Maury Ornest’s Paintings & Documentary at Gallery 169 on Mar. 28

The life and art of Maury Ornest, an artist who began painting to cope with the challenges of mental illness, will be featured at Gallery 169 on Mar. 28 from 5-8 p.m.

The event will include a sampling of his artwork and a documentary about the late Ornest, who played minor league baseball before injuries ended his sports career and art became a central aspect of his life. Psychosis and paranoia first began to affect him in adulthood, and a therapist suggested that he explore painting, which turned into a lifelong passion.

Ornest took extension classes at UCLA and Otis College of Art and Design, but was mostly a self-taught artist. After his death in 2018, his sister, Laura, who lives in Rustic Canyon, discovered 1,400 of his paintings and more than 100 of his journals at his home.

A sampling of Maury Ornest’s art.

“What struck us most of all was the vibrancy, the joy, the love, the humor, the silliness and whimsy in the paintings,” his sister said on his webpage. “He transferred his inner darkness into vivid, life-affirming colors with passion and energy…. Going through the work, curating, organizing, and categorizing has been very sad and very joyful. It has been incredibly healing during the grieving. We wanted to do for him what he couldn’t do for himself. We want to let the world see the creative power and beauty that was in Maury’s soul.”

The 40-minute documentary Outsider, which won the audience award for Best Short Film at the Montclair Film Festival, chronicles both the family’s journey through mental illness and how integral art was to Ornest’s functioning. The trailer can be viewed here.

Proceeds from painting sales will be divided between two charities: Didi Hirsch and UCLA Friends of Semel Institute. In addition, people who lost their homes to the Palisades and Eaton fires can choose a free Ornest painting via the Gestures of Love program. More information is available here or by emailing LOrnest@gmail.com.

Gallery 169 (169 W. Channel Rd.) will offer complimentary parking at the Mar. 28 event from 5-8 p.m.