The Armory Show in New York has announced two museum acquisition prizes that will launch at its upcoming edition, slated to run September 24–27.
The first is the Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM) Acquisition Prize, which will allot $20,000 at each edition of the Armory Show toward acquisitions for the museum’s permanent collection and for the Green Family Foundation Caribbean Cultural Institute. The PAMM Acquisition Prize will select work on view from the Focus section, which this year highlights the work of artists with ties to the Caribbean and is organized by María Elena Ortiz, curator at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth in Texas.
“We are excited to be expanding the footprint of the Green Family Foundation Caribbean Cultural Institute at PAMM by participating at The Armory Show, given this year’s curatorial focus,” PAMM director Franklin Sirmans told ARTnews. “While long-term research, programming, and community initiatives have been our priority, expanding the collection as it relates to the region is equally important. This acquisition represents and reflects Miami’s identity and deep ties to the Caribbean.”
The 2026 edition of the Armory Show will also introduce the Bronx Museum Acquisition Prize, which will allocate $15,000 at each edition to support the purchase of work for the permanent collection. This prize will acquire work from the Presents sections, which this year features 55 emerging galleries.
“The Bronx Museum is honored to receive this new Acquisition Prize from The Armory Show, as it is a meaningful investment in the Museum’s work to support diverse voices in contemporary art and provide vital support to artists at pivotal moments in their careers,” Shamim M. Momin, the Bronx Museum’s director and chief curator, said. “We are grateful to The Armory Show for recognizing the important role that the Museum plays in the field and for helping us grow our permanent collection in the spirit of its mission.”
In addition to the new prizes, the Armory Show also announced additional details for the September iteration. Organized by SculptureCenter curator Jovanna Venegas, the Platform section, for large-scale works, will carry the title “Passages and Threshold.” Among the highlights will be works by María Magdalena Campos-Pons, Hew Locke, Bony Ramirez, Lucia Hierro, Valerie Brathwaite, Margarita Cabrera, and Curtis Talwst Santiago.
The Armory Sculpture section will include pieces by Sonya Clark, Rafael Ferrer, and Kaloki Nyamai, while the Armory Spotlight booth, given over to El Museo del Barrio this year, will feature a participatory textile installation by Lulu Varona.
Sponsored by Marian Goodman Gallery, Tavares Strachan will also present a new live performance, Special Blue: Act I, that will take place on September 24 and 25. Also on September 25, from 7–9pm, will be the debut of Armory After Hours, which will include a processional performance led by DJ Foreigner in honor of the fair’s Caribbean focus.
“The 2026 edition of The Armory Show reflects our ambition to create a more connected experience for audiences,” Armory Show director Kyla McMillan said. “With new dates and an intentionally extended Armory Week, we are introducing and expanding initiatives that create greater visibility and engagement for artists, galleries, curators, and collectors. From the debut of Armory After Hours to the return of Platform and continued programs such as Armory Live, this year’s edition reinforces The Armory Show’s role as a vital platform for experimentation, discovery, and exchange.”
