Fine Art For The Felines

Golden country roads and lush deep green forests filled the stark white walls of the Thousand Oaks Community Art Gallery on Sunday afternoon, marking the inaugural show of the Pastel Society of the Coast and an important fundraiser for Agoura Hills' environmental preservation organization, Save Open Space.

Proceeds from the Society's "Meet The Artists" reception went towards the development of a safe passageway for wildlife at Liberty Canyon Road on Highway 101, Save Open Space's current project.

"This is where mountain lion P-12 crossed over a year ago," said Mary Wiesbrock, Fountainwood resident and cochair of Save Open Space. "Three cubs were found and tested by UCLA researchers, and they have the new genes that will help the viability of the mountain lion population in Agoura Hills." 

Caltrans currently plans to build a state-of-the-art wildlife corridor at the Liberty Canyon underpass to protect animals from oncoming traffic, but the approximately $15-million project has been slow to take off, said Ron Kosinski, deputy environmental planner for Caltrans, in an earlier interview.

The money raised from 43 raffle tickets went directly to Save Open Space, according to Kathi Colman, Old Agoura resident and charity liaison for the Pastel Society. In addition to Sunday's fundraiser, Save Open Space will receive an additional 10 percent of the Society's profits after their July 30 show. 

"We are proudly contributing a portion of sales to SOS, because that is exactly what we are about," said Colman. "Our mission is to bring awareness to the pristine beauty surrounding us all."