Artist Reception: Bonnie Lambert

Unitarian Universalist Community Church of Santa Monica will host a reception for artist Bonnie Lambert, whose paintings are featured on our Art Wall throughout February and March. The event will be held after our worship service on Sunday, February 11, 2023, from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm in Forbes Hall.

Through her vibrant palette and expressive brushstrokes, Bonnie portrays the essence of the urban experience.

Expressionist oil painter Bonnie Lambert studied art for two years in night classes at The Art Center School of Design in Pasadena, California, before she met her mentor—museum-collected artist Margaret Garcia—in 2009.

Since Lambert’s first solo show in 2011, she has participated in more than 85 shows and exhibitions, including solo exhibits at the Mesa Contemporary Arts Museum (2017, Mesa, AZ), The City of Burbank Creative Arts Center Gallery (2016), ChimMaya Art Gallery (2016, Los Angeles), the Jean Deleage Art Gallery (2014, Los Angeles), and The Art Depot & the Fontana City Hall (2022, Fontana). Group exhibitions include The Santa Paula Art Museum, The Lines Gallery (Bergamot Station, Santa Monica), the TAG Gallery (LA Open Exhibition), 1315 Studios (Chelsea, NYC), Sacramento Fine Arts Center, and many more.

Lambert was a professional actress for nearly two decades. Her theatrical background lends natural drama and mystery to her work, as well as joy and celebration.

I’ve been painting portraits of people from my local community for more than 12 years—I have over 100 of these paintings. The colors are vibrant; the paint thick; brush strokes expressive. Artists reveal themselves in their work, and my point of view—an optimistic one; that the world is, at its core, a beautiful place—is definitely reflected in my portraits. You see fortitude and hope. There’s tranquility, determination, patience, humor, ambition, self-confidence, intelligence, artistry, possibilities—a wide range of humanity, each person captured in a fleeting moment of their lives. When the paintings are grouped together and filling a wall, individual moments merge; stories and relationships appear and intertwine. If we look close enough, we see ourselves.

The reception is free and open to the public, and the artist will donate a percentage of her profits to support our congregation.

The exhibit is open on Sunday mornings after 10:00 am. To schedule a viewing during business hours, please call Esther Chase at (310) 829-5436 x100.

For all other inquiries, contact Art Director, Beverly Alison.