For decades, Bonita Helmer’s work has existed in the space between art and science. Her fascination with the ‘how’ led her to study theoretical physics at UCLA. Additional studies of quantum physics as well as Buddhism and the Kabbalah followed and have informed her work ever since. Both physics and spirituality seek to explain that which we don’t understand - to give order to the chaos, to give humans some sort of tether in the great unknown that is time and space and existence.
CV
EDUCATION
Graduate Work, Otis Art Institute, CA, 1978
Additional Studies with Francoise Gilot
BFA in Painting, UCLA and Antioch University
MUSEUM AND PUBLIC SPACES (Solo and Group Shows)
2023 Starland Museum, Beijing, China
2017 Far Out, Museum Sonderjylland, BRUNDLUND SLOT, Denmark
2014 The Form of the Formless, MOCA Beijing, Beijing, China
2014 This and My Heart- Emily Dickinson, Fisher Museum, Solo Installation for performance piece, USC, CA
2013 The Spiritual in Art, The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery at Barnsdall, CA
2012 MOLAA (Museum of Latin American Art.), Long Beach, CA
2012 Teda Contemporary Art Museum. Tianjin, China
2011 The Four Worlds, Or’Hatorah Cultural Center, Solo exhibition, Los Angeles, CA
2009 Zimmer Museum, Los Angeles, CA
2009 Skirball Museum and Cultural Center, Video Installation 15 artists participating, Los Angeles, CA
2009 The Non-Objective Object with Ruth Pastine and Jack Reilly, Cal State Channel Islands, Camarillo, CA
2007 MOCA, Whack exhibit, official Adjunct show, featured artist, Beyond Words and Time, UCLA New School of Psychoanalysis
2007 NYU Hebrew Union College Museum, The LA Story, with Ruth Weisberg, Tony Berlant, NY
2006 Zimmer Museum, Los Angeles, CA
1999 UCLA/Hammer Museum, Solo Painting Installation at Murdoch Plaza, Los Angeles, CA
1996 Artiste de Los Angeles, Solo exhibition, Musee de L’Space Bateau Lavoir, L’Ecole des Arts Decoratifs, Paris, FR
1989 Women Artists who are Mothers, Downey Art Museum, Downey, CA
1985 The Ecstasy of St. Teresa, Newport Harbor Art Museum (presently Orange County Museum of Art), Director Paul Schimmel, sets for Performance piece
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2025 Theory of Everything, Billis Williams Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2024 Silence, Beauty, and More, MASH Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2022 Change in Velocity, George Billis Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2019 In the Midst of Chaos, George Billis Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2016 Observed, George Billis Galley, Los Angeles, CA
2014 Dune Gallery, New York Design Center, NY
2012 Here be Dragons, George Billis Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2010 The Unseen Structure, George Billis Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2009 UCLA, Dortort Center for the Arts, Hillel, Los Angeles, CA
2008 Mt. St. Mary’s College, Los Angeles, CA
2008 George Billis Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2006 George Billis Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2000 Transamerica Building, curated by Patrick Ela, Los Angeles, CA
2000 El Camino College, Center for the Performing Arts, El Camino, CA
1997 Vorpal Gallery, San Francisco, CA
1995 New Work, Vorpal Gallery, San Francisco, CA
1991 Ojai Valley Music Festival, exhibit and festival poster design, catalogue by Nancy Doll, Curator Santa Barbara Art Museum, Ojai, CA
