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Featured Note

THE WOMAN
BEHIND THE WALLS

By Jenny Starr Perez
Photography by Maria Galli

FROM FAMILY LEGACY TO GLOBAL INFLUENCE, JESSICA GOLDMAN SREBNICK KEEPS MIAMI’S ART SCENE MOVING FORWARD.
When Jessica Goldman Srebnick walks through Wynwood Walls Museum, she doesn’t look up at the murals like a visitor. She studies them like chapters in an unfolding book—each one layered with history, collaboration, and meaning. “The walls are alive,” she said. “They change every season, every year. What stays the same is the message—creativity, community, and inclusion.”

As the chief executive officer of Goldman Global Arts and co-owner of Goldman Properties, Srebnick has become the guiding force behind Wynwood’s transformation from a once-industrial district into one of the world’s most recognizable art destinations. Her father, Tony Goldman, was credited with founding the Wynwood Walls in 2009 and reshaping Miami’s cultural landscape. Since taking the helm after his passing in 2012, Jessica has expanded his vision beyond redevelopment to a broader philosophy of cultural stewardship.

“My dad used to say that art was the soul of a neighborhood,” she said during an interview at the museum. “He believed in creating spaces that inspired people to look differently at the world. For me, that’s the legacy I carry forward—using art to connect people, to make them feel seen.”

“This is home,” she said. “It’s where artists from all over the world come to create something that could only happen here.”

Jessica Goldman Srebnick

Today, Wynwood Walls operates as both a museum and a public institution. Each year, new large-scale murals are unveiled during Art Basel Miami Beach, drawing thousands of visitors to experience the open-air museum’s evolution. This year’s theme, “Only Human,” explores the ways empathy, resilience, and imagination define the human experience. “The artists this year are looking inward,” Srebnick said. “They’re asking: what does it mean to be human, to feel, to rebuild, to connect again after everything the world has been through?”

The 2025 roster includes works by internationally renowned artists such as Inti, Shepard Fairey, Herakut, and Nychos, alongside new commissions by emerging voices from Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Inside, the GGA Gallery presents a companion show featuring mixed-media works that expand on the same theme. “I wanted this year to be a mirror,” Srebnick said. “Every artist, in their own way, is reflecting something universal.”

That idea—of using art to build bridges rather than barriers—runs through much of her work. Over the last decade, Goldman Global Arts has produced murals and installations in New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and abroad, including large-scale collaborations for the Super Bowl and Hard Rock Stadium. “We’ve been able to take what started in Wynwood and show that public art can be both beautiful and purposeful,” she said. “It’s storytelling in the open.” Srebnick has also worked to expand representation within Wynwood’s programming, bringing more women and international artists into the fold. “It’s important to me that this space reflects the world we live in,” she said. “Art should include everyone—it should look like the people walking through it.”

The evolution of Wynwood Walls Museum mirrors her own. Early in her career, she helped steer Goldman Properties’ portfolio of real estate and hospitality ventures. Over time, she became known for her ability to merge business with creativity. “I love the strategy side of what we do, but what really drives me is emotion,” she said. “When someone walks into a space we’ve created and feels inspired, that’s everything. That’s the metric for success.”

Alongside Wynwood Walls Museum, Goldman Global Arts has deepened partnerships with public institutions and international artists. “The art world can feel exclusive, but the street is the great equalizer,” she said. “Here, anyone can walk up to a wall and be moved. There’s no ticket, no gate, no prerequisite. It’s immediate and human.”
Even as Wynwood’s global profile has grown, Srebnick remains focused on preserving its original spirit. “People sometimes ask if Wynwood is still authentic,” she said. “My answer is always yes—because authenticity isn’t about staying the same. It’s about staying true to your purpose while continuing to evolve.”

The neighborhood’s success has inspired cities around the world to replicate its model. Still, for Srebnick, Wynwood is singular. “This is home,” she said. “It’s where artists from all over the world come to create something that could only happen here.”

During Art Basel week, she walks the property often, greeting artists, volunteers, and visitors alike. She knows the murals by heart—the lines, the colors, the stories behind each brushstroke. “Every year when I see a new wall go up, I feel the same thing I felt the first time,” she said. “Awe. Gratitude. And the reminder that art is what makes us human.”

That sentiment threads through both Wynwood’s street murals and the new GGA Gallery exhibitions. The gallery’s recent show, “Beyond: Echoes of a Borderless Life,” paired artists Millo and Seth in a visual conversation about migration, childhood, and memory. Its predecessor, “Nocturnal Edens” by Logan Hicks, translated the stillness of city nights into luminous stencil works. “I love that each show speaks to where we are in the world at that moment,” Srebnick said. “They’re emotional time capsules.”

Through it all, she remains motivated by the work itself—and the community around it. “I don’t think of myself as an art dealer or a developer,” she said. “I think of myself as a connector. My job is to bring together artists, audiences, and ideas. When that connection happens, that’s the art.”

As Wynwood approaches its next chapter, Srebnick is already planning the future—more collaborations, more mentorships, more opportunities for young artists to paint their first wall. “There’s always something new coming,” she said. “But what never changes is the belief that art can transform. It transformed this neighborhood, and it transforms me every day.”

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