Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ

Lisa King and Ginny Prince view some of the 50 artworks for sale at the recent "12 x 12" exibition and fund-raiser sponsored by the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Friends of the Visual Arts. The event raised over $5,000 for the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ School of Art student scholarships.

NACOGDOCHES, TEXAS - The Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Friends of the Visual Arts has announced that their recent "12 x 12" fund-raiser brought in over $5,000, which will be used for scholarships benefiting Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ visual arts students.

"We are very excited about the event's success," said Sandy Massey, president of the Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ Friends of the Visual Arts. "We exceeded last year's efforts by over a $1,000, and are grateful to the artists who created the works as well as the community members who purchased the pieces."

In preparation for "12 x 12," over 50 artists, including Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ alumni, faculty members and graduate students, a well as nationally known and community artists, 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 fund-raiser is growing each year," said Christian Cutler, Ä¢¹½ÊÓƵ director of galleries. "East Texans can look forward to the 2011 event and the opportunity to own an original work of art for only $100."