SIQUEIROS WORKS DUE AT PLAZA DE LA RAZA

A hefty City Council appropriation of $40,000 and the support of Councilman Art Snyder will bring a major exhibition of works by Mexican muralist David Alfaro Siqueiros to Plaza de la Raza in September.

The retrospective exhibition of about 50 bold and passionate works (mostly paintings, with some pencil sketches and large photographs) by the politically rebellious artist will arrive here on the end of an international tour.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime event,” Snyder said in a telephone interview. “It is akin to the King Tut or Chinese Bronze exhibits. And this is the first time any amount of funds like that has been voted for a showing of art in Los Angeles.”

Snyder, whose 14th District is predominantly Latino, noted the “historic” significance of the exhibition’s showing at Plaza de la Raza. Siqueiros, who for a time lived and painted here, was a dedicated supporter of the Latino arts center. “We wanted to put the exhibit right here, among the people he painted.”

The show will also include a photographic representation of “America Tropical,” a 16x18-foot mural Siqueiros painted in the early 1930s on Olvera Street, which was later completely whitewashed. Fund raising efforts for its planned renovation and conservation will coincide with the exhibition to run through Oct. 31.

A future free from the threat of nuclear destruction is the theme of a local monthlong arts festival beginning Thursday.

“Imagine There’s a Future,” produced by the Hollywood Women’s Coalition and the Interfaith Center to Reverse the Arms Race, will commemorate the 40th anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Ten area art galleries will exhibit multimedia works (most by local artists), all of which address the issue.

Linda Lopez, curator of the Social and Public Arts Resource Center in Venice, and muralist Judy Baca were largely responsible for coordinating and curating the festival (which also includes lectures, religious services and a candlelight ceremony). They have worked with a group of artists Lopez dubbed Artists Respond to the Issues.

The group’s goal, Lopez explained, was “to apply our best creative thinking towards a future which would be free of nuclear threat, and in the the process to empower ourselves and the public to create that future.” Four themes emerged from the group’s efforts, Lopez said: “Double Speak,” “War Bucks,” “Making It Real” and “Testimony of the Human Spirit.” All the exhibitions fall under one of the themes. Cal State L.A.’s Exploratorium Gallery hosts the festival’s debut exhibit Thursday with “War Bucks.” For more information, call (213) 653-3240. For future exhibits, see Calendar art openings.

Mark Lere, Peter Shelton, Robert Therrian, Susan Vogel and other American artists will participate in an international exhibition to take place this summer throughout Italy.

The exhibition, featuring the art and addressing the aesthetic trends of the ‘80s, is being organized by institutions and local authorities in several towns in the area of Emilia-Romagna. Included are the Galleria Comunale d’Arte of Bologna and the Regional Art Council of Emilia-Romagna. .

“Post-Modernism,” “French Neoclassicism,” “California Post-Minimalism,” “German Neo-Expressionism” and “New English Sculpture” are among trends to be represented.

“Nomadic” art meant to be moved-about sets up camp Tuesday at the Junior Arts Center Gallery at Barnsdall Park.

“From Here to There: An Installation of Nomadic Sculptures” created by Los Angeles artist Marsia Alexander for young viewers, features portable works that fold, collapse and stack. The flexible pieces which alternate between dormancy (when stacked or folded) and activity (when displayed in full form) will be moved from inside the gallery to outside in the park throughout the exhibition. Visitors will be encouraged to design their own multi-environment works. The show moves on after Aug. 31. Information: (213) 485-4474.

A futuristic ceramic tea pot, a Miro-esque, mythological watercolor and a wooden wall relief by Yuriko Yamaguchi--what could they have in common? Each were picked as winners in “Artquest ‘85,” a competition and exhibition now installed at Cal State Long Beach’s University Art Museum.

The works in the show, totaling 36, were chosen by eight jurors from more than 3,000 submissions in 12 media including drawing, fiber, glass, metalwork, mixed-media, oil and acrylic, photography, printmaking and sculpture. The jurors are: Kerry Brougher, Patrick H. Ela, Dextra Frankel, Lynn Gumpert, Dorothy Martinson, Robert McDonald, Anne Rorimer and Paul Schimmel.

Accompanying the exhibition is “Artquest ‘85/The Video,” featuring spoken statements and a slide view of the work of 186 additional competition finalists. Both the exhibition and video run through July 21.

Artist Mickey Kaplan is opening a cooperative gallery in New York City’s SoHo district this fall, for Los Angeles artists only. Kaplan’s current plans include 12 group shows with 10 artists each, running for 30 days. Interested artists may contact Kaplan at (213) 931-2523.