Meet Bonnie Levinson | Multi-disciplinary artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Bonnie Levinson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Bonnie, what do you think makes you most happy? Why?
Creativity and creative expression is the core of my happiness. I enjoy sharing both my creative process and the product of my creativity with people. I seek out experimentation and have unrelenting intellectual curiosity. I am fortunate to have a studio which is open to the public where I can interact directly with people. In the sharing process I try to encourage people to liberate themselves and embrace their own creativity. Many people don’t realize they are creative in many ways in their life.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
As a direct result of years of looking and working in Museums in direct contact with inspiring works of art, my art develops intuitively. As a multi-disciplinary artist, I work in many mediums–multi-imagery photography, printmaking, painting, collage, mixed media, and performance. I am very influenced by place and nature and how it takes me into the unknown and atmospheric realm. My palette, forms and point of view transform significantly with the influence of the changing environment as experienced through the light, color, smells. My goal is to transmute my subconscious into beauty, embracing resistance, as I create. My work allows me to enter into a portal a creative meditative space channeling the years of visual experience I have had looking as art. My work is a balance between control and accident. It is a big shift from being an advocate for artists, an educator, administrator and curator to being a full time artist. There are tremendous challenges in switching sides of the art world from leadership positions in cultural institutions to full time art-making. It can be an advantage and a disadvantage to know the art world intimately. Most recently, I had a one woman show of 49 artworks in an Abbey in Roxbury NY. My work looked so beautiful in conversation with the stained glass and the architecture.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I am new to Florida having moved here from San Francisco, only two years ago, although I grew up coming here from New York to visit grandparents and family. I enjoy the beauty of South Florida particularly the clouds, sky, water, wildlife, birds and foliage–love Green Cay, and Wakadotchee preserve, and The Mount Botanical Gardens. On my exploration we would take out a boat through the Gulfstream Boat Club from Palm Beach Gardens so we could explore Jupiter and the intracoastal. A visit to the Norton Museum of Art, particularly the Museum Store is a must. We’ll have dinner at the Kitchen, concert at the Kravis Center. While we are up north we can visit Stuart and drive up to St. Augustine and over to Mt Dora to Mt Dora Bistro and 1921. Then if we aren’t too exhausted we will head south on the Brightline to see the Rubell Collection in Miami, the Perez Museum and Little River. Little River has some great galleries and is an up and coming art area. We will visit my friend Books Bischoff and his gallery Primary Projects to get the skinny on what exhibitions and galleries are must sees. Also a visit to South Florida’s only artist-run fine art printmaking and books art studio, IS Projects. If we have time we can go to Key West, visit Jag Gallery and dinner at Little Pearl, Lobster Pizza at Southernmost Beach Cafe. Maybe even go for an airboat ride in the Everglades.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have been fortunate to have mentors in the encouragement of my artwork. Two wonderful artists and teachers Teresa Booth Brown from Anderson Ranch and the Aspen Art Museum in Colorado and Jeremy Morgan from the San Francisco Art Institute in California were great mentors for me. My husband Donald Kay has been very supportive as I shifted from a career working in museums to a full-time working artist.

Website: www.bonnielevinson.com

Instagram: bonnielevinsonarts

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bonnie-levinson-0249005/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BonLevinson

Other: https://www.artworkarchive.com/profile/bonnie-levinson

Image Credits
BONNIE LEVINSON