Alberto and Susana Ibargüen
Susana and Alberto Ibargüen have made significant contributions to Miami's arts and cultural landscape. Alberto, President and CEO of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation from 2005 to 2024, is a former publisher of The Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald. Under his inspiring leadership, the Foundation invested $220 million in support of the arts in Miami, the Miami Herald won three Pulitzer Prizes, and El Nuevo Herald received Spain’s Ortega y Gasset Prize for excellence in journalism. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. With a transformational vision of “making the arts general” in Miami, Alberto made bold investments in individual artists and cultural institutions, leveraging countless more private and public contributions. Among his many accolades, Alberto was honored by the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce with the famous “Sand in my Shoes” Award in 2023. Susana, a native of Buenos Aires, was a beloved and influential figure in the arts, serving as Board President and Trustee Emeritus of the Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM). She played a pivotal role in the growth and success of this major Museum. Susana served as a Member of the Miami-Dade County Cultural Affairs Council and of the Funding Arts Network. The Miami Herald said “while it’s true that it took many devoted people to propel young Miami into an internationally recognized arts and cultural community, it is also fair to say it can take one person to help motivate a village. That person, many Miami civic leaders say, was Susana López Ibargüen.” For her work in support of arts and culture, Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava, who was then on the County Commission, honored her by proclaiming May 14, 2020, “Susana Ibargüen Day.” Together, Alberto and Susana believed deeply in the power of the arts to build community and in enhancing Miami’s cultural vibrancy. Their extraordinary legacy continues through their enduring impact on the city’s arts scene.