The Vita Art Center came alive May 1-3, 2026, as students from across the Ventura County schools gathered to celebrate creativity, community, and achievement at a multi-school art showcase.
The event kicked off Friday, May 1, with dedicated viewing times for different age groups. Elementary and middle school students presented their work from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m., followed by high school showcases from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. The exhibition remained open through May 3, giving the public a chance to explore a wide range of student artwork.
Organized by Mary Perez of the Vita Art Center and Hilary Morefield of Ventura High School, the event featured contributions from schools across the district, including Buena High School, Foothill High School, El Camino High School, Cabrillo Middle School, Balboa Middle School, Anacapa Middle School and DATA middle school.
Visitors were invited to walk through the gallery and experience a diverse array of artistic styles and mediums, ranging from traditional paintings to mixed media works. Adding to the event’s atmosphere, students from Buena High School Honors Culinary Program provided catering, offering a menu that included ranch taco bites, baked potato bites, Dubai chocolate cups, Biscoff no-bake ch
eesecake cups and assorted charcuterie boards.
The showcase also recognized outstanding talent through scholarship awards ranging from $1,000 to $5,000, presented to students whose artwork stood out among the entries. One of the award-winners, Buena freshman Bianca Davis, emphasized that the event was about more than recognition.
“Art is important to Buena because it helps us express [our]selves,” Davis said. “It is a creative outlet for our students.”
Her piece, titled “99% of gamblers quit before they hit big,” is a mixed media piece that reflects her personal interests. David likes to play dice games and card games that involve chance. She combined this with her interest in cowboys and horses to create her piece. Davis’s piece involves acrylic paint, alcohol markers, pen, and crayons.
Culinary students also saw their role as vital to the event’s success. Senior culinary student Annie Rowley highlighted the importance of supporting fellow students.
“[Culinary goes to the art show] because we want to share our food and show up for the art students that created art here,” Rowley said. “Bringing good food [hopefully gets] more people to show up.”
By blending visual art, culinary talent and community engagement, the Ventura student art showcase offered a vibrant celebration of creativity one that brought together students of all ages and disciplines under one roof.
