Moms and maternal figures make the world go round. Without them, none of us would be here right
now. From teaching life lessons to being a support system—moms are everything! This Mother’s Day,
we wanted to highlight some of the special moms who drive the mission and vision of Pérez Art
Museum Miami (PAMM).

Terry Vento | Deputy Director for Legal and Government Affairs and General Counsel

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your role at PAMM.
I am the general counsel at PAMM. After doing decades of private law with a large Miami law firm, pro bono legal work for the museum, and serving as a trustee for the Center for the Fine Arts/Miami Art Museum/PAMM for 27 years, I joined the museum in-house in January 2015. I provide legal advice to the Board of Trustees and museum staff. I’m also married to a lawyer, and my two children are also attorneys but I promise I didn’t push them into that professionally—they are both just naturals in their areas of expertise!

What has been your favorite memory with your children at PAMM?
I began bringing my children to the museum shortly after each of them were born. My first board meeting as a trustee was merely days after my C-Section with my second child, so the ties run deep. As a family, we enjoyed the immersive Chromosaturation by Carlos Cruz-Diez in 2010 when it was at MAM. It is now in PAMM’s permanent collection, and we will enjoy it again when it opens at PAMM this summer—coming full circle.

What is your favorite part about being a mother?
Being a mother is like falling in love all over again. My children have given me joy at each stage of their lives (even their teenage years). They help me to appreciate what is important in life. To see them develop into happy, accomplished, and loving people has been so rewarding to my husband, a very participatory father, and myself.

Kendra Yarbor | Grant Manager

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your role at PAMM.
I am Kendra Yarbor—a North Carolina native—and I’ve been a member of the PAMMily since October 2020. I have the great pleasure of serving as grant manager on the museum’s development team. My role keeps me busy learning about all of the incredible activities happening at the museum, and I get to write about this amazing work in fundraising proposals and reports, which I love. Before joining PAMM, I completed my Ph.D. in Near Eastern and Judaic Studies at Brandeis University. My dissertation explored the historical developments of Judaism and Islam in Black American life. I have enjoyed seeing the multiple ways that my research interests intersect with the art that makes PAMM the wonderful institution that it is.

What has been your favorite memory with your children at PAMM?
KIDS JAMM at PAMM 2021!

What is your favorite part about being a mother?
My favorite part about being a mother is showing my daughter, Stellar, how special she is to me every day. She’s an amazing little being.

Maira Severo | Director of Human Resources

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your role at PAMM.
I have been the director of human resources at PAMM for over five months now. My entire career was in the healthcare/higher education industry. Although the core HR functions are the same in any organization, I am having the pleasure of learning about this new industry while contributing to PAMM’s mission. I am responsible for the overall administration, coordination, and evaluation of the museum’s human resources function. I am a very hands-on HR professional with a democratic leadership style. I always look to develop trusting relationships with leadership and staff to create a positive work environment and balance employees’ needs with the organization’s mission. I know it is a bit cliche, but I do love people! Meaningful human interaction is at the core of everything I do, professionally and personally.

What has been your favorite memory with your children at PAMM?
We have had many great moments at PAMM as a family, but I want to say that my favorite memory of Ollie and me at PAMM was when I brought him to the museum for the first time when he was about eight years old. It was one of our ‘mom and me’ outings, and we spent a Saturday at the museum. We wandered around and enjoyed the art for a long time, stopped at the shop for some retail therapy, and ended with lunch at Verde. It was just a perfect day, very relaxing. PAMM was a welcoming setting for us to enjoy each other’s company and strengthen our mother and son bond. I will cherish that moment for as long as I can remember it.

What is your favorite part about being a mother?
Motherhood comes with many challenges, and as a working mother, sometimes I get a little overwhelmed. I can’t speak for all the mothers, but my experience has been both frightening and wonderful. Sometimes I wonder if I am cut out for the job, but every time he says something funny, or clever, it reassures me that I am doing something right. My favorite part about being Ollie’s mother is him, it is the unconditional love I give and receive from this lovely person.

Marie Vickles | Director of Education

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your role at PAMM.
I am the director of education at PAMM and have served in various roles within the education department since October 2013. I also maintain an active practice as an independent curator with work on over 30 exhibitions and am the curator-in-residence at the Little Haiti Cultural Complex. My most challenging and rewarding role in life is that of a mother to an awesome almost 17-year-old, Athene, who is studying dance at New World School of the Arts. I have administered and organized arts educational programs, workshops, and exhibitions across the United States and the Caribbean for over 15 years. I completed my studies at F.I.T. in New York City and Florida State University and received two degrees in visual arts and public administration. I currently serve the City of Miami as a board member of the Arts and Entertainment Council and Miami-Dade County on the Miami Dade Art in Public Places Professional Advisory Committee. As the director of education at PAMM, I provide programmatic and administrative leadership for the education department, while guiding the vision for progressive programs that serve adult, higher education institutes, educators, children and family audiences. I work with the senior leadership team to implement PAMM’s overall mission and vision. In my work as a cultural practitioner, I am concerned with the development of new ways to bridge the connections between creativity and community engagement—to support equity, sustainability, and access for all, through the arts.

What has been your favorite memory with your children at PAMM?
Last December in 2021, my daughter and I enjoyed a night at the museum for the staff holiday gathering. It was great to be back at the museum after such a long time due to the pandemic. More recently, our annual Pride Night in April was a fun evening that my daughter and I spent at the museum celebrating our LGBTQ+ community with both the public and colleagues. Both of these memories remain important reminders of how our personal and work lives intersect as we gathered family and colleagues together, and learned more about one another. We were also reminded of the importance behind the work we do and the value it brings to diverse communities and families that, like all of us working at PAMM, call Miami home.

What is your favorite part about being a mother?
There are so many blessings about being a mother but I think one of my favorite things is growing and learning with my child. Life is already an amazing adventure, however, being a parent adds another layer to the experience. I have learned so much about myself and the world through the responsibilities and challenges of parenthood. I am grateful for the opportunity to raise a wonderful human being that I hope will make a positive impact on the world.

Margot Abramson | PAMM Shop Assistant Manager

Tell us a little bit about yourself and your role at PAMM.
Museums and shopping, shopping, and museums! Hi, my name is Margot and I am one of the assistant shop managers at the PAMM Shop. Working at PAMM offered me the perfect way to combine two of my passions: Museums and shopping! Other passions include family celebrations, travel, and dogs (although, maybe not in that order).

What has been your favorite memory with your children at PAMM?
I have been working at PAMM since the building opened in 2013, which would account for having soooo many favorite PAMM memories, but if I had to pick just one it would be the afternoon my mother, my daughter—Arleyrose Hunt—and I toured the Beatriz Milhazes exhibition and then had lunch at Verde. The sky was the perfect shade of blue, the cruise ships were in port, the food was delicious, and the conversation between three generations was perfect!

What is your favorite part about being a mother?
The best part of being a mother is…having a best friend for life who knows your story. My daughter is now 33 years old and has become a best friend for life. One who loves to travel, have food adventures, go to museums and concerts and wear the same size shoe. A real partner in crime without committing any criminal acts. Being able to love unconditionally and being able to share my family traditions and history while looking forward to making future family memories.