​Van de Bovenkamp moved to New York City and became a part of the 10th Street Gallery co-op movement following his graduation from the University of Michigan in 1961. In 1962, his first solo exhibit took place at the Little Gallery in Taos, New Mexico. The following year, Van de Bovenkamp developed sculptural ideas for the windows of Tiffany's on Fifth Avenue. Van de Bovenkamp began manufacturing limited-edition fountains in a studio on Christopher Street in New York in 1967.

    ​​He had fifteen assistants, including George Rhoads and Sybil and David Yurman. Together they produced more than five thousand fountains worldwide. Over the next ten years, Van de Bovenkamp exhibited his sculptures throughout the United States, including in New York City at New York University, Tiffany & Co., 10 Downtown, and Bryant Park; at the Houston, Texas Contemporary Arts Museum; and at both the Stamford Museum and the University of Connecticut. He is the founder of New York's 10 Downtown project. His work has also been displayed in Italy, Lebanon, Venezuela, Switzerland, and Canada. Van de Bovenkamp's works have been featured in ten museums, embassies, and sculpture center shows, as well as numerous universities, public gardens, and institutes.​

• 2012: Tisch family, Greenwich, Connecticut
• 2007: Diane and Tom Tuft, Bridgehampton, New York​
• 2006: Karen & Harvey Silverman, Wainscott, New York
• 2005: ​RJ Kirk, Roanoke, Virginia,

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