LONG BEACH, CA.-The Long Beach Museum of Art and its fundraising affiliate, Phoenix, present California Visions: Art Auction XI, one of the top auctions of contemporary art on the West Coast. The Museum’s biennial Art Auction draws a sell-out crowd of hundreds of discriminating arts patrons from the greater Los Angeles area, seeking works by some of today’s most sought-after artists, many of them from California.

Guest curated by Ron Nelson, California Visions: Art Auction XI includes more than 175 works in all media and is a component of California Visions, the Museum’s year-long celebration of California artists. The preview exhibition opens Friday, April 29; admission to the exhibition is FREE April 29 – May 13. This is an excellent opportunity to view works by some of today’s top artists – plus, silent bidding is encouraged during this preview period.

Just a few of the artists included in the auction are Sarah Arnold, Ralph Bacerra, Ruth Bernhard, Fern Bowen, Alexander Couwenberg, John Frame, F. Scott Hess, William Hunter, Tony Marsh, Cecilia Z. Miguez, Mineo Mizuno, Jesse Powell, Nancy Weber and Peter Zokosky. Tickets for the May 11th event are $111 per person (to celebrate the 11th year!). VIP tables are available.

This special night includes cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, silent and live auctions, and live entertainment. All proceeds benefit the Museum’s artistic and educational programs. Visit www.lbma.org for a complete list of participating artists, to view several of the works and to purchase tickets. AAXI is made possible through the generous contributions of many artists and galleries, plus these official sponsors: KKJZ-88.1 FM, Venice Magazine, Craig’s Extraordinary Catering, REMAX – Pierre Billard, Long Beach BMW and Mini, Windes & McClaughry, 1900 Ocean Apartments, Evans Alloys and Environmental Communication.