This Saturday two amazing women are working together to raise money for a good cause. Andi Garcia, who founded Heart2Hand, should be no strange to readers of this blog. Vanae Rivera is a wonderful artist and designer who has an amazing studio space where this event will take place. It’s worth stopping by just to see this hidden gem, but make sure to bring your wallet too, as there is bound to be some really great art and other things to buy. This should be an really great event and I couldn’t be more excited that these two got together on this project. See you there…

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Ag2 Gallery is honored to have Vanae Rivera’s Space Invaders Craft Fair support the Heart2Hand Youth Art Fund with raffle and lemonade sale at this Saturday’s event at 4159 State Street .

Heart2Hand youth art fund was started July 30th , 2009 and has made their first donation in December 2009 to La Cuesta high school .

Founder of H2H youth art fund and owner of Ag2 Gallery, Andi Garcia, states ” We are very excited to work within the schools as a supplement of the arts programs for secondary school aged kids. As a native of Santa Barbara’s Eastside , I am thankful for the artists such as Manuel Unzueta and others who took the time and effort to broaden the cultural arts to us kids. We were borderline crime vs. creatively and I truly believe it was the artful efforts of outside support that kept some of us out major trouble.
Establishing H2H is a way for me to give back and contribute to our community
…Art Saves Lives ”

“We thank the current resident artists like Vanae Rivera and her Space Invaders event for their support as we enter the 10/11 school year fund raising efforts . ”

The fund continues to raise funds in conjunction with Ag2 gallery where a percentage of all art sales at the gallery spot benefits the fund.

Space Invaders Art Craft Fair is this Saturday, August 28th at 4159 State Street 11:00am to 7:00pm . Heart2Hand fundraiser of an old fashioned lemonade stand and sack lunches as well as a raffle of very artful artifacts that will be on display will be presented at Ag2 Gallery table .

For further information about how to contribute to the fund contact Andi Garcia 805.637.2521

Andi Garcia 805.637.2521
Ag2 Gallery @French Press
1101 State Street , Santa Barbara , Ca 93101

TheArtillerist.com http://theartillerist.com/Ag2admin
ARTiFAQZ Blog http://artifaqz.blogspot.com/
805-895-4804

A SNEEK PEEK JUST FOR YOU !!

Art Curator , Andi Garcia , along with Acrobaleno /French Press are pleased to present “Stanno Tutti Bene”  group art show featuring  LA’s hottest rising star , Christopher Umana with Las Vegas favorite Albert Montoya  and LA’s Hive Gallery resident Yuki Miyazaki .
Also showing  his glass work is local artist  Sean Darby for Fuzion Glass Art .

This ecclectic show will present  works in oil , acrylic , watercolor  and glass art  as part  or the 1st Thursday Downtown festivities.

In a time of fantasy fan fair on the day Alice in Wonderland : The Movie debuts, these four  artists will create a wonderland right here in Santa Barbara .

Refreshments will be served  and   live  art  portraiture will be performed by Ms. Miyazaki

As a Heart2Hand youth art scholarship event  15% of all art sales will benefit this fund .

You won’t want to miss this show ..

Media  and Presales contact :
Andi Garcia
805.637.2521

andig2@gmail.com

It may be a bit chilly tonight, but don’t use this as an excuse to skip out on the opportunity to hit the street in search of great art. Below is my short list of spots that will be hosting the hip haps tonight.

The Granada will be hosting Karaoke Karoling tonight, letting visitors get into the holiday spirit with some seasonal favorites.I can only hope that it takes place on the stage and that it is as hilariously terrible as karaoke can be.

The Santa Barbara Museum of Art will also be open and is hosting “California Conversations” with Joe Goode and Joan Tanner at 5:30pm in the Mary Craig Auditorium. This is the last in the series of three conversations with artists featured in the wonderful California Calling exhibition. If you haven’t seen this two part exhibit, add it to your “must see” list tonight. It’s only up for a little while longer.

Local artists Erika Carter and Liz Brady have a show at the Frameworks and Caruso-Woods Gallery. Carter is a long time painter and gallery owner who specializes in small folkloric devotional paintings on tin or wood . Brady explores the different compositions of plant life under a microscope and unveils the diversity and beauty of these organic forms through her new  paintings. I love visiting this gallery, if for no other reason than it gives me the opportunity to wander around in the labyrinthine innards of  the El Paseo building.

At Caligreen the wonderful Andi Garcia has put together an intriguing  show of street art called “Concrete to Canvas”. The title says it all as graffiti artists will be putting their talents down on more traditional surfaces. Artists from all over the country will be represented and there will be live art and music created on the spot. Donations of warm coats and sweaters to be collected for Unity Shoppe  Live art piece will be auctioned off with proceeds to benefit Heart2Hand youth art scholarship.

The final spot I’d like to highlight is the Brooks Institute’s Gallery 27, which will have a juried show of student works. The exhibit consists mainly of fine art photography and many of the photographers will be there to discuss their work. This is a great spot to show and see art. It has a much more urban/industrial feel than anywhere else currently in Santa Barbara and while inside you could easily convince yourself you were in a larger, hipper artistic city.

I hope to see large crowds out on the street tonight. As always if you see anything that blows your mind, make sure to share it by posting your comments on the blog.

Andi Garcia hosts another  Heart2Hand Youth Art Scholarship benefit  art show at WR- Whiskey Richard’s with guest emcee City Council representative Das Williams.

This second in the H2H series of art events  is  a group show of  artists from the 805 area along with acclaimed artists of Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

Various offerings in acrylics, oils, graphite and aerosol , as well as, works of local tattoo artists now presenting on canvas. All artists presenting have donated a percentage of their sales to the scholarship fund with all art priced to sell .
Art reception will include appetizers from Chino’s Rock N’ Tacos.

Uniquely stylized  music by DJ Nine along with  LIVE art performances.  Proceeds to continue to benefit  Heart2Hand art class scholarship fund to benefit area youth-at-risk. Donations will be accepted at the door along with opportunities to win raffled specially designed art pieces donated by each featured artist and other sponsoring establishments. Dress in black, white and red for this artful event.

Location : Whiskey Richard’s ( WR ) 435  State Street , Santa Barbara, CA 93101

Date :  Opening 7:00-10:00pm , Thursday , September 24, 2009

Show runs September 24 through  Oct 24, 2009

Featured :

Albert Montoya – Las Vegas
Derek Harrison – Santa Barbara
Corey Williams – Santa Barbara
Deborah Medina – Los Angeles
Jon Hall – Los Angeles/ Long Beach
Urian Muro – Ventura/ Oxnard
Jose Zuniga – Ventura/ Oxnard
and many more invited guest artists