Donor Stories

Andrea Darlow

I am originally from New York, I was actually born in Manhattan and raised in Westchester County. In my early teens, my family moved to Miami (now referred to as Pinecrest). I went to college in Washington, DC and came back for my master’s degree at the University of Miami. Fast-forward to today, I am married, and we have one daughter, who is a junior in college, who is studying abroad this semester in London. My hobbies include: hiking (when possible), paddle boarding, and reading. My father instilled in me a sense of giving back when I was a young child, and I try and leave by this creed daily. In addition to my philanthropic efforts at NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale, I continue with my involvement with the Joint Tax & Estate Planning Seminar Steering Committee in Broward County, and I am a Broward Buddie, which is a short-term foster program for shelter dogs. Outside of Broward County, I am an Elon University Parent Ambassador, a group which strives to assist new parents of Elon students on the inherent challenges to college life.

My father was a huge inspiration to me as a child and as an adult. He was an estate planning attorney, so while I did not attend law school, my career as a trust officer in financial institutions further bonded us. As he worked with his clients on estate, tax, and philanthropic matters, I try and bring a philanthropic approach to my clients at the Private Bank. These clients have the ability to make transformational gifts, and I strive to assist them in making the right decision for their family and the community.

I am most proud of the impact I made within legacy giving at NSU during my nearly 7 years at the university. I worked with many donors on complex estate and financial plans that afforded them the ability to impact the university in a number of ways. In this respect, I am very thankful to Bonnie Clearwater, as she and I were able to work together, along with the art museum’s loyal donor base, to secure several significant legacy gifts and gifts of art that will help ensure the success of the museum today, tomorrow, and in the future.

When I started working at NSU, Bellissima was a featured exhibit at the art museum. I attended a docent-led tour and I was hooked. Simultaneously, I started working with Bonnie on closing a number of legacy gifts to the museum. Since then, my love and respect for the art museum has grown exponentially. I am proud of my recent legacy gift to the art museum, which is designated to the art museum Operating Expenses.

My philanthropy to the art museum stems from the fact that it’s a focal point of learning and culture in our community. Further, once you step into the art museum, I feel that there is a sense of belonging and happiness.

I derive the most pleasure of my relatively new role at the art museum of being the Chair of the Professional Advisory Board. We are tight-knit group of professional advisors in the community, whose goal is outreach and education to philanthropic donors about the wonders of legacy (or planned gifts) to the art museum.

I believe that the art museum is a place for people of varying ages to delve into the world of art, acceptance, diversity, passion, and culture. The art museum speaks to our community through these channels.

Ann Harsh

My name is M. Ann Harsh. I have been a resident of Fort Lauderdale for approximately 20 years. I was born and raised in a small town in Ohio, attended University in Cleveland and had my work career in Cleveland. I was one of the first woman partners at Ernst & Young in the US. Throughout my work career I was involved with many community Boards and groups, many of which supported diversity in the workplace. This concern very much impacted me as a woman with a career as a CPA when very few women were in the field. My involvement with community organizations taught me a lot about the functioning and need of non-profit groups and boards. I credit my university education, and the support of several mentors, for my career successes.

When we settled in Fort Lauderdale, several of my neighbors were involved with Friends and as docents at the Museum. They urged me to join them in supporting the Museum. Having been involved with the Museum now and getting a better understanding through my membership with Friends, I love the work the Museum does to bring the arts to our community and foster community involvement with the Museum.

When my husband, Ralph Nehrig and I were preparing our estate plan, we agreed that Legacy giving to institutions that we support is important. I choose to support the arts and organizations that help those less fortunate. Having seen all the endowment funds that support the cultural organizations in Cleveland, I see the great need at our museum and want to help build those funds. While our pledge was made as a Legacy gift, I am very happy that we can use annual distributions from retirement plans to fund this gift now. I think this is a real win/win proposition for both us and the Museum.

Having a strong endowment will ensure that our wonderful Museum remains an asset for our community for all in the future.

Stephen A. Wayner and Arlyne Tendrich Wayner

Stephen Wayner is an attorney who specializes in section 1031 exchanges, which allows investors to sell an investment property and invest in a new property without paying taxes. “The government wants you to defer taxes this way,” he explained.

