Meet Lenny Gerard

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lenny Gerard and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lenny, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
My art business supports the community by expanding who art is for and how it can be experienced. Alongside my studio practice, I work as an art educator at the Braille Institute with blind and visually impaired individuals. This pushes me to rethink art beyond sight. In my printmaking class, for example, I’ve developed a tactile approach—embossing paper so students can physically feel the image.

Art becomes something you experience through touch, intuition, and emotion rather than perfection or visual accuracy. At its core, my practice, both as a business and an educator-creates space for healing, accessibility, and self-expression. Whether someone can see or not, art becomes a therapeutic outlet and a reminder that there’s no such thing as perfection, only presence and process.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My work is fundamentally story-driven. Nearly every piece I create is rooted in a narrative that addresses social issues, identity, emotion, or lived experience. What sets my practice apart is that the work is never purely aesthetic—it’s meant to provoke thought, raise awareness, and create genuine emotional connection.

My professional path was not linear or easy. I began in the corporate world, but about two years ago I made the decision to leave that structure and commit fully to my art practice because of a life-altering accident that left me temporarily paralyzed. After three spinal surgeries, months in the hospital, and relearning how to walk twice, I gained a new perspective on time, purpose, and what truly matters. That experience clarified that I needed to build a life, and a career, rooted in what I love and in service to others.

Today, I sustain myself through my art while also working as an art educator with blind and visually impaired individuals, which has deeply influenced how I think about accessibility, process, and the meaning of making.

The lessons I’ve learned are simple but hard-earned: life is short, gratitude matters, and perfection has no place in honest creativity. What I want the world to know about my work and my story is that art has the power to transcend language, borders, and barriers. A piece can travel from one country to another, be experienced by people who speak entirely different languages, and still evoke feeling, recognition, or empathy. That universality is what excites me most—art as a shared human language that connects people beyond words.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Day 1 – Set the Tone

Echo Park Lake (my favorite spot in all of LA)
Morning walk around the lake, people-watching, coffee in hand. It’s grounding, chaotic, poetic—very Los Angeles.
• Coffee: Stories Books & Cafe
• Casual hang: Sunset at the lake, no agenda, just vibes

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Day 2 – Art + Culture
• Morning: The Broad
• Afternoon: Walk through Arts District murals and studios
• Dinner (vegan classic): Crossroads Kitchen
Elevated vegan food that converts skeptics instantly.

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Day 3 – Nature, But Make It Cinematic
• Hike: Griffith Observatory (late afternoon → sunset)
• Dinner nearby: Gracias Madre
• Night cap: Low-key wine bar or home early—LA hiking humbles everyone

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Day 4 – Beach Day, LA Style
• Morning: Santa Monica Pier stroll
• Lunch: Cafe Gratitude
• Sunset: Walk Venice canals, grab juice, pretend we’re locals (we are)

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Day 5 – Neighborhood Day
• Morning: Silver Lake thrift stores + cafes
• Lunch: Pura Vita (Italian vegan perfection)
• Evening: Backyard hangs, friends dropping by, music playing—no plans, best plans

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Day 6 – Downtown Energy
• Brunch: Plant Power Fast Food (fun, fast, unapologetic)
• Afternoon: The Last Bookstore
• Night: Rooftop drinks downtown (mocktails welcome, drama optional)

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Day 7 – Soft Landing
• Morning reset: Back to Echo Park Lake—full circle moment
• Final meal: Native Foods
• Studio visit or chill afternoon talking about life, art, and how LA gets under your skin

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d dedicate this interview to people who use creativity as a way to heal—especially those navigating disability, trauma, or systems that weren’t designed for them. Art has always been a place where I’ve found agency, and I see that same resilience reflected in the people I work with every day.

Website: https://www.lennygerard.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lenny__gerard/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lenybehar

Twitter: https://x.com/LennyGerard

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leny.behar/?checkpoint_src=any

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LennyGerardMusic?app=desktop

Image Credits
Lenny Gerard