Michael Todd Serr is a Los Angeles-based expressionist artist and gallery owner whose multifaceted career bridges contemporary art, film industry work, and community arts advocacy. As an accomplished artist working across expressionist, abstract, and pop art styles, Serr creates powerful social statements that reflect his unique perspective—one forged through real-world experience across multiple creative industries.

Artistic Vision and Style

Serr’s artistic practice spans expressionist, abstract, modern, and pop art styles, with social commentary at its core. His contemporary works embrace diverse mediums, showcasing both versatility and a fearless approach to mixed media experimentation. Each piece functions as a vehicle for social discourse, demonstrating his profound engagement with contemporary issues and cultural critique.

Background and Journey

Born in the rural Midwest, Serr relocated to California as a child with his mother and sister. His formative years unfolded in a 1960s communal environment along the Ventura Coast, where community members of modest means collectively raised the children. The family later moved to an urban neighborhood where he was one of the few white residents—a multicultural experience that, combined with parents who championed “a philosophy of passion for the diversity of life over monolithic and limited cultural thinking,” fundamentally shaped his artistic worldview and lifelong commitment to creativity over commercial pursuit.

Initially, Serr’s artwork circulated only among private collectors and select recipients. True to his generous spirit, he frequently gifted pieces to fellow artists, filmmakers, and actors as expressions of gratitude. Though he remained relatively private about his artistic practice, word gradually spread about his distinctive perspective and stylistic range. His influence has since expanded throughout Los Angeles and beyond, with works featured at Bonhams Auction House Hollywood and exclusively represented by the Baldwin Avenue Gallery (The BAG).

Film Industry Experience

Serr’s transition into film began through an unconventional path: leveraging his expertise as a jujitsu and judo practitioner to work as a bodyguard for actors on movie sets. This insider vantage point allowed him to intimately study the filmmaking process, launching a film career that has spanned over two decades across numerous roles and departments. This experience has taken him to more than fifty countries worldwide, enriching his artistic perspective through global cultural exposure.

Gallery Leadership and Community Impact

Together with his wife Mary Hoffman Serr, he established roots in Sierra Madre and co-founded The Baldwin Avenue Gallery (The BAG). Their shared vision extended beyond showcasing their own talents to actively nurturing other artists’ aspirations within the art community.

As both gallery owner and consultant, Serr dedicates himself to “helping artists gain the exposure they deserve in an unrestricted creative environment”—one he intimately understands from personal experience. His mission centers on “helping get their art into galleries and sharing their creative visions,” reflecting his deep commitment to elevating the broader artistic community.

Philosophy and Approach

Central to Serr’s philosophy is the concept of art as “interactive communication.” He positions The BAG as “a celebration of creativity in many forms,” embodying his conviction that art must engage communities and spark dialogue rather than exist in cultural isolation.

His remarkably diverse background—from communal upbringing to martial arts mastery, from film industry immersion to gallery stewardship—informs a holistic creative approach that transcends conventional artistic boundaries. As an in-house artist and consultant, Michael Todd Serr delivers not only technical mastery and artistic vision but also an invaluable understanding of how art operates within broader cultural and commercial ecosystems.