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Attendees at the recent "12 x 12" fund-raiser view some of the 50 artworks created by local artists that were for sale. The event raised over $4,000 for the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Friends of the Visual Arts' scholarship fund.

NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS - The Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Friends of the Visual Arts has announced that their recent "12 x 12" fund-raiser brought in over $4,000, which will be used for scholarships benefiting Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ visual arts students.

"We are very excited about the event's success," said Marty Prince, president of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Friends of the Visual Arts. "We are grateful for our sponsors, Kroger, Point A Media and Wal-Mart; the artists who created the works; and the community members who purchased the pieces."

In preparation for "12 x 12," over 50 local artists, including Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ art faculty and graduate students, created original artworks on 12-inch-square art boards that were then displayed anonymously at The Cole Art Center @ The Old Opera House.

Interested buyers could purchase any of the pieces for $250 during the week-long exhibition, or they could wait until the closing night when all unsold works would be available for $100 on a first-come, first served basis.

"This was the Friends of the Visual Arts' first time to try this type of fund-raiser, and it was a great success," said Christian Cutler, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ director of galleries. "Next year's '12 x 12' will include an expanded group of artists, making the opportunity to own an original work of art for only $100 even bigger and better."