Bonnie B. Hall Botanical Prints, 1989-2003

Bonnie B. Hall was born on November 18, 1931 in Portland, Oregon to parents Edwin and Alice Tracy Birkemeier. She grew up in Milwaukie, and graduated from Milwaukie High School in 1949. After this, she attended University of Oregon, graduating in 1953 with a Bachelor in Biology. During her senior year at University of Oregon, Hall was chosen to be a member of Mortar Board, a senior woman’s honorary society. After graduating Hall moved to California, attended University of California, Berkeley, receiving her Master’s in Zoology in 1953. While working on her Master’s thesis, Hall taught herself scientific illustration. During her time at UC Berkeley, she met James D. Hall. They married on September 25, 1955.

James and Bonnie Hall then moved to Michigan. Because of her self-taught illustration skills, Hall was offered a position as a full-time illustrator at the University of Michigan Museum. Hall remained in this position until moving to Corvallis in 1963. Hall then filled the position of full-time scientific illustrator for the Department of Entomology at Oregon State University. While in this position, she decided to pursue screen-printing, taking a class on the art form at Linn-Benton Community College. She maintained this position until retiring in 1993.

Hall was a part of many Oregon-based art groups, including the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators and the American Society of Botanical Artists. Her position within these groups helped her work became a success, transforming from a personal hobbyist to being a well-known artist. Her work is shown in art galleries and natural history museums. Hall continued to create prints until December of 2003. She passed away on February 18, 2004. She has received many awards for her work before and since her passing, including being named the Corvallis Patron of the Arts in 2003, as well as having the Department of Entomology Student Activity Fund named after her. Since her passing her husband, James Hall, emeritus professor of OSU Fisheries and Wildlife Department, has  published a book about her work with the Oregon State University Press: Ever Blooming: The Art of Bonnie Hall, which can be found in the Oregon State University Library.