GOINGS ON : Emotions Abound in Art About AIDS : Exhibition in Santa Barbara shows how different artists react to the subject. Often the reaction is emotional.

Few issues bring out such intense emotions as the AIDS epidemic. And there are few mediums that can express those feelings the way art can.

“From Media to Metaphor: Art About AIDS,” on display at Santa Barbara’s Contemporary Arts Forum, does just that, with a collection of about 60 paintings, sculptures, photos and other media, illustrating artists’ varied responses to AIDS.

“The topic is very intense, but it’s very interesting to see how each artist reacts,” said Rita Ferri, assistant director of CAF. “There’s everything from tender, endearing, sensitive pieces to very angry pieces.”

In a related exhibit, “Personal Histories: AIDS in the Tri-Counties,” CAF is displaying the artistic responses to AIDS submitted by the general public.

Both exhibits will be shown through Dec. 23. CAF is on the second level of the Paseo Nuevo shopping center at Chapala and De La Guerra streets. Hours are Tuesdays to Saturdays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call 966-5373 for more information.

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It’s theater, theater everywhere tonight in Santa Barbara as three theatrical companies raise the curtains on some new shows:

Broadway actor Steve Vinovich stars in the Pasadena Playhouse production of “The Foreigner,” opening tonight at the Lobero Theatre. As the title character, Vinovich plays a shy man pretending to be a foreigner to avoid interacting with people. Thanks to this unassuming disguise, the foreigner is let in on people’s deepest secrets.

Running through Dec. 5, the show will be Thursdays through Saturdays at 8 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. There will be no Thanksgiving performance, but a show has been added Nov. 21 at 7 p.m.

Tickets are $24.50 for preview performances (tonight through Sunday), $28.50 (all other shows). Tonight’s admission price will benefit DANCE (Drug Alternative Nights and Counseling Events). Call 963-0761. The Lobero is at 33 E. Canon Perdido Road.

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“The Runner Stumbles” will continue through Nov. 21 and pick up again Dec. 1-11. Show times are Wednesdays-Saturdays 8 p.m., Sundays 2 p.m. Tickets for tonight’s preview show are $8. Tickets for all other performances are $12-14. Call 965-5935. The theater is at the west end of the campus on the 800 block of Cliff Drive.

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The Santa Barbara Civic Light Opera will present longtime favorite “Peter Pan” tonight through Dec. 19 at the Granada Theatre, 1216 State St. Show times are Wednesdays-Saturdays at 8 p.m., Sundays at 7 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays at 2 p.m. There will be an additional show Dec. 7 at 3 p.m. Tickets are $18-29.50 (general) and $9-13.75 (children). Call 966-2324.

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Isaiah Jackson, music director of the Dayton Philharmonic, will lead the Santa Barbara Symphony in concert Saturday and Sunday at the Arlington Theatre. The program will include William Grant Still’s “Poem,” Dvorak’s Symphony No. 9, and Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No. 3. The latter piece will showcase the talent of 35-year-old pianist Abdel Rahman el Bacha, winner of the top prize at the Paris Conservatoire for Piano and Chamber Music. Tickets range from $10-$32. Call 963-4408. The Arlington is at 1317 State St.

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Best-selling author James Gleick will read from his book, “Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman,” tonight at the UCSB’s Isla Vista Theater. Gleick, author of the 1987 best seller “Chaos,” will also discuss the life of the renowned physicist.

Feynman, who died in 1990, won the Nobel Prize in 1965 for his theory of quantum electrodynamics. He also played a key role in the Manhattan Project, which created the first atomic bomb.

The presentation will begin at 8 p.m. Admission is free. Call 893-3535 for more information.

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In keeping with the physics theme, the film “Mindwalk” will be shown Sunday at 7 p.m. in the university’s Campbell Hall. The movie centers around the chance meeting of a physicist, a poet and a politician, and their discussions of life. It stars Liv Ullmann, Sam Waterston and John Heard. General admission is $5.

On Monday, best-selling author Fritjof Capra, co-writer of the screenplay for “Mindwalk,” will discuss “Deep Ecology: A New Paradigm,” beginning at 8 p.m. at Campbell Hall. Capra will discuss global problems harmful to life on Earth and his proposed radical solution to them. General admission is $5. Call 893-3535.

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Westmont College will unveil its third annual “Un Ange Passe--An Angel Passes” exhibit Monday at the college’s Reynolds Gallery. The artwork--on the subjects of angels, spiritual revelations and related themes--will run through Dec. 16. There will be an opening reception for the artists Monday at 4 p.m. The Gallery is open 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, but call 565-6162 for special holiday hours. The college is located at 955 La Paz Road, Santa Barbara.

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Fund-raiser: Being a nonprofit organization, the Santa Barbara International Film Festival depends heavily on private donations and fund-raising events. Not coincidentally, one of those events will be the Steel Threads jewelry and clothing sale Saturday at El Encanto Hotel. Los Angeles designer Natalie will be on hand. Call 687-5000 to RSVP. The hotel is located at 1900 Lasuen Road in Santa Barbara. By the way, the ninth annual film festival is set for March 4 to March 13, 1994.