The Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation (CIFO) is a non-profit organization founded in 2002 by Ella Fontanals-Cisneros to foster cultural exchange and enrichment of the arts. Over the years, CIFO has earned the respect of the international art world; and is recognized for its rich history in promoting Latin American contemporary art.

The foundation’s mission is to support and advance cultural understanding and educational dialog among Latin American artists and global audiences. CIFO is a platform for emerging, mid career and established Latin American artist through the Grants & Commissions Program, the CIFO Collection, the CIFO Art Space and other related art and cultural projects in the U.S. and internationally. Since 2002, CIFO has granted more than $1.5 Million to over 120 artists from Latin America and has exhibited their work in our signature art space in downtown Miami — The CIFO Art Space.

CIFO is also the guardian of the Ella Fontanals-Cisneros Collection, one of the most important international collections of modern & contemporary art in the world. Works from her private collection are exhibited every year during Art Basel Miami Beach in the CIFO Art Space, as well as other well-known art spaces and museums. Many pieces of the EFC Collection are on long-term loan to such prestigious museums as the Tate Modern in London,  Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía in Madrid, the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, and others.

At CIFO, we believe in forging relationships within the art community. We strive to inspire Latin American artists, nurture their creativity and help them transcend as artists.

CIFO's Founder & Honorary President
Ella Fontanals-Cisneros

CIFO's President
Manuel de Santaren

Board of Directors
Claudia Cisneros
Mariela Cisneros-Mestre
Mayi de la Vega
Adriana Gomez Roca
Manuel González
Marianne Hernández
Rafael Lozano-Hemmer
Cuauhtémoc Medina
Lisa Phillips
José Roca
Gloria Sesana

About CIFO's Founder

Photo: Mauricio Donalli. © CIFO | Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation 

Ella Fontanals-Cisneros is a philanthropist, entrepreneur and collector of contemporary art. She began collecting art in the 1970s and her collection has an international profile with emblematic figures of modern and contemporary art with a focus on Latin American art. Today the collection has more than 2,500 works.

What started as the acquisition of artwork for personal enjoyment has matured into an ambitious life-project. As the Ella Fontanals-Cisneros Collection has grown and developed, its scope has broadened.  

There are four main areas of interest that have been systematically increasing in recent years:

• Geometric Abstraction from Latin America
• Contemporary International and Latin American Art
• Contemporary Video
• Modern and Contemporary Photography