THE ART OF LIVING
Francie Bishop Good and David Horvitz have created a streamlined Fort Lauderdale residence to showcase their celebrated art collection.
BY SUE HOSTETLER PHOTOGRAPHS BY TROY CAMPBELL
It makes sense that art collectors amass work they like, work that moves them and enhances their lives. A fewer number, presumably, collect art with an eye toward enhancing the lives of others. But for Fort Lauderdale and New York residents Francie Bishop Good, a respected artist in her own right, and her financier husband, David Horvitz, having as many people as possible enjoy their collection seems to be a guiding passion. Good and Horvitz have spent the last several years amassing a collection of art thought to be one of the largest and most important dedicated specifically to female artists. And now the Museum of Art Fort Lauderdale is featuring the work in a new show, “With You I Want to Live.” “When Irvin Lippman, the director of the museum, initially asked us to show the collection, I was reluctant,” says Good, feeling that too much of herself would be on display. “But then I realized it was such a good opportunity for the artists to have that venue.” The collection includes more than 350 pieces, encompassing cutting-edge and contemporary painting, drawing, photography and video from the 1960s to the present. Featured are superstars such as Laurie Simmons, Diane Arbus, Louise Lawler and Louise Nevelson. “We came to collecting women’s art by accident,” says Good. “I’m an artist first and I organically end up looking for work that relates to my own.” (Good’s photography is documentary-style, the most famous of which is a series of portraits following her niece Carly from child to adult, which was published in a book, Carly, So Far, in 2006.)
Good sits on the board of the Fort Lauderdale museum, as well as the Museum of Contemporary Art in North Miami; both institutions are known for making their work accessible to the most underserved and diverse audiences possible. But maybe more importantly, in 2006 the couple established Girls’ Club in Fort Lauderdale—a not-for-profit private foundation dedicated to sharing their extensive collection with the public. “Exposure to the arts has the great ability to improve the quality of life for all individuals,” says Good.
The couple’s intense love of art also informed the design of their new home, built in Fort Lauderdale a few years ago. While serving on the Public Art and Design committee for Broward County, Good met celebrated architect Deborah Berke and decided she was the perfect person to design the couple’s modern dream home. “Deborah has a very collaborative nature and it seemed that she would be wonderful to work with,” remembers Good. “It was important to us that we be able to trust our partner on this project.” New Yorkbased Berke is known for bringing unpretentious modernism to projects as varied as hotels, museums and residences.
For Good and Horvitz, Berke and colleague Robert Schultz created a spectacular two-level, 5,000-square-foot retreat nestled on one of the canals in downtown’s New River neighborhood. Though the couple wanted to stay urban, they also wanted to be on the water for quick access to their boat, so they chose the one-acre piece of rolling property. Berke created a coral-stone-, mahogany- and stuccoterraced structure that flows down to an exquisite pool and lawn, and then down another level culminating in the canal and dock. The waterfront side of the home is quite open and airy, with views of the lush landscaping by Petrea Saint John, and serves as the perfect backdrop for outdoor entertaining. “We have all of these beautiful windows along the back,” says Good, “which infuse the space with so much light and bring the outside in. Everyone who comes over comments on the very calming aesthetic of the home and being on the canal.”
Because the couple was downsizing from a home twice the size, great thought was given to the layout and design of the interiors, as well as to creating ample wall space for the vast collection. Good’s main focus was fashioning a warm and comfortable home that would also be functional. Caroline Wharton, director of interior design at Deborah Berke & Partners Architects, was responsible for striking the ideal contemporary and eclectic style that the couple was seeking. “The interiors on this project were all about respecting the architecture while highlighting Francie and David’s ever-changing collection of art,” Wharton recalls. “It was important to create an intimate, relaxed living space for them, but with a sense of flexibility and informality.”
The interior design and furnishings reflect a vibrant creativity. Bursts of cheerful, Mondrian-esque colors pop, especially cherry red—as seen in the stained-wood kitchen, the cozy Saarinen Womb chairs in the living room, and the matching pair of Kartell cocktail tables on the terrace. White oak floors run throughout, adding a balance of simplicity. The couple’s selection of iconic mid-century-modern pieces is perfectly edited, and includes a set of simple Tommi Parzinger beds in the guest room and a classic vintage Knoll dining table in the kitchen. Wharton’s style is impressive even in the smaller details, such as the chic Castiglioni pendant light hanging over the dining table.
But clearly the star of the show is the art collection. “We believed that great architecturewould enhance our enjoyment of the collection, and had that in mind during every step of the development of the home,” says Horvitz. “The simple, clean design with straight walls, high ceilings and no ornamentation—like crown molding—allows the collection to shine.” The couple switches out what they have hanging in the home with work in storage once a year (as they also do with Girls’ Club, where a different thematic exhibition is installed annually). “Changing the art is a big job,” says Good. “If we are lending work to a show—which happens a lot—then we also have to change things.” OD
