Martin Z Margulies is a man with a passion for art, a fact that influences every facet of his life. A graduate of the Wharton School of Finance of the University of Pennsylvania, and a successful developer of South Florida luxury real estate projects for the past 45 years, he began collecting in 1976 with the purchase of a work by Isamu Noguchi, and has gone on to build one of the major collections of contemporary art in the world today.

Consistently named to lists such as the ARTnews 200 The World’s Top Collectors, and the top 25 photography collectors in the world, the Margulies Collection is considered by curators, critics, artists and dealers as one of the most important collections of its kind. Focusing on seminal works by important artists, the collection includes European Modernism, Abstract Expressionism, Pop, Minimalism, Conceptual, Arte Povera, Video, Vintage and Contemporary Photography, and Installation Art.

Mr. Margulies is deeply involved in the nation’s visual arts community. He is a Grand Founder of the Lowe Art Museum of the University of Miami. He has served on the Collector’s Committee of the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. He served on the Board of the International Sculpture Center in Washington, D.C. and received a Doctorate of Fine Arts, Honoris Causa from Florida International University, Miami. Mr. Margulies also served as a board member of the Smithsonian American Art Museum Commission and on the Board of Trustees of the Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum. He was named by the New Museum of Contemporary Art in New York City as a distinguished leader of the global art community, citing his role as a collector, philanthropist and enthusiast whose long standing commitment to contemporary arts and artist’s best reflects the New Museum’s belief that contemporary culture is a vital part of life. In April 2013, Margulies received the American Art Award from the Whitney Museum of American Art.

While many of the paintings and smaller sculptures in the collection are displayed throughout his own home in Key Biscayne, Florida, the Margulies Collection of photography, video, installations and larger sculptures has been housed since 1999 in a 45,000 sq. ft. retro-fitted warehouse in Miami’s Wynwood Art District. It is frequently used as an educational venue for local and out-of-town groups studying the visual arts. The purpose of The Warehouse, according to Mr. Margulies, is to bring together cutting edge work by both established and emerging artists, and he is well known for acting as a highly knowledgeable “tour guide” for visiting school groups.

The father of four children, Mr. Margulies is recognized as a dedicated community activist, with a longstanding commitment to the welfare of underprivileged youngsters. He funded $2.5 million for the construction of the Overtown Youth Center in downtown Miami. The 18,000 sq. ft. facility provides much needed social, recreation and educational programs, including computer classes, sports and arts and crafts. Margulies has also been a major contributor to the Lotus House Shelter for Homeless Women and Children also in Overtown. He provided funds for the shelter to expand and provide services to pregnant women and their newborn infants and recently he established an endowment which will allow the shelter to continue to provide for poor, disadvantaged and distressed women.

In 2008, the Margulies Collection published a beautifully illustrated hardcover book, The Martin Z. Margulies Collection: Painting and Sculpture. The 350 page volume offers an overview of the Margulies’ painting and sculpture collection widely considered by critics, curators, artists and dealers as one of the most extensive and renowned contemporary art collections in the world. Commentaries written by Margulies and his longtime curator Katherine Hinds, about why and how certain works were added to the collection give the readers insight into the heart and mind of a collector. Also included are introductory essays by Newsweek critic, Peter Plagens and well known writer and curator, Klaus Kertess. All proceeds from book sales and admission to the Warehouse support the Lotus House Shelter for Homeless Women and Children.

The Martin Z. Margulies Foundation was organized 35 years ago with the mission to provide arts education free of charge to the public. Believing that education can help break the chain of poverty the philanthropy and programming of the Foundation focuses on students from disadvantaged backgrounds. The foundation has made major gifts benefiting: Miami Dade College;
Florida International University;
University of Florida;
University of Miami;
Cornell University;
ICA Miami;
The Overtown Youth Center;
The Lotus House Shelter for Women and Children;
The Overtown Optimist Club;
Olympic Sculpture Park, Seattle, WA;
Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY, NY (Promised Gift);
The Whitney Museum of American Art, NY, NY (Promised Gift); New World Symphony.