‘The Face of Ventura by Johanna Spinks’ art exhibit to donate portion of proceeds to FOOD Share

Aug. 7, 2012 - PRLog -- FOOD Share, in conjunction with Heifer International, will organize an exhibit through its ART Share program for award-winning portrait artist Johanna Spinks on Sunday, Aug. 26, at the Ventura County Museum.

The exhibit will showcase the artist’s latest venture, ‘The Face of Ventura by Johanna Spinks’ from 2 - 5 p.m. The painter will feature 57 life portraits of Ventura, Calif. citizens that were each crafted over a span of two years. Without the use of photographs, each painting was completed in less than two hours as Spinks conversed with each model, capturing the essence of the individuals’ personality.

“I wanted to paint people with an appealing story,” Spinks said. “From the people who service the town to persons of courage, I wanted to portray the individuals that represent the face of Ventura.”

The expansive art exhibit was made possible with the help of FOOD Share President and CEO, Bonnie Weigel, who helped coordinate the event; and Heifer International, a nonprofit organization that fights to end world hunger, who donated the space for the portrait showcase, and the Ventura Breeze community newspaper.

“I am happy to lend my support in any way to bring Johanna’s magnificent portraits to the public eye,” Weigel said. “She has an amazing gift and I believe what she is doing is a remarkable tribute to our wonderful community.”

Following the Ventura Museum exhibit, Spinks will take her artwork on tour to various locations throughout Los Angeles and Ventura counties before the collection will be available for purchase. Spinks will donate a portion of proceeds to FOOD Share through ART Share, a collaborative fundraising program that supports the arts while fighting hunger in Ventura County.

The phenomenal artisan with paintings displayed in both public and private collections around the world dedicates the show to her mentor, Everett Raymond Kinstler.

“Without Everett’s guidance, I certainly wouldn’t be the painter nor have the appreciation of life portraits as I do today,” Spinks said. “He has taught me the fundamentals of how to paint from life, as well as the importance, discipline and meaning behind it. He’s had an incredibly profound impact on my life and passion for artistry that I would like to dedicate this show in his honor.”

For more information about ‘The Face of Ventura by Johanna Spinks’ exhibit, visit http://www.thefaceofventura.com/. To learn more about Johanna Spinks and to view photographs of her portraits, visit www.JohannaSpinks.com.

About FOOD Share
FOOD Share, Ventura County’s only regional food bank, distributes millions of pounds of food each year to those in need. FOOD Share provides food year-round to more than 74,500 Ventura County children, adults, seniors and families each month via more than 150 Ventura County pantry partner agencies and multiple programs.

FOOD Share’s many programs include the Senior Brown Bag supplemental nutrition program that provides supplemental groceries to nearly 2,000 low income seniors throughout Ventura County, the Senior Nutrition Program providing home delivered meals to homebound seniors in Oxnard and Ventura, and the Kids’ Farmers’ Markets that offer nutrition education, healthy recipe preparation, taste testing and a farmers’ market free fresh produce “shopping experience” to children in Ventura County afterschool programs.

In 2011, FOOD Share partnered with Ventura County’s Human Services Agency to provide expanded CalFresh enrollment assistance. CalFresh, formerly called food stamps, is the largest federal nutrition assistance program that provides supplemental nutrition assistance to eligible Ventura County residents