Miami, The Institute of Contemporary Art of Miami, the Cintas Foundation, the Miami Art Museum, the Spanish Institute New York, and more. She currently serves at Fundación ARCO, El Museo del Barrio, and the Art Basel Foundation.
Awards
Ms. Fontanals-Cisneros has been honored with the Spectrum Philanthropy Award from the American Red Cross in 2003, the Visionary Award from The Museum of Arts & Design in 2007, the United Nations’ Women Together Award in May 2008, and in 2013 was named among Miami Today’s 30 Legends.
Read more about Ella Fontanals-Cisneros here.