Faces to Watch in ’95 : We’re Counting on Them : ART

Some of them you know. Some you don’t. But the following artists, entertainers and executives have one thing in common: We’re counting on each to mae a significant impact or difference in their respective fields this year. Sure, there will be thers who make a splash, but after we talked with dozens of people who work in entertainment and the arts, these were the names mentioned most often. You might say that Jim Carrey was a face to watch in ‘94, and you would be right. But, based on “Ace Ventura,” “The Mask,” and “Dumb and Dumber,” Carrey’s ’95 should bear watching. Another pair of familiar faces--Jay Leno and David Letterman--appear on our list. Why? Haven’t we looked at these guys enough? Well, truth be told, how do you know what’s going to happen to them this year? Fame can be sooooo fleeting.

Next Director of LACMA

Last year at this time art world attention was riveted on the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, where trustees were poised to embark once again on a search for a director. Following the abrupt departure of Michael E. Shapiro, whose tumultuous tenure in the post had lasted just 11 months, the board found itself in its second search in two years.

This year, attention can no longer exactly be described as riveted--it’s hard to maintain a high pitch of curiosity for months on end--but, because the museum ranks among the majors, there’s at least some idle curiosity about who will fill the post. LACMA came close to signing Minneapolis Institute of the Arts Director Evan Maurer last fall. But sources say Maurer balked in part because different trustees gave him different versions of what they envisioned LACMA to be and the director’s role in shaping that profile.

Next?