“The majority of people buy something more expensive than what they sold, and that helps the economy grow.”
Wayner married his high school sweetheart Arlyne, and together they had two children. Their hobbies include obtaining antiques, Americana collectables, and contemporary art.

Wayner’s introduction to art took place during college when he was working at the Miami Public Library. One of the administrators there suggested he visit a nearby art gallery. When he followed her advice, the gallery had a Botero exhibit, and while Wayner was not a fan of the exaggerated, large figures portrayed in those paintings, his interest in art was piqued.

One of his early successful purchases was a set of Andy Warhol serigraphs. When Warhol came to South Florida for an exhibition in a Miami gallery, he realized he did not have enough works to cover the walls. Warhol’s art dealer suggested he call Wayner, who graciously loaned his serigraphs for the exhibit. In gratitude, Warhol invited Wayner to lunch in New York.

“So, I go to the lunch with about 50 questions for him,” Wayner said. “And his answers were yes, no, and maybe. It
was the most uncomfortable lunch I think I’ve ever had.”

Wayner’s foray into the art world came full circle when he saw Pablo Cano’s marionettes. He was surprised to discover that the artist’s mother was Margarita Cano, the library administrator who first encouraged his interest in art.

“I was able to contact Cano,” Wayner said. “I explained to him about my first art gallery experience, Botero, and
his mom, and he said, ‘Come on over.’ And we bought our first piece.” Over the years, the Wayners amassed quite a collection of the marionettes, including an entire show from one of Cano’s performances at the Museum of Contemporary Art in North Miami, where Bonnie Clearwater, M.A., was director and chief curator.

“I realized this art really needed to be in a public place,” Wayner said. “I didn’t want to put a couple of marionettes in my house and the rest in storage. I knew Bonnie was truly a lover of Pablo’s art. And so, I made a donation to NSU Art Museum.” The works by Cano will be on view at NSU Art Museum from November 21, 2021, to February 13, 2022.

Juan and Teresa Bergaz

Juan Bergaz has fond memories of visiting art galleries with his grandfather. Collecting paintings and other works of art was something they did together, and he and his wife Teresa hope to create a similar tradition with their three children.

“Art has to transcend to the next generation,” Bergaz said. “We have taken our kids to museums, but we want them to really have an interest in what they are looking at. We should bring them to museums and galleries more, like my grandfather did with me.”

One of his recent outings with his grandfather brought Bergaz to NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale. After speaking to Bonnie Clearwater, M.A., the museum’s director and chief curator, Bergaz was invited back to the gallery to meet his favorite Cuban artist, Jose Bedia. Not only was he thrilled to speak to his favorite artist, but the connections he made through that relationship led him to a new career path-film producer.

Bergaz, who serves as secretary for NSU Art Museum’s Board of Governors, currently has two film projects in the works-Aleppo, a film about Syria’s civil war and the children living through the struggle, and a series about his family’s history. Fun fact: Bergaz is a sixth-generation member of the Bacardi family, known for its signature brand of rum.

Prior to launching his production company, Bergaz had been the archivist for Bacardi. He held other positions
in the organization as well, and he, Teresa, and their three children have lived in numerous countries.

Both Juan and Teresa Bergaz were born in Madrid, Spain. Teresa grew up in Spain, where the lifestyle is very much connected to community life. She worked in the advertising field before becoming an interior designer. Juan moved to Miami, Florida, when he was young and then studied theater in New York for many years. Upon their move to Miami, Bergaz was impressed with how things have changed in South Florida.

“It’s been fun coming back,” he said. “The arts are much more up-front, and there are more events. A lot of that has
to do with people like Bonnie-she has an amazing eye, and she has given South Florida much more of the art world.”
The couple recently bought a new house and is looking forward to displaying their collection of paintings from
Cuban and Mexican artists. They also continue to enjoy their connection to Bonnie Clearwater and the art museum.
“We go to NSU Art Museum’s events as our date night,” Bergaz said. “We meet people who are interesting and tell
you amazing things in intellectual conversations. We love it.”

Rosa and Carlos de la Cruz

Married for nearly 60 years, Rosa and Carlos de la Cruz met when they were teenagers in Havana, Cuba. Art was in their blood-Rosa de la Cruz’s grandfather was a renowned architect who designed the Capitol Building in Havana, and Salvador Dali painted a portrait of Carlos de la Cruz’s mother.

