The Santa Monica College Emeritus College Art Gallery will present “Beyond the Natural Figure,” an exhibit of extraordinary drawings by Los Angeles-based artist Lillian Molina starting next Thursday.
The show features large-scale charcoal works on paper, in which Molina uses deliberate exaggeration and experimentation to compose powerful figurative expressions.
The exhibit will run Feb. 16-March 16 at the gallery, located on the first floor of Emeritus College, 1227 Second St. in downtown Santa Monica. The opening reception is 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 16. Gallery hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. For information, call 310.434.4306.
Molina has had a prolific career as an artist and art educator. Born and raised in Martinez in Northern California, she attended the University of the Pacific in Stockton and received a bachelor of fine arts degree and a life teaching credential for art from UCLA.
In the years that followed, she taught art, married Hubert Molina, raised a family and relocated out of state several times before returning to California to settle down permanently in the Los Angeles area. She continued to study art under such masters as David Hockney and for her participation in academic and public art shows, her work received both critical exposure and numerous awards. She also served as President of the Art Educators of Los Angeles.
Molina’s work has been exhibited widely throughout the west, including the Seattle Art Museum, USC Art Gallery, and the San Diego Annual International Exhibition.
Emeritus College, SMC’s widely praised program founded 37 years ago, currently serves about 3,200 older adults with more than 150 classes and special programs.