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2025 A Woman's Perspective: Empowering Femininity, Jarrow & Goodman, Los Angeles, CA
2025 Transience to the Infinite, A Scientific Exploration of Time and Space, curated by Cynthia Penna, Wonzimer Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2023 Inspired Abstraction, Billis Williams Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2022 The Here After, Bridge Projects, Los Angeles, CA
2022 Shatto Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2021 Urban Paradise, Shatto Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2019 For Heaven's Sake, Jerusalem Biennial, Jerusalem, Israel
2019 Zietgeist Architectonia The Event Horizon, McNish Gallery, Oxnard College, CA
2019 Event Horizon, curated by Mela Marsh, McNish Gallery, Oxnard College, CA
2019 I Am Nature, The Loft at Liz's, Los Angeles, CA
2018 FOCA (friends of contemporary Art) “Carbon” China town, Los Angeles, CA
2018 L.A. meets Shanghai in Berlin, Kunstraum F200, Philip Johnston, Berlin, Germany
2017 A Women’s Perspective, MRG Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2017 Fiction, Christoph Damm Art Room, Berlin, Germany
2017 Far Out, Gallerie Nexus, Denmark
2017 RaumZeit (Spacetime), Kunstraum F200 Galerie, Philip Johnston Bl., Berlin
2012 Hebrew Union College, USC, Los Angeles, CA
2010 City of Los Angeles Gallery at Barnsdall Actions, Conversations, and Intersections, participating artist
2008 Contemplations, Mt. St. Mary’s College, Los Angeles, CA
2008 Art Matters, Contemporary Gallery, Huntington Library, San Marino, CA
2004 The Hollywood Bowl Spheres, Track 16, Bergamot Station, Santa Monica, CA
2003 Jewish Federation Building, with Helen Frankenthaler, Larry Rivers, Stanley Boxer, curated by Nancy Berman, Director Emeritus, Skirball Museum, CA
1993 Artists Books, Municipal Gallery, Barnsdall, curated by J. Dallal and L Kasmer, Los Angeles, CA
1993 California State University Northridge, School of Fine Art, Northridge, CA
1993 Artists Books, Municipal Gallery, Barnsdall, curated by J. Dallal and L Kasmer, Los Angeles, CA
1993 California State University Northridge, School of Fine Art, Northridge, CA
1992 Sherry Frumkin Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
1990 Momentum Gallery, Ventura Arts Council, Ventura CA
1990 Art and Soul, Pence Gallery, Santa Monica, CA
1988 Vorpal Gallery, group show with Andy Warhol, Wayne Thiebaud et al., San Francisco, CA
1987 Seven LA Artists, Gallery Q, Tokyo
1986 Kathryn Markel Gallery, New York
MULTIMEDIA AND SITE SPECIFIC INSTALLATIONS
2019 “Merge”, video and painting by Lauren Kasmer and Bonita Helmer, project room, George Billis Gallery, Los Angeles, CA
2009 “This and My Heart,” Emily Dickenson, set paintings for performance piece, The Beach, House (cultural Affairs City of Santa Monica) and Cal Plaza (grand performances)
2000 El Camino College, Center for the Performing Arts, set paintings for “The Stage, The Street, The Spirit” a performance piece, Torrance, CA
1998 Japan-America Theater, Set Paintings for “the XTC of St. Teresa, New Age Opera”, co-produced by Cal Arts and the Orange County Symphony Orchestra, LA
2007 Home of Barbara Zacky and Ellen Sturtz, Malibu, Commission, CA
2006 Sylvee Terree, Yoga Studio Commission, St.Barths, French West Indies,
2000 Office of Rabbi Steven Robbins. Commission Painting, Los Angeles, CA
1993/1994 Homesite, traveling exhibition, Project by J. Dallal and L. Kasmer, funded in part by a grant from the City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Dept.
