Budding artist John C. Santistevan had his...

Budding artist John C. Santistevan had his life cut short in 1993 when he was killed, at age 18, by a drunk driver. The artist had begun to explore his own roots, dealing with imagery reflecting Spanish, Mexican and Native American cultures.

After Santistevan’s tragic death, a scholarship fund was established by his family, and the current exhibition of works at the Creative Arts Center Gallery is a showcase of artists who have benefited from the fund. The show is also a sale, with proceeds going to the fund.

The sampling is as varied as the artists’ own interests. Peter Graziano’s work explores celebrity lore, with depictions of Elvis Presley and Liz Taylor, while Chris Groshong details the bucolic beauty of rural Santa Paula. Margarita Avina-Valdez’s colored pencil drawings portray anecdotal slices of Mexican American life, while Theresa Kennedy’s photographs show sensitive landscape studies.

Also in the show are works by Veloy Vigil, Bernice Robinson and Ben S. Lao, who produces rugged landscape paintings.

* “The John C. Santistevan Memorial Scholarship Art Show and Sale,” through Fri. at the Creative Arts Center Gallery, 1100 Clark Ave. in Burbank. Gallery hours: Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (818) 238-5397.