When they left Cuba, that portrait was the only piece of art they took with them, launching what would eventually become a collection so large that the couple established a gallery in Miami’s Design District. “As collectors, we have always felt that we are the caretakers of the works that are within our collection.” de la Cruz said. “Our collection brings together pivotal works from artists whose practices respond to issues of identity, gender, class, power, and the values that contribute to our social fabric,” she added.

The de la Cruz Collection is a 30,000-square-foot museum that serves as an extension of the couple’s home. The museum is free, open to the public, and allows the de la Cruz family to share its passion for art, as well as to support educational programming.

Through exhibitions, lectures, and workshops, the couple works to ensure that the art featured in its gallery speaks to what is happening in the world today. In addition, the de la Cruz family helps sponsor programs that inspire high school and college students to continue their arts education.

Each year, 40 high school students receive a full scholarship to attend pre-college programs in New York at the School of Visual Arts and Parsons New School of Design. Participants receive college credit, faculty connections, and strengthen their portfolios through learned techniques. These initiatives not only instill technical skills, but empower deserving students to realize their full potential.

The gallery also sponsors an annual architecture and industrial design competition for scholarship funding. In addition, members of the graduating class of the New World School of Arts can participate in curated travel experiences throughout Europe and Asia. Every summer, the de la Cruz Collection Art+ Technology Summer Camp encourages young students to become more aware of how they interact with a culture surrounded by technology and media as well.

Rosa and Carlos de la Cruz also continue to nurture arts education through the relationship they have built with NSU by supporting exhibitions such as Happy! and donating works by noted contemporary artists Jim Lambie, Jorge Pardo, and Jason Rhoades, among others, to the NSU Art Museum.

“We feel that NSU is a beacon for South Florida,” de la Cruz said. “We know that the works we have given to the museum will be well cared for and shared with the public.”

Susan S. Miller

When artist Susan S. Miller first moved to Broward County, she looked for a nearby museum with which she could affiliate. An exhibit at the NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale caught her attention, and she has remained supportive of the institution ever since, giving her time as a docent as well as donating to the museum.

Funding from Miller has enabled the museum to purchase art by emerging artists like Jared McGriff. That piece will be featured in McGriff’s solo exhibition later this year. Miller’s legacy gift also provides the museum with opportunities to strengthen its permanent collection and benefit other emerging artists.

“Our museum is my comfort zone; it is my community within the larger community,” Miller said. “The museum encompasses a wonderful permanent collection, but still emphasizes art education, the purchases of art by living artists, and most importantly, the servicing of the community’s needs.”

Miller was encouraged to explore every opportunity available to her by her German immigrant parents. She has done just that, juggling her art with both a career in education and philanthropic endeavors.

As an artist, Miller has explored such media as marble, bronze, oil pastels, resin, and fabric. She even spent seven summers in Italy learning the Italian method of marble carvings and has authored two books on her sculptures.

“Tackling this adventure, carving a body of artwork, and then writing a book about it, leaves me prideful,” she said. “Being an artist is not exactly an accomplishment. However, continuing to make art, regardless of the obstacles in one’s life, is on my accomplishment list.”

Miller’s work has been shown in galleries across South Florida, as well as in corporate collections in Cleveland, Ohio; Chicago, Illinois; and Miami, Florida. Her artwork has been commissioned by temples, synagogue gardens, and corporations.

In education, Miller earned a B.Sc. in Education from The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, and worked in public schools as a speech and hearing therapist. She also holds a
B.F.A. from Florida Atlantic University, as well as a degree in American Sign Language from Miami Dade College.

Philanthropically, Miller is a docent for both the NSU Art Museum and the Mania Nudel Holocaust Learning Center in Davie, Florida. She also shares her time and talent at arts and cultural venues like the New World Symphony Concert Hall and Music School in Miami; Tanglewood, a music festival in Lenox, Massachusetts; and Jacob’s Pillow, a dance center, school, and performance space in Becket, Massachusetts.

“If ‘life is a stage,’ then I do slip in and out of the curtains,” Miller said. “It is an artist’s sleight of hand to be on stage and also be elsewhere where the inner lights dazzle.”