GRANTS
NEA grant for set design, “This and My Heart”, Emily Dickenson, 2009
18th Street Arts Complex and Getty grant, “Art in the Middle Schools,” 1999
City of Los Angeles Dept. of Cultural Affairs, “Children at Risk,” 1995
California Arts Council and L.A. Theater Works, “Children in Prison,”1992,93
California Arts Council and Ojai Valley Art Center, 1990
CURATORIAL WORK
Curator, Mobius 2, Otis College of Art and South Gallery, Los Angeles, 2010
Curator, Evolution: The Process of Abstraction, Eight LA Artists, Otis College of Art and Design, Bolsky Gallery, Los Angeles, 2004
Fringe Festival, CARS, California Art Resources Services, Artists Curating Artists,Spring Street, part of the L. A. Festival, curated by Peter Sellers, 1990
TEACHING
Otis College of Art and Design, Faculty Instructor, Los Angeles. 1998-2018
18th St. Arts Complex, L.A. Middle Schools. 1998
Children at Risk, City of Los Angeles Cultural Affairs & L.A. Theater Works, Los Angeles. 1995
Children in Prison, LA Theater Works/California Arts Council, Los Angeles, CA. 1993-1995
U.C.L.A., Extension, Los Angeles, CA. 1989, 1990
PUBLICATIONS
Catalogue Essay, “Theory of Everthing” Shayna Nys, Dambrot, 2025
Carbon Allotropes: Visceral & Ethereal, An Artist’s Response, Wall Street Journal International, 2019
Art and Cake, featured article by Gary Brewer, 2018
Voyage L.A., featured article, 2018
Palm Beach Women, featured article, 2017
Art Ltd. Review “Observed” Megan Abrahams, 2016
ArtWeek L.A. featured article , Shayna Nys Dambrot, 2015
Extroadinart, featured article, Milan, Italy, 2014
Huffington Post, featured article, Tracey Harnish, 2012
ArtWeek.LA, featured article, 2012
ArtScene, featured artist review by Marlena Donahue, 2008
Art in America, American Artists, 2007
Mosaique (in French), 2007
Catalogue Essay, George Billis Gallery. Marlena Donahue, 2006
Metro L.A, Lauren Michelle, 2006
Curatorial Statement, Patrick Ela - Los Angeles, 2001
Los Angeles Times, Art Upended, 1996
Al-Ahram International – (in French and Arabic) Paris, France, 1996
Art in America, American Artists.,1993
Art in America, American Artists, 1992
Los Angeles Times, L.A. Festival, 1991
California Art Review, American References, page 550, 553 & 555, 1989
Marouchi Times, Tokyo, Japan, 1986
Art Now/ California Gallery Guide, page 12, Feb. 1985
Los Angeles Times Calendar Section, front page, September 18, 1984
Arizona Sun Times, Art Section, page 1, November 12, 1982
SELECTED COLLECTIONS
Starland Museum, Beijing
Kris Lewis, Los Angeles
Glenn Barney, Los Angeles, and Washington D.C.
Morgan Stanley, New York
Nowell Karten, Los Angeles
Sosi Setian at SOSI, New York
Maria Luisa de Herrera - Los Angeles
Law Offices of Andrew Pollet, Los Angeles
Sosi Setian at SOSI, New York, NY
Maria Luisa de Herrera, Los Angeles, CA
Michael Alexander and Victoria Kirsch, Los Angeles, CA
Anne Marie Ketchum and Aurelio de la Vega, Pasadena, CA
Aurelia and Colas Engel, Paris and San Diego
Sylvee Terree, Yoga Studio, St. Bart’s, French West Indies
ComDev.Corporation, El Segundo, CA
The Offices of Reed Smith and Association, Los Angeles, CA
MODAC (Museum of Designers and Creators), Los Angeles, CA
Christopher Hunt, Director, Lincoln Center, Frankfurt Opera, New York, NY
Barbi Benton and George Gradow, Pasadena, CA
The Law Offices of Weissman, Wolf and Associates, Beverly Hills, CA
The Law Offices of Hufstedler, Miller, Carlson and Beardsley
The Law Offices of Andrew Pollet, Los Angeles, CA
Isabella and Maricio Hernandez, Dept. of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Mexico
Bernard Servolle, Paris, France
Maryvette Meslim, Nice, France
Glen Lerner, Las Vegas, NV
Jean Smith and Rodnie Nelson, New York and Los Angeles
Bruce Kasmer, Los Angeles, CA
Lauren Kasmer, Los Angeles, CA
Barbara Zacky, Los Angeles, CA
Joan and Michael Dry, Los Angeles, CA
Gaelin and Michael Burgess, Pasadena, CA
L3 Technologies, Northridge, CA
Additional collectors available upon request.