Photo Courtesy Of NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale
NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale director and chief Curator Bonnie Clearwater puts the art in he(art). She truly loves what she does, and even fell in love while doing it. While studying art history at New York University (NYU) as an undergrad, she volunteered at the college’s Grey Art Gallery — now called Grey Art Museum — where she met her husband, the museum’s assistant director.
Since beginning her job at NSU Art Museum in September 2013, Clearwater has witnessed so many successful first dates that the museum has become a popular proposal spot for couples who met there. The museum has hosted some weddings as well.
“I’ve had a very fulfilling marriage for 44 years. Maybe we’re the example,” she says.
While working toward her master’s in art history at Columbia University, Clearwater got her big break at 23 when she became the curator for the private collection of Leonard Lauder, then-CEO of Estée Lauder, and curator for The Mark Rothko Foundation.
The number 23 has remained special for the entirety of her career. She has a proven track record of discovering talented 23-year-old artists and giving them their first chance at exhibiting. One example is Cici McMonigle, a Chinese woman living in Miami whose “Creatures for the Divine” exhibition is on display at NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale until March 9.
Originally from the Bronx, Clearwater resided in Los Angeles while working at Lannan Foundation Art Programs, which also had a museum in Lake Worth. She’s called Miami home since 1990 and also enjoyed a longtime tenure as director and chief curator of the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA) in North Miami. In the last 35-plus years, she’s helped establish what she calls the South Florida Art Coast, making art more accessible to mainstream audiences from the tri-county area through lectures, educational programs, field trips, sensory-friendly programs, evening hours, virtual tours and proximity to the Brightline, the high-speed passenger train.
“Every artist I’ve ever worked with has opened my mind and eyes to new ideas, new perspectives and new ways of living,” Clearwater says. “They’ve completely enriched my life, and I want to bring that same experience to the public and get them excited.”
Clearwater is also an artist with words, having penned 42 art books. She and her husband, a musician, even own a book publishing company.