Arts Fund Presents
Printmaking and Mixed-Media Artwork

Opening Reception: Friday, July 21, 5:30 - 7:30 PM
Exhibition on View at The Arts Fund Gallery: July 25 - August 11

Original prints produced by eleven students working under the supervision of master artist Leonardo Nunez will complement mixed-media art produced by three students of artist Ron Robertson in a second installment of this year's Art Mentorship Exhibition. The artists are all high school students who have participated in the The Arts Fund's annual Arts Mentorship program, which pairs the students with a professional artist for 10-12 weeks to produce a portfolio of work. The community is invited to celebrate the achievements of these talented young artists and commend the dedication of their instructors at a public opening on Friday, July 21, from 5:30 - 7:30, at The Arts Fund Gallery in Santa Barbara.

The printmaking students, all from Ernest Righetti High School in Santa Maria, worked at the Guadalupe Cultural Arts and Education Center to learn various relief printing techniques. The student artists are Anthony Arriola, Marissa Baro, Adrian Diaz, Ben Ikola, Savanna Kemp, Mary Perez, Esmeralda Rodriguez, Crystal Torres, Jessica Torres, Danica Webb and Muriel Zepeda. The printmaking mentorship was offered collaboratively between The Arts Fund and the Guadalupe Cultural Arts and Education Center. Mentor artist Ron Robertson guided three Santa Barbara Students, Tessa Jacobs, Bethany Miller, and Sachi Swick to produce some fifteen mixed-media artworks that combine found and recycled materials in original compositions.

For over a decade, the Teen Arts Mentorship, under the sponsorship of The Arts Fund, has enabled Santa Barbara's brightest young artists to work with professional master artists in an intensive three-month workshop to produce portfolio-quality work and explore career opportunities in the arts. Primary funding for the 2006 Arts Mentorship comes from the Ann Jackson Family Foundation, the Towbes Foundation, and through the Organizational Development Grant Program using funds provided by the City of Santa Barbara in partnership with the Santa Barbara County Arts Commission.

Applications for the 2007 Art Teen Mentorship program will be available in the fall. Interested teenage artists (14-18), parents, and art instructors can contact The Arts Fund for more information.