EAST COAST EDGES WEST IN ANNUAL NEA DERBY

California artists received over one-fifth of all the grants given this year by the National Endowment for the Arts, a significant rise in percentage over previous years.

NEA grants totaling over $2 million were parceled out to 232 artists. Californians took 48 and 64 went to New York artists with the remaining 120 spread through the other states.

Two of the largest awards of $25,000 went to Los Angeles artists Carl Cheng and Robert Heinecken. Other heavy money recipients were Betty Woodman of Boulder, Colo., and Ronald Bladen of New York. Most other awards were for $15,000 and $5,000.

Californians receiving $15,000 grants are Kenneth Capps, Carlsbad; John Cederquist, Capistrano Beach; Lia Cook, Berkeley; Michael Davis, San Pedro; Lillian Elliott/Patricia Hickman, Berkeley; Bella Feldman, Berkeley; Viola Frey, Oakland; John Gillen, Culver City; Michael McMillen, Santa Monica; Ron Nagle, San Francisco; Helen Pashgian, Pasadena; Narcissus Quagliata, San Fancisco; Roland Reiss, Claremont; John Roloff, Oakland; Adrian Saxe, Los Angeles; George Stone, Venice; Eugene Sturman, Venice; Peter Voulkos, Oakland; Robert Wilhite, Los Angeles, and Connie Zehr, Claremont.

In the $5,000 category, California recipients are John Abduljaami, Oakland; David Avalos, San Diego; Lisa Bloomfield, Los Angeles; Glenn Brill, Oakland; Candice Carson, Berkeley; Helen Cohen, Groveland; Janet Delaney, San Francisco; Betty Tsou Fong, Los Angeles; John Frame, Los Angeles; Thomasin Grim, Berkeley; Mineko Grimmer, Los Angeles; Ken Light, Vallejo; Larry Lippold, San Francisco; Wendy Maruyama, Oakland; Nancy Monk, Pasadena; Kristin Peterson, Emeryville; Brian Ransom, Claremont; Eileen Senner, Venice; Sheryl Simons, Oakland; Joseph Squier, Alameda; Coleen Sterritt, Los Angeles; Larry Sultan, Greenbrae; Connie Utterback, Los Angeles; Stanton Welsh, Oakland; Stanley Wilson, Los Angeles, and Ann Wulff, Sacramento.

To obtain guidelines for 1987-88 fellowships, write to Visual Arts Program/Fellowship Guidelines, National Endowment for the Arts, 1100 Pennsylvania Ave. N.W., Washington 20506, or call (202) 682-5448.

A final Wednesday noon art film series begins this Wednesday at Crocker Center with screenings of “L.A.--As Suggested by the Work of Edward Ruscha” and “Lee Krasner--The Long View.” The eight-week series runs through Dec. 17 and is sponsored by the California International Arts Foundation.

New projects on the foundation’s agenda include the “1987 Los Angeles Artists Calendar,” the first of an annual publication. Artists Lita Albuquerque, Richard Diebenkorn, David Hockney, Don Bachardy, Alexis Smith, Sam Francis and Billy Al Bengston are among 26 painters and sculptors featured.

Each artist is represented by a reproduction of his or her work, a brief biography and a photographic portrait by Jim McHugh.

A new Federal Building under construction in Long Beach will be festooned with original works of art selected by the General Services Administration’s Art in Architecture Program in Washington. Artists interested in being considered for the project can submit slides of both two- and three-dimensional work to the GSA. The eight-story office building, designed by Dvorsky and Associates, is slated for completion in 1989.

Artworks are purchased for federal structures based on 1% of the buildings cost and are selected by a jury of art professionals. Submitted slides will be kept on file for consideration for placement in future federal structures.

Applicants should send no more than 20 slides and a resume in a envelope marked “Long Beach Project” to Marilyn Farley, Art and Architecture Program, General Services Administration, Washington 20405. Deadline is Oct. 31. For more information, call Lindsey Shields or Mary Sullivan at the Public Corporation for the Arts in Long Beach, (213) 432-8708.

A panel called “What’s New? Arts in Downtown L.A.” will assemble six directors of major cultural organizations Wednesday at 12:30 p.m. at the Los Angeles Theatre Center, 514 S. Spring St.

Caroline Leonetti Ahmanson will start the program with a history on the arts in the downtown area, followed by a discussion with Richard Koshalek, Museum of Contemporary Art; Robert J. Fitzpatrick, Los Angeles Festival; Peter Hemmings, Music Center Opera Association; Bill Bushnell, Los Angeles Theatre Center; and Doris Bergman, Embassy Theatres.

The meeting is sponsored by the Los Angeles Downtowners, a volunteer organization. Admission to the panel and to a buffet luncheon preceding the discussion is $20 for non-members and $18 for members. For reservations, contact Kathy Laumer at (213) 627-2220.