We’re looking forward to introducing you to Bonnie Perlin. Check out our conversation below.
Hi Bonnie, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What is a normal day like for you right now?
My day begins with some yoga poses, a light breakfast and then off to my gallery where I have my studio. I work there with two other artists. I work on a painting and I’m there until 5:00. Because it is an art gallery, we have visitors stop by and frequent sales of our work.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Bonnie Perlin, an artist and the owner of Gallery 255, an art gallery located in Delray Beach, Florida. My work explores figurative, contemporary, pop art, and traditional art. Through my gallery, my artists and myself, exhibit various types of art and beautiful mobiles, which leave our clients inspired. I have many return clients who have also commissioned me to create special pieces for them. My work is inspired by the quiet beauty of everyday occurrences, personal experiences and what my clients are buying. Opening my gallery was a natural extension of my creative journey. I wanted to create a place where people don’t just look at art, but feel it — where artists and visitors can connect, talk, and maybe even see the world a little differently. Every exhibition we host is personal to me; it’s a chance to celebrate imagination, courage, and the many ways creativity brings people together.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What’s a moment that really shaped how you see the world?
Unfortunately October 7th was the day that I realized how much hatred and pain exist in the world and it broke my heart. As a Jewish woman I saw the anti semitism and hatred directed at Jewish people simply because they were Jewish.. In the weeks that followed, people showed their true colors. I witnessed an eruption of antisemitism in the United States — especially on college campuses — and it was shocking to see how quickly some used that moment as an excuse to express hatred toward Jewish people. It was painful, disheartening, and eye-opening all at once. Since then, my purpose as both an artist and gallery owner has deepened. I want my work, and my space, to be about humanity — about creating room for empathy where intolerance once stood. Art, to me, is not just beauty on a wall; it’s a call to see one another with compassion, even when the world feels divided.
Through my art and my gallery, I hope to build bridges — small ones, perhaps, but real ones — that remind us we are more connected than we think.
If you could say one kind thing to your younger self, what would it be?
“Be kind to yourself. You don’t have to carry the weight of the world or understand everything right away. Keep creating, keep feeling — your sensitivity is not a weakness, it’s your greatest strength.” “You’ll face moments that shake your faith in people, but don’t let them harden you. Hold on to your light, your curiosity, and your belief in beauty — they’ll guide you through even the darkest days.”
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What would your closest friends say really matters to you?
They’d probably say that what matters most to me is human connection.
I care deeply about people — their stories, their pain, their hope — and i want to make sense of the world through understanding, not judgment.
They’d say that truth and compassion guide almost everything I do. I don’t look away from hard realities; I face them, and somehow still manage to look for light within them. I believe in beauty — not just the surface kind, but the kind that comes from honesty, vulnerability, and courage.
They’d also say that art isn’t just what I \do — it’s how I live. Whether I am creating a new piece or curating someone else’s work, I’m always looking for meaning, connection, and emotional truth. I bring people together, not for show, but because I truly believe that creativity has the power to heal and unite.
And they’d probably smile and say that I never stopped believing in kindness, even when the world gave me reasons to stop.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I hope people will say that I believed in humanity — even when it wasn’t easy to.
That I saw the darkness in the world, but I refused to let it define me. Instead, I turned it into light, into art, into spaces where people could see one another more clearly.
I hope they’ll remember that I used my voice, my creativity, and my gallery to bring people together — to remind them that empathy is an act of courage, and that beauty still matters.
I want people to say that I didn’t look away from pain, but I also didn’t let it destroy my faith in love, in kindness, in the power of art to heal.
Most of all, I hope they’ll tell a story about someone who cared — about people, about truth, and about leaving the world just a little more connected, compassionate, and inspired than she found it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.gallery255.com
- Instagram: art_gallery255
- Linkedin: Gallery 255
- Facebook: Gallery255
Image Credits
Bonnie Perlin original art
