From 1993-96 she served as the Territorial Assistant for the Modern and Contemporary Curator at the High Museum of Art in Atlanta. Though she sometimes felt like she was a “glorified secretary,” her many responsibilities included coordinating artists. During this time the High was most interested in the acquisition of contemporary art, so Dr. Bonner found herself on the cutting edge of the art scene. Of the many installations she was responsible for, the one she was most excited about was the “Equal Rights and Justice” installation which featured a series of eleven artists.

Exciting as these large exhibits and her relationships with local artists may have been, she came to believe “that teaching was (her) passion.” She left to attend graduate school to explore her academic goals.

She might have continued in Psychology and Neurobiology (the study of how the brain and neurotransmitters affect the body) where she holds a bachelor’s degree. She had always been interested in the mind/body connection, however she felt the animal testing required was unethical. Instead she moved on to the University of Florida to earn a Masters in Art History. During her time there, she wanted to learn more about art and its social context and found what she was looking for in a film class.

It was during this time also, that she encountered her husband and colleague, Dr. Steve Spence. Attending a seminar entitled, “Mutual Representations,” the two found themselves interested in the other’s research projects at school. They were friends for over a year before they began dating, and married four years later.

Next, she earned her Ph.D. in Women’s Studies and Film Studies at Emory University. As a college student there, she also “taught a lot.” Now, as a cinema aficionada and expert, she sees film as “the public literature and graphic art of our time.” It is perhaps fitting that she teaches “Women in Film” and “French New Wave Cinema” (both of which she developed at Emory) as a means to integrate one of the aspects she values in film: its global implications.

Her love of movies from different cultures is made most obvious by her university website and office walls which are generously decorated with movie posters. Though she can speak four languages, she still needs help from subtitles when watching foreign films. Dr. Bonner loves to travel, and has taught study abroad classes in Italy, Paris, and London.

She subscribes to online movie rental site Netflix.com, but that doesn’t keep her from visiting her favorite movie rental store. She explains that Movies Worth Seeing “without a doubt, is the best video store in Atlanta.” They have a broad selection of foreign films conveniently organized by country and director. Also, their “Sweeper’s Wall” (section for movies people might not have heard of) is great for eager film students or fans. Generally, Movies Worth Seeing “recognizes the rest of the world of cinema” that major chains ignore.

With so many films to watch in the Spence-Bonner home, they encounter one of the most difficult aspects of developing a critical eye for film. The ability to close it. To remedy this, the professors find themselves activating the “emergency brake” where they suspend their disbelief and simply enjoy the film.

Also on campus, she plays the role of educational advocate in her position as the institutional reporter for ACE, the American Council for Education.

For example, Dr. Bonner sees the need for some type of childcare program at Clayton State, because “75% of Clayton State students are female,” and “not all of them are eighteen with no job or children.” She won’t be on campus herself much in the spring. She is expecting a new arrival herself in early 2008 and will be teaching mostly online classes.

When asked what advice she would give to students, she encourages them to “have fun in college!” For her, this translates to studying abroad, where students can actually live what they are learning. She will be teaching abroad again in the summer of 2008, and she would love for everyone who can to enroll in this exciting journey. Bring popcorn!

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