Richard Levine, AIA

A native of Miami, Florida, Richard Levine, AIA, has been integrally involved in the growth and cultural emergence that has taken place in the city since the late 1950s. He earned his B.A. in Architecture at the University of Florida before attending Navy Officer’s Candidate School. A veteran of the Korean War, Levine served as a junior lieutenant in the U. S. Navy. After being honorably discharged, Levine returned to Miami and began a career as an architect, establishing a firm in the design district with one of his high school friends.

“It was a time of construction and growth in Miami, and we were a part of it.” Levine said. “We designed more than 40 condominium interiors in Miami, plus many projects around the country and in South America. Miami grew, and we grew with it.”

Levine and his partners were responsible for the interior design of such iconic Miami buildings as the Villa Regina
on Brickell Avenue, Bal Harbour 101, and the Towers of Key Biscayne. After 20 years, Levine created a new firm with
Pepe Calderin called Levine Calderin & Associates.

During this time, Levine, who received a lifetime achievement award from the American Institute of Architects, was very involved in the community. He served as chairman of the Miami-Dade County Library Board, which was responsible for unifying all the municipal libraries into a single system. He was also a founder of Mount Sinai Hospital, Florida International University, and the University of Miami.

Levine is a lifelong art collector, starting when he was in high school collecting dollar posters of artists such as Van Gogh. As he gained success as an architect and interior designer, his art collection grew to include works
by contemporary artists. He established the American Foundation for the Arts and opened the first contemporary
art museum in Miami. He also became known for his eye for spotting artistic talent, including Miami’s Purvis Young.

“During the creation of the museum, the Miami Herald ran a story with a picture of Good Bread Alley, where Purvis lived,” Levine recalled. “The article said that many of the homes and fences in the neighborhood were to be demolished, including paintings that were nailed to the houses. The next day, I met Purvis and purchased 80 of those paintings.”

He has donated works from his personal collection to local museums and recently established a legacy gift for NSU Art Museum Fort Lauderdale. The newly named Richard Levine AIA Donor Wall honors his generosity. “I hope my gift makes art more accessible to younger generations,” Levine said. “Art is an important part of life and is meant to be experienced by all.”

Rita D. Holloway

“I was introduced to art at an early age. I was born in Italy, and art was everywhere-in the churches, the squares,
the fountains, and of course, the museums,” Rita Holloway said. It was part of everyday life, of everyday fabric.”

Although Holloway’s career path took her into the field of investments, she never lost that early connection with the arts. Her college electives were in art history, and together, she and her late husband Benjamin Holloway curated a collection of antique and contemporary illustrative books.

Holloway and her family moved to the United States when she was 12, but they went back to Italy a few times each year. She has continued to return to her homeland, when she can, and enjoys traveling to other places to admire the art and architecture. When she and her husband lived in New York City, he was on the board of the Whitney Museum, and together, they established an extensive art collection for his company’s headquarters in the city.

When it comes to her favorite artists, Holloway says that, while she does enjoy contemporary art, Italian art
is her first love. She shares that inspiration with others by sponsoring exhibits and events that celebrate Italian artists at NSU Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale.

A member of the museum’s board of governors, Holloway credits Bonnie Clearwater, M.A., director and chief curator, with getting her involved with NSU Art Museum. “I have always admired her scholarship, knowledge of the arts,
and her enthusiasm,” Holloway said. “She makes you see a painting in a very different perspective. She makes you appreciate art. Her shows at the museum at NSU have been outstanding and attracted press from around the country.”

Holloway hopes her gift to the museum will help continue the great exhibits that are featured in the galleries. She would also like to see the museum continue to expand its programs for school children and make the museum accessible to the community.

“School children should come to the museum and be exposed to art at an early age-especially children
who wouldn’t otherwise go,” Holloway said.

“Also, it’s critical to make art available to the community and encourage visitors and participation from the community. It’s a two-way street-the community is enriched by the experience of having a museum nearby that is so vital and fabulous.”

In addition to her commitment at NSU Art Museum, Holloway is involved with special collections at the University of Miami, as well as the library at Duke University.

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Donor Stories

Andrea Darlow

Ann Harsh

Stephen A. Wayner and Arlyne Tendrich Wayner

Juan and Teresa Bergaz

Rosa and Carlos de la Cruz

Susan S. Miller

Richard Levine, AIA

Rita D. Holloway

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