Gallery to Take Name of a Patron

The Art Center College of Design in Pasadena is renaming its Atrium Gallery the Alyce de Roulet Williamson Gallery in honor of the benefactor, trustee, Pasadena civic leader and founder and chairwoman of the Art Center One-Hundred scholarship support group.

The Williamson Gallery, devoted to a critical examination of art, design and culture, will be inaugurated Feb. 7 at a black-tie reception.

The works of British painter Christopher Le Brun will be featured in the opening exhibit. He will also attend the event.

AT TWELVE: There will be a midnight surprise at the 87th anniversary Bachelors Ball on Feb. 7, and the Bachelors are mum. The theme, as always, also is top secret, says ball chairman Charles F. Donnelly.

More than 800 guests--in fancy dress (not to be confused with costume )--will dance until 4 a.m. to the Ron Rubin Orchestra.

Chosen patronesses this year are Janice Carpenter, Margaret Carr, Carolyn Ludwig, Tally Mingst, Elayne Techentin and Vilma Pallette.

WATCH OUT: Thieves are in your midst, but they’re legitimate. Members of the UCLA Art Council are searching for antiques, furniture, art, jewelry, china/silver, fashion and memorabilia for their forthcoming Thieves Market ’92.

The council returns to a hangar at Santa Monica Air Center for the preview dinner March 20 and the all-day sale March 21. Co-chairs are Gloria Drexler and Helene Cooper. Connie Nagler and Lulu Epstein will plan the gala. Fern Wallace heads the auction to be conducted by Bob Abell.

Plenty of Angelenos can point to dining room tables and other prize possessions they picked up at Thieves Markets dating back to the ‘60s.

For cheery camaraderie, members attended a champagne fashion brunch at I. Magnin’s landmark store (the former Bullocks Wilshire) this month and viewed the Sonia Rykiel Collection.

HEARTBEAT: Singer Melissa Manchester should put a lot of romance into the 15th annual Heart Ball Feb. 21 at the Regent Beverly Wilshire. Meredith MacRae and Sandra McNutt-Comrie are co-chairs for the American Heart Assn./Greater Los Angeles Affiliate affair. John E. Bryson and Robert D. Smith head finances.

SPORTS: Sports bring in the funds too. RSVPs are accumulating for the fourth Frank Sinatra Celebrity Invitational Golf Tournament Feb. 28 and 29 in Palm Desert. Each year it benefits the Barbara Sinatra Children’s Center at Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage. Guests arriving for the weekend festivities at the Marriott’s Desert Springs Resort in Palm Desert will also be involved in the fashion show Barbara has planned with Saks Fifth Avenue to highlight Louis Feraud’s spring collection. Sinatra, Dean Martin and Julio Iglesias will headline a black-tie gala Feb. 29.

KUDOS: Merv Adelson and Harvey L. Silbert chaired the American Friends of Hebrew University Scopus Award gala at the Beverly Hilton Tuesday night. The event honored Israel’s Deputy Foreign Minister Benjamin Netanyahu . . . .

Vahe H. Simonian has been named to head the California Museum of Science and Industry development effort, undertaking a $100-million restoration of buildings and exhibits . . . .

SHARE (Share Happily and Reap Endlessly) members announced $100,000 raised from the annual sale of their date books . . . .

Allen Ziegler gave $100,000 to City of Hope National Medical Center . . . .

Jacqueline Gruning Dolan and Patricia Kurtz Burns, both of Pasadena and both alumnae of College of Notre Dame of Maryland, were cited for helping the college reach its $14-million capital campaign goal.

ABOUT TOWN: Fred Hayman and Betty Endo are back from Honolulu, where he was presented a silver medal by Hawaii’s Consul of Switzerland. Hayman is a Swiss native. He was in Hawaii preparing for this month’s launch of “ . . . with Love,” the fourth fragrance developed by Hayman for his landmark Rodeo Drive boutique . . . .

Nance Mitchell and Claudette Cave staged a surprise luncheon at Chasen’s to give their mother, Laura Mitchell, top billing on her 80th birthday. A former vaudeville hoofer who played the Palace, the honoree proved there was still lots of kick in a Size 4 octogenarian when she limbered up on a polka.