‘L.A. Festival of Freedom’ Promotes No-Strings Arts Funding : Arts: The series of events, through July 31, is designed to further public understanding of issues affecting the National Endowment for the Arts.

A Los Angeles arts lobbying group has organized a city-wide series of performances, exhibitions and lectures as part of a nationwide effort to promote unrestricted federal arts funding and to educate the public about current issues involving the National Endowment for the Arts.

The events, organized by the Los Angeles Coalition for Freedom of Expression and dubbed the “L.A. Festival of Freedom,” will take place at such locations as the Los Angeles Theatre Center, Highways Performance Space, Long Beach Museum of Art and Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions. The festival, which runs through July 31, is part of what the lobbying group has termed “Freedom of Expression Summer” in Los Angeles.

Los Angeles joins cities throughout the nation that are all sponsoring their own Festivals of Freedom in a nationwide lobbying effort organized by the New York-based National Campaign for Freedom of Expression. Participating cities include Boston, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Chicago, Houston, San Antonio, Seattle, Cleveland, New York and Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Rather than creating a barrage of new arts events, the festival will promote existing performances and exhibitions. Audiences attending those events will be offered informational fliers, curtain speeches and freedom of expression T-shirts, buttons and posters.

A main goal of the festival will be a letter-writing campaign to Congress in support of the NEA. Here are some Los Angeles Festival of Freedom events:

THEATER/PERFORMANCE ART

Thursday-July 1: “Allegiances,” a four-day series, curated by Marcus Kuiland-Nazario, in which 19 performance artists will address political choices on issues such as AIDS, women’s reproductive rights, the family and bi-national identity (Highways Performance Space, 1651 18th St., Santa Monica, (213) 453-1755, 8:30 p.m.).

Thursday-next Saturday: Performances by Keith Antar Mason (Highways Performance Space, 1651 18th St., Santa Monica, (213) 453-1755, 8:30 p.m.).

July 6-7, 13-14 & 20-21: Performance by James Higginson pitting developed missionary influence against the native New Guinea tribal customs (Igloo, 6543 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood, (213) 962-3771, 10 p.m.).

July 13-15, 20-22 & 28-29: “Myth of Freedom 2: Ready Begin,” a new piece written and directed by William Fisher. Curtain speeches will be made before performances (Zeta Collective 929 E. 2nd St., No. 105, (213) 617-8259, 8:30 p.m.).

July 17, 19-21 & 26-28: The world premiere of controversial performance artist Holly Hughes’ “Dead Meat” (Highways Performance Space, 1651 18th St., Santa Monica, (213) 453-1755, 8:30 p.m.). The July 17 performance benefits Project 10, a Santa Monica High School program which provides counseling for both faculty and students who have questions about homosexuality.

July 22 & 29: “World Without End,” by Holly Hughes (Highways Performance Space, 1651 18th St., Santa Monica, (213) 453-1755, 8:30 p.m.).

VISUAL ART

June 28-Aug. 3: “Salvation: Portraits and Remembrance,” an installation by Mark Niblock on a gay male view of Heaven (Los Angeles Center for Photographic Studies, 1048 W. 6th St., (213) 482-3566).

June 29: Opening of “Dialogue: Prague/Los Angeles,” an exchange exhibition between L.A. and Czechoslovakian artists, which runs through August 18 (Otis/Parsons Gallery, 2401 Wilshire Blvd., (213) 251-0555, 6-9 p.m.).

FILM & VIDEO

July 20: “Obscene . . . with Merit,” a video program challenging the current restrictions of freedom of expression. Proceeds will benefit the Coalition for Freedom of Expression (EZTV, 8547 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, (213) 657-1532, 8 p.m.).

July 6-7: Screening of the Museum of Modern Art’s restored version of D.W. Griffith’s “Intolerance” (UCLA Film and Television Archive, Royce Hall, UCLA, (213) 206-8013, 7:30 p.m.).

MUSIC

July 18: Carl Stone concert sponsored by the Independent Composers’ Assn. (Zeta Collective, 929 E. 2nd St., No. 105, (213) 624-5650, 8 p.m.).

MULTI-DISCIPLINARY

June 30 & July 1: “Roaring Back,” performances, poetry readings and speakers co-sponsored by the Los Angeles chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (3136 Barkentine Road, Rancho Palos Verdes, (213) 377-3489, 1-6 p.m.).

July 22: “Eye of the Storm: Artists Challenge the Current Restrictions,” performance and visual pieces by Eric Gutierrez, Alan Pulner, Robin Podolsky, Janice Porter-Moffett, Curtis York, Linda Sibio and Ayofemi Folayan (Beyond Baroque, 681 Venice Blvd., Venice, (213) 822-3006, 8 p.m.).

LECTURES

Sunday: Lecture by artist Betye Saar (Museum of Contemporary Art Temporary Contemporary, 152 N. Central Ave., 150 S. Grand Ave., (213) 621-2766, 3 p.m.).

June 30: “Artistic Expression and Political Freedom,” featured speakers include Los Angeles Theatre Center Artistic Director Bill Bushnell, Hungarian filmmaker Gyula Gazdag, Chilean artist Francisco Letellier, Chinese-born artist Li Huai, Czechoslovakian artist Jan Urban and Ivan Kafka (Santa Monica Museum of Art, 1435 Main St., Santa Monica, (213) 399-0433, 2 p.m.).

June 30: “Implementation,” a day-long conference of the L.A. African American Arts Council including announcements about freedom of expression (Pacific Bell Headquarters, 1010 Wilshire Blvd., (213) 627-7289).

July 1: Internationally renowned video artist Bill Viola will speak on free speech in the arts and arts funding (Long Beach Museum of Art, 2300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach, (213) 439-2119, 1 p.m.).

July 8: Lecture by artist Tim Rollins (Museum of Contemporary Art, 150 S. Grand Ave., (213) 621-2766, 3 p.m.).

July 12, 19 & 26: “Connections” talks, will include discussions of arts funding (Museum of Contemporary Art, 150 S. Grand Ave., (213) 621-2766, 6:30 p.m.).