Alumna Opens Art Gallery to Break Down Walls and Nurture Creatives
Perri Lawler fell in love with art as a child at her mother’s hip.
Lawler’s mom was an artist and was always doing something creative, whether it was scrapbooking, painting, sketching or jewelry making. That inspired Lawler (’19, food and nutrition) to try her hand at drawing, writing and other media. Those early days of emulating her mother led to taking art classes from grade school through high school. But while she had some early instruction, most of what Lawler knows about art comes from studying on her own, a method that helps keep her creative fire smoldering.
“As a self-taught artist, something that I have learned is that it’s definitely a journey. We all have to start somewhere,” she said. “Everybody has a creative bone in their bodies. Everyone has self-expression. It’s just about how you express it and that relationship that you build with it.”
Lawler, who grew up in Pomona and Claremont, took that early passion for art and crafted it into an opportunity to help other artists shine through her work as a curator and, most recently, her co-ownership of the Los Angeles-based gallery Perri + Ren.
Perri + Ren, which opened in February 2024, breaks down the notion of what a traditional gallery looks like, something Lawler and co-owner Ren Hale planned by design. Visitors enter through rounded Spanish-style doors that face an outdoor patio. Paintings and photography decorate walls snaking through the gallery. Inside, tables and chairs are set up where the partnering The Secret Garden café serves patrons.
“Both Ren and I are Black and Mexican and part of the queer community. We are also both artists,” Lawler said. “We just have a lot of aligning values, so we came together and formed the gallery. We really wanted the gallery to be a space for people who are part of our direct communities, people who are a part of the Black and brown communities, people who are underserved and need a place to display art, a safe space for people who are part of our direct communities.”
Finding Community
Although Lawler has thought of herself as an artist from an early age, she didn’t want to formally study any medium.
“I love art and was always going to pursue it in some way, shape or form, but I didn’t want to go to school for it,” she said. “I wanted to keep it a passion.”
She also always enjoyed science, so when she decided to attend Cal Poly Pomona, Lawler felt her interests aligned with the nutrition major. With its strong academic programs and being close to home, CPP was always on her radar. Also, Lawler’s aunt is a Bronco alumna, and her dad coached football at neighboring Mt. SAC, so she grew up passing by the campus often.
The summer before her freshman year, Lawler participated in CPP’s Residential Intensive Summer Education (RISE) program and found a strong community on campus. RISE helps students transition from high school to college and has traditionally focused on Black student success but is open to people of all backgrounds.
Lawler also found community among fellow artists at CPP. She was a part of the Zenith Class Collective, a group of artists on campus who put on art shows and nurture and support one another. She made connections and friendships through the collective that have stayed strong and helped her as an artist and curator.
“I am really grateful for my community that I found at CPP,” Lawler said. “If I hadn’t found this community, who knows where I would be in the art world. They really embraced me as an artist and gave me an environment to fully be a creative. They helped me to live in my passion, live in my art and help others to do the same.”
Nurturing Artists
For the past five years, Lawler has worked for Hum Nutrition, a vegan, organic and third party-tested nutrition company for women. She serves as a community coordinator for HUM. Even with a full-time job, she also has managed to grow her career as an artist and curator.
From 2020 to 2023, she served as the art director for the Compton-based nonprofit Peace of Mind. During her time there, she created and facilitated different art shows, creative classes and community events. The organization currently focuses on curating events that combine community and music.
From May 2022 to May 2023, she directed the art program for Black in Mayberry, a nonprofit focused on eradicating systemic and institutional racism through art and education. In November 2023, Lawler curated a one-night art show for the organization billed as “Arts Against Racism” that featured 20 Black artists in different media. The show was a success, garnering art sales totaling $44,000.
“It was a really special night for Black in Mayberry and for me as a curator,” Lawler said. “It was very beautiful to see and be a part of.”
Ren Hale, Lawler’s business partner, was introduced to Lawler through a friend and attended the Black in Mayberry show. She was impressed by Lawler. A few months later, they decided to move forward with the gallery initiative.
The gallery put on four art shows in its first year, all featuring Black and brown women artists, including its annual exhibition, “The Love We Give.”
“Perri is a dream. I had been trying to rent this space for a year,” Hale said. “It was serendipitous how it happened. We see eye to eye. She is a safe space. She has so much empathy. Empathy is something that makes a great leader. She is a great communicator. I feel like she is coming up and I feel fortunate to be a part of her journey.”
Karla Portillo, the gallery’s creative project manager, said she is proud to be a part of the team and values Lawler’s ability to support and nurture the talents of those around her.
“She has such a grounded energy of who she is. Even if you talk to Perri by text, you know it’s her voice,” Portillo said, “She gives you the kind of support that uplifts.. She supports you in such a grounded way.”
As a curator and gallery owner, Lawler brings artists together to infuse into the community a love of self-expression nurtured by her mother and a strong sense of belonging rooted in her experiences at CPP. She knows what it takes to be an artist and the trials and triumphs that come along with that.
“Since the beginning, I’ve always loved the connection and relationship-building aspect that you get to experience with an artist,” Lawler said. “In my curator role, I’m also able to put on my artist hat and hold all the experiences I have as an artist. I find joy in connecting with different artists, finding their niche and exploring being an artist from a different perspective. That collective, community feeling is what I strive for.”
Perri + Ren is hosting upcoming events including an Artist Talk & Mixer on Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. The gallery’s current show, “Collective Visions” is on view until Jan. 18. For more information, visit the gallery’s Instagram or Linktree page.