Bonbright Gallery Opens in Brentwood Village

The Bonbright Gallery opened March 17 with an exhibit of photographs by Hilary Bonbright Mullarkey. Supporters were welcomed with a Hollywood-style cocktail reception reminiscent of the luxurious bygone era of La Cienega art walks.

Owner Libby Bonbright follows her passions. At Bonbright Gallery, she brings them together in a mix of art and education for the inner soul. It is inspiration at its finest amidst this bursting bastion of creativity. In the short time since opening, the gallery has hosted a four-week divorce workshop, a renowned women workshop featuring distinguished speaker Ruthie Rosenberg and (currently) artist Gary Komarin.

Komarin’s work is on view in venues throughout the world, including New York, Tokyo and Paris. The two met at a benefit in New York; Bonbright parlayed that auspicious meeting into an exhibit in her gallery. It is a testament to a can-do energy that is infectious, and defines the mercurial nature of this evolving enterprise. In harmony with a spiritual integrity, the gallery is about being present and embracing the gifts that life gives us, in the moment, as they happen; then making those gifts real as we participate together in our shared reality called “life.”

Hilary Bonbright Mullarkey, the gallery's first artist, is the sister of owner, Libby Bonbright. Creative “flow” runs in the family, it seems. The gallery launch featured a series of photos of Mullarkey's son, Thomas Hamilton Mullarkey, dressed in wigs and makeup so that he appeared to be a beautiful little girl.

It is a statement about the nature of inner beauty versus outer beauty, reflected in the superficial. It's the abstracted child portrayed in the photos versus the real child, a boy, who exists underneath wigs and makeup. It is an indication that in the battle between controversy and art, art wins at Bonbright.

Since opening, the Bonbright Gallery mission has already evolved to encompass a much larger task than simply displaying art on a bleak white wall. A professional in interior design, Bonbright has historically appreciated and collected fine art. In the process, Bonbright has developed a discerning eye for spotting exceptional work. By profession, the designer creates interior spaces around great works of art. At Bonbright, the designer showcases art “in situ” in the gallery. Incorporating her design skills into the interior décor, a collector experiences the art in the domesticated setting Bonbright creates. It is art, as it exists in our real lives, enhancing our experience of the spaces we live in.

The Bonbright gallery continues to emerge and its mission progress. Art has long been a tool of self-examination, and in this setting, it is epitomized.

Now, the gallery has become a space for teaching art. Brian Farrell, whose work will be on display in May, is offering art classes that encourage and leverage creativity in children and in adults. Classes will cover life and landscape drawing, abstract art and the basics of mediums, including color mixing, stretching canvas and gesso, a primer technique for preparing a canvas for paint.

At Bonbright Gallery it is an “all-in” experience.

Everything that motivates Libby Bonbright is being brought to the table for public participation, including her love of Africa. Bonbright will be hosting a cocktail reception for the Africa Foundation on Saturday.

The Africa Foundation helps communities that are adjacent to protected areas in Africa to develop sustainable economic, health and education resources that will help them to end the cycle of poverty and despair.

Also coming to the gallery is artist Alexander Kaletski. In the early 1970’s, Kaletski defected from the Soviet Union where his art had been censored. Leaving behind a career in acting, he immigrated to New York. His art is a celebration of the freedom he finds in the United States. He uses mixed media incorporating trashed cardboard boxes, a primitive medium he could afford when he first arrived. His work is humorous and whimsical without sacrificing biting social commentary. In addition to being a world-class artist, Kaletski is an accomplished author and musician.

Overflowing with creative talent, Kaletski has crafted a film that will be presented at the Soho House in Hollywood on the eve of his gallery opening on May 17. After the opening screening and reception, the exhibit will move to the gallery location in Brentwood on May 18.

The Bonbright Gallery is located at 131 South Barrington Ave. and is open Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. For more information call (424) 832-7940. For information about coming events, like the Bonbright Gallery on Facebook.