MARY JANE JACOB NAMED CHIEF CURATOR OF MOCA

Mary Jane Jacob has been named chief curator of the Museum of Contemporary Art. Jacob comes to MOCA from the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago, where she served as chief curator for six years.

In making the announcement, MOCA Director Richard Koshalek stated: “Jacob’s curatorial approach is characterized by a flexibility of interests that embraces art of all media from painting, sculpture, drawing, photography and architecture to on-site installations, performance and video, which have been consistently represented in her programs.

Jacob has also shown a great interest in work currently being generated within the various European art communities and has worked directly with such artists as Magdalena Abakanowicz, Giuseppe Penone, Rebecca Horn and Dieter Roth. Last year, she organized “Gordon Matta Clark: A Retrospective,” seen in this area at the Long Beach Museum of Art.

Wichita collectors George and Virginia Ablah have loaned two additional large-scale Henry Moore sculptures to the Century City Sculpture Garden in tribute to the artist, who died at the end of August.

All of the works in the Sculpture Walk area of the plaza between the ABC Entertainemnt Center and the Twin Towers are from the Ablah collection, whose holdings include a considerable number of Moore works.

In 1984, 25 sculptures by Moore on loan from the Ablah collection were installed throughout the public parks of New York City’s five boroughs for a year.

Of the manuscripts produced in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, the secular ones best reveal the Zeitgeist and culture of that time.

Be they historical, legal, literary or scientific texts, made for monasteries, medieval universities, aristocratic collectors or Renaissance scholars, these lavishly illuminated secular manuscripts often present their subjects in an unusual or amusing manner.

One of the most important examples of manuscripts to be added to the collection at the J. Paul Getty Museum since its 1983 acquisition of the Ludwig collection is a Model Book of Calligraphic Scripts, conceived as a showcase for the calligraphic virtuosity of Georg Bocskay, court secretary of the Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand I (1503-1564).

About 1591, Emperor Rudolf II, Ferdinand’s grandson, commissioned Georg Hoefnagel, renowned Flemish artist and the last great European illuminator of manuscripts, to illustrate each of its pages with meticulous watercolors of exotic fruit and flowers, animals and insects. Sixteen such illuminated secular manuscripts will be on view at the museum Wednesday through Jan. 4.

Strolling musicians, Mexican sweets and crafts workshops for children are offered as part of the Day of the Dead celebration today from 1-7 p.m. in UCLA’s Dickson Plaza. The festivities are held in conjunction with an exhibition titled “Vive tu Recuerdo: Living Traditions in the Mexican Days of the Dead,” at UCLA’s Museum of Cultural History, Haines Hall, through Dec. 21.

The afternoon program begins at 1 p.m., with a free public symposium featuring speakers Robert Benson, UCLA medieval historian, who will discuss the medieval origins of All Souls’ and All Saints Days; Ramon Favela, UC Santa Barbara art historian, who will explore Day of the Dead imagery found in Chicano Art, and Raymund Parades, UCLA English department, who will speak on “The Day of the Dead North of the Border.” Traditional foods will be served and their preparation demonstrated by specialists in the Mexican culinary arts. Groupo Folklorico Los Correcaminos de Cal State and Ballet Folklorico Cuicaccalli will perform dances of Mexico and folk artist Dolores Ibarra will demonstrate the making of altars commemorating this holiday.

Warm clothing and a blanket are advised for those watching outdoor performances--there are no seats. Information: (213) 825-4361.

The Craft and Folk Art Museum’s “Parade of Masks” begins next Sunday at 11:30 a.m., starting at Wilshire and Crescent Heights boulevards and marching down Wilshire to Curson Avenue. The parade is part of the annual “Festival of Masks” in Hancock Park, Saturday and next Sunday, noon to 6 p.m.

Originated in 1976, the festival is a reflection of the city’s cultural diversity, focusing on masks of many cultures. Masked performers, mask makers and vendors and authentic ethnic foods will be available at the park. Information: (213) 934-8527.

Los Angeles artists out of town: Kim Abeles holds her first solo exhibition at the I.A.R. Gallery in New York through Nov. 1.

Mineko Grimmer’s sculpture was included in a group show titled “ArtSounds” at the Nohra Haime Gallery in New York.

Joyce Treiman is exhibiting recent paintings at Fairweather Hardin Gallery in Chicago, through Nov. 1.

Ruth Weisberg’s “Cycle of Life” paintings are at the Hewlett Gallery, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, through Oct. 18; another show of her work opens Oct. 20 at the University of Tennessee.

Mariona Barkus showing works on paper at Eastern Washington University in Cheney, through Oct. 31.

Dennis Calwood’s photographs were recently exhibited in the Xalapa Gallery of the University of Vera Cruz in Mexico.

Molly Barnes will be doing an art-interview program on radio station KPFK-FM, every third Friday from 2-2:30 p.m. She will discuss topics of interest to the art community with artists, dealers, consultants, collectors and museum personnel.