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Forget what you know, or might think you know, about the idyllic beach town- home of the "world's safest beach," and historic standbys such as the Palms and The Spot amidst the inevitably, evermore gentrifying elements in one of Southern California's last great little beach towns.

South County Sampler, the newest exhibit at The Arts Fund Santa Barbara, is a group show with eight artists from Carpinteria. Canvassed for the exhibit by curator Nancy Gifford are artists Sean Anderson, Chris Baker, Stuart Carey, Patricia Houghton Clarke, Pamela Enticknap, Julie B. Montgomery, Garrett Spiers, and Arturo Tello.

Opening on January 9 at The Arts Fund, BEST IMPRESSIONS consists of works by ten artist members of the Santa Barbara Printmakers who were awarded top prizes in recent annual exhibitions organized by the group and juried by art professionals from universities, galleries, and printmaking organizations in our region.

Everyone knows that Carpinteria is an amazing haven for beachcombing, beer, and burgers at The Spot. What they may not know is that the place now harbors and nurtures a lively community of contemporary artists, several of whom are currently being featured in the show South County Sampler: Eight Carpinteria Artists at The Arts Fund Gallery.

Art curator extraordinaire, Nancy Gifford, in her current, all-Carpinteria show, South Coast Sampler, confirms that the little hamlet of Carpinteria is home to an incredible array of world class artists.

Every Tuesday usally by 5pm, but always by midnight, Ted Mills posts the Funk Zone Podcast (funkzonepodcast.com).

The Arts Fund is excited to announce the completion of a mural in the Funk Zone that is a first of its kind. Located on the Quonset hut of Stand Up Paddle Sports at 121 Santa Barbara St, the new mural titled, Long Days, Short Year, was executed by artist, R. Nelson Parrish.

The Arts Fund in the Funk Zone was socially gridlocked when it opened its latest exhibition "South County Sampler," curated by Nancy Gifford, featuring eight accomplished artists working in Carpinteria.

With a playful pun in mind, "it takes balls to make art," Hugh Margerum invited nine local artist to create ball themed art for an exhibition at The Arts Fund titled Artists' Balls.

Curator Hugh Margerum and The Arts Fund intended the pun when they titled their event Artists' Balls. The opening reception in the Funk Zone was during the holiday season, and the nine artists creations were all about balls.