Art Collector Philanthropist
Visionary Lawyer
A Memoir by Sheldon Bonovitz
In this reflective and deeply personal memoir, Sheldon Bonovitz traces his multifaceted life as a lawyer and art collector. Beginning with a vivid portrait of midcentury Cleveland and his years at Penn and Harvard Law School, he recounts the path that led him to guide the Philadelphia-based law firm Duane Morris through a period of remarkable expansion and international prominence.
Alongside his legal career, Bonovitz and his wife, Jill, cultivated a lifelong commitment to collecting and sharing art with museums and educational institutions. Together, they played a pivotal role in shaping the future of “outsider art,” helping to elevate a once-marginalized genre into one now widely recognized and celebrated around the world.
Through candid reflection, wry humor, and generous advice, Bonovitz gives readers an intimate view of the disparate yet complementary worlds of business and art. The result is a compelling portrait of a life lived with purpose and conviction—essential reading for aspiring leaders, lawyers, art collectors, philanthropists, and anyone determined to live with passion.
Visionary Lawyer
“The stellar leadership Shelly has instilled over the past 10 years has taken the firm to monumental heights.”
“I really credit my predecessor as Chairman, Shelly Bonovitz, for having the guts to see Duane Morris in a whole different light. Duane Morris changed more in the 10 years Shelly was Chairman than in the 100-plus year history of the firm leading up to that point.”
“Shelly has made an indelible mark upon the ever-evolving legal landscape. His outstanding leadership, insight and vision have propelled the firm to new heights.”
“Prior to joining, people told me about the ‘culture’ of Duane Morris. I was not sure what they meant until I saw the open and progressive nature of the art on the walls.”
Art Collector
“The Bonovitz collection is widely acknowledged as outstanding in outsider circles.”
“The Jill and Sheldon Bonovitz Collection is among the best private collections of outsider art in the United States.”
“A discerning and powerful collection that affirms the artistic stature of self-taught artists.”
“A remarkable and deeply considered collection… demonstrating the power and importance of outsider art.”
“A vivid and compelling exhibition that reveals the imaginative power of outsider art.”
Philanthropist
“Many nonprofit organizations serving children and education benefit from Sheldon Bonovitz’s personal charity, but as importantly, they value the sound counsel and business acumen he generously provides to help mitigate some of society’s most intractable issues.”
“Sheldon has been a philanthropic innovator in the education space in Philadelphia for decades. Over the past 30 years he has been an essential supporter of Heights Philadelphia. Sheldon has supported the evolution of our work to focus on students’ economic mobility through education and workforce mobility including stipend support at critical moments over their post-secondary careers.”
Mr. Bonovitz and his wife, Jill, have made a commitment to give more than two hundred works from their collection of art created by self-taught American artists to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The exhibition, “Great and Mighty Things: Outsider Art from the Jill and Sheldon Bonovitz Collection,” was shown there March 3 – June 9, 2013.
Mr. and Mrs. Bonovitz made a gift of a collection of Indian textiles, called Kanthas, to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, exhibited at the Museum in 2009. The catalog won the Barr Award, the highest annual award for a publication of any type from a museum world-wide. They also gave another collection of Indian textiles to the Philadelphia Museum of Art called Phulkaris, which were exhibited at the Museum in 2017.
Mr. Bonovitz serves as a trustee of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and of the Barnes Foundation. He is a trustee emeritus of two foundations that provide grants to cultural and educational institutions in the Philadelphia region, The Christian and Mary Lindback Foundation and the Dolfinger-McMahon Foundation. He is also a former trustee of the Free Library of Philadelphia and trustee emeritus of The Curtis Institute of Music and the Philadelphia Orchestra. Mr. Bonovitz is Chairman Emeritus of The Fund for the School District of Philadelphia, which honored him with its first-ever Living Legacy Award in 2025, and was Chairman and a founder of the Foundation For Self-Taught Artists. The latter foundation made a film, “James Castle: Portrait of an Artist,” which was shown at several film festivals.
Media
Philadelphia Inquirer, 2026
The School District of Philadelphia, 2025
Jennifer Lauren Gallery, 2024
Artwork Archive, 2021
The New York Times, 2019
Philly Voice, 2017
Raw Vision, 2015
Legal Intelligencer, 2013
Financial Times, 2013
Wall Street Journal, 2013
Forbes, 2013
Tablet Magazine, 2013
The New York Times, 2013
The Philadelphia Inquirer, 2008
Pennsylvania Gazette, 2005