TRUNKS' Beam-Me-Up was one of the sold works that benefitted the non-profit Vita Art Center in Ventura!

Ventura, CA — December 20, 2011 — Dozens of well-known and emerging local artists sold their creative efforts for a fundraiser benefitting the Vita Art Center, a West Ventura teaching facility which offers local youth a safe and nurturing environment during their least structured and therefore highest-risk times: after school, on weekends, and during the summer months.

Called the "Anonymous" exhibition, the December 2nd event featured 12-inch-by-12-inch canvasses. The paintings were exhibited anonymously with the artists signing the back of their paintings.

"Visitors collected art without knowing who the artist was until after they purchased the piece," said Vita Art Center Founder Mary Perez. "The fun is for visitors to collect work they like and maybe pick out a favorite artist's work or collect a new artist."This was the third year of the annual "Anonymous" exhibition. "It's our biggest fundraiser of the year," Perez said. "Last year we sponsored hundreds of youths in our art programs, totaling more than $14,000 in scholarships to families with financial need."

All Vita Art Center classes are taught by local artists. "Not only do we help youth, we create jobs for local artists," Perez added.

The Vita Art Center, located at 432 Ventura Ave. Studio 30, in the Bell Arts Factory, offers consistent, quality art education and mentoring which impacts social development, academic achievement, and vocational opportunities for youth and teens. Studies show that when youth have substantial engagements with the arts they are more likely to go to college, get good grades, obtain a degree and to hold a full-time job. The facility is an educational not for-profit organization under the sponsorship of Bell Arts Factory, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization. Contributions to the Vita Art Center are fully tax-deductible to the extent provided by law.

For more information, contact Mary Perez at (805) 644-9214, MaryPerez@sbcglobal.net or visit www.VitaArtCenter.com

To see more of my work, please visit my website at www.chucktrunks.com.