MUSEUM GETS NEW ASSOCIATE CURATOR

The Newport Harbor Art Museum has named Anne Ayres as its new associate curator of exhibitions and collections.

She will assume her post on Jan. 2, replacing Tom Heller, organizer of the museum’s Contemporary Culture Series of performance, video and music events.

Ayres, now on the part-time faculty of USC’s department of fine arts, will be responsible for the New California Artists series and the second Newport biennial exhibition, which opens next fall.

Ayres received doctorate, master’s and bachelor’s degrees in art history from USC and was a guest curator at UCLA’s Wight Art Gallery.

“Anne’s exhibition experience and academic background will further the museum’s continuing goal to support the arts of our region,” exhibitions and collections curator Paul Schimmel said in a release.

The appointment, however, leaves the future of the Contemporary Culture series in question, although a museum spokeswoman said Heller will be retained “on a project basis” and keep his title as associate curator.

Reached at his home Tuesday, Heller told The Times that two previously announced programs--a Jan. 24 appearance by video artist Graeme Whifler and a Feb. 7 showing of a new video theater piece by Robert Wilson--will go ahead because grants were approved.

“Beyond those two,” Heller said, “I don’t know what else will be happening.”