A POPULAR ENGRAVER OF 16TH-CENTURY EUROPE

“The Engravings of Giorgio Ghisi,” an exhibition organized by the Metropolitan Museum of Art and featuring 58 of the artist’s 63 prints, comes to UCLA’s Grunwald Gallery Tuesday through Nov. 3.

The exhibition presents the work of a 16th-Century Italian engraver noted for making prints after Italian paintings by Raphael, Michelangelo, Salviati, Luca Penni, Giulio Romano and Primaticcio.

Examples in the exhibition include six large engravings of prophets and sybils from the Sistine Chapel ceiling and Raphael’s “School of Athena.”

Ghisi also produced engravings depicting monuments of his native Mantua, which were distributed throughout Europe during his lifetime. His prints reflect the tastes of mid-16th-Century European society: religious subjects, classical mythology, ancient history and allegorical subjects.

More news at the Grunwald Center: James Cuno, currently assistant professor of art history at Vassar College, has been appointed director, effective in July.

Cuno was formerly assistant curator in the department of prints at the Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University, and was named acting curator of that department in 1982-83.

His primary area of research has been in 19th- and 20th-Century prints and drawings. He received his doctorate and master’s degree in fine arts from Harvard, a master’s degree in the history of art from the University of Oregon and a bachelor’s degree in history from Willamette University. Cuno was also awarded a 1977-78 Kress Fellowship and a 1981-82 fellowship from the Swann Foundation.

Forty-one artists have donated works to the Long Beach Museum of Art Foundation for a fund-raiser to benefit the museum, tonight at 7 at the Works Gallery in Long Beach. Tickets, including a raffle, are available at $50 per person. The first winner receives 15 works; the second, 10; the third, 6; and fourth and fifth winners each get 5.

Among the participating artists are Larry Bell, Ron Cooper, Frank Dixon, Lita Albuquerque, Eric Orr, Peter Alexander, Jake Gilson, Sue Ann Robinson, John Sanders, Patrick Mohr, Christopher Schumaker, Ray Bravo, Hoon Kwak, Jeanine Breaker, Dan McCleary, Michiel Daniel and Tony DeLap. Information: (213) 439-2119 or 439-0268.

“Friends of the Los Angeles River” by poet and performance artist Lewis Mac Adams ends the third program of the “Angel’s Flight” series of performances, tonight at 8.

Presented by MOCA and Pipeline at the Wallenboyd Theater downtown, the performance combining art, magic, politics, poetry and journalism is designed to inspire others to join in the artist’s quest to bring the river back to life.

On Friday, Saturday and next Sunday in the next presentation of the “Angel’s Flight” series, actress Tina Preston presents the premiere of “Activated Culture,” a visual and vocal performance work created in collaboration with composer Don Preston. Her award-winning solo performance of “Don’t You Ever Call Me Anything but Mother,” written and directed by playwright/performer John O’Keefe, will also be on the program. For information and reservations, call (213) 629-2205.

About 20 paintings from the folk art collection of Peter Tillou will be on view Oct. 2 and 3 at Sotheby’s, 308 N. Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. The Tillou collection of American folk paintings will be sold at auction by Sotheby’s in New York on Oct. 26, consisting of 97 lots and including works by Ammi Phillips, William Matthew Prior and John Brewster Jr.

George Herms has agreed to produce a limited-edition print to be given to each person attending the fund-raiser for the Orange County Center for Contemporary Art. The Oct. 5 evening event offers an auction, a raffle whose winner acquires an instant art collection and a host of door prizes.

Dustin Schuler will act as auctioneer. Information: (714) 549-4989.