Grace Markman of Brooklyn, NY passed away peacefully on February 26th, 2021 at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. She was an active member of her Park Slope community where she was an artist, an educator, and a friend to many.
Grace was born September 19, 1954 in Paterson, NJ to Florence and Benjamin Markman and older sister MaryKay. After graduating from high school, Grace went to the Philidelphia College of Art and later earned a B.A. in Studio Art and Medieval Studies at Fordham University and then an M.F.A. in painting from Bard College. Her art was like her- full of vivid color, movement, and energy. It has been featured in many art exhibits and shows, both in New York City and upstate. Grace was awarded artist residencies at Yaddo, Blue Mountain Center, and Byrdcliffe Artist Colony.
Grace loved her late husband, Dr. Steven Clemants, immensely. Together they enjoyed exploring the flora of New York City and contributing to countless projects to preserve the native flora and educate others about their efforts. Dr. Clemants founded the New York Metropolitan Flora Project in 1990 and Grace worked side by side with him as a field botanist to collect data. Grace taught for the Nature Conservancy on Shelter Island for over 25 years, in addition to teaching young children in her neighborhood. She brought art and nature together in a way that connected children to nature and encouraged them to be creative and imaginative. In recent years, she was an extraordinarily committed professor of New York City Ecology at Hunter College. Grace was a member of the Botanical Society of America, the Torrey Botanical Society, the NY Mycological Society, and the Brooklyn Bird Club and she was a volunteer docent at the Merchant's House Museum.
Grace always found beauty in the world around her and in her connections with her friends and family. She could always find a reason to celebrate. She loved the holidays, dressing up for Halloween and handing out candy to the children in the neighborhood, and doing lots of "elf work" to prepare for Christmas. She was always up for a big adventure, but her neighborhood and Prospect Park were her favorite places to explore. Her "wily" cat, Spore always kept her on her toes. She was a loving aunt to her nieces, Tracy Blake and Brooke Campbell, and her nephew Andy Johnson, and their spouses, Harvey Blake, Patrick Campbell, and Susan Johnson. Her 6 great-nephews- Colin, Jack, Edward, Ryan, Jonny, and Liam, brought her so much joy over the years. She will be missed dearly.
A tree planting and celebration of life will be planned for the spring. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Grace's memory to the Merhcant's House Museum or the Central Park Conservancy. Checks made out to Merchant's House Museum can be mailed to the house at 29 East 4th Street, NY NY 10003, or donations can be made online at www.merchantshouse.org/support.
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