Computer Primer for Uninitiated

Calling all computer-impaired art folks! Get out your calendars and save Nov. 18. That’s the date of “Virtual Reality: Practical Tips for the Art Professional,” a daylong symposium at the Pacific Design Center.

The program, from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., is designed to serve a wide range of people involved with the arts. It will provide participants with packets of basic information on Internet browsers and connecting services, the concept behind the Internet, museum Internet addresses and listings of resources for art professionals.

The keynote speaker will be Linda Jacobson of Silicon Graphics, who calls herself a virtual reality evangelist and has compiled a hefty resume as an author and educator on digital technology. She’ll talk about opportunities offered by the Internet and how to use them.

Andrea Pappas, an adjunct professor at USC who teaches art history in cyberspace, will give a lecture on “Virtual Teaching and Art Communication.” In addition, artists will discuss computers as creative tools.

The public symposium is sponsored by ArtTable Inc., a national organization for women in the visual arts, and supported by the Getty Information Institute and the Design Center. Admission to the program, including coffee and a snack, is $50 for ArtTable members, $65 for nonmembers who enroll before Nov. 12 and $75 at the door. To register, call (310) 858-8890.

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ARTISTS AS THINKERS: Two artists are among 13 Getty Scholars for 1996-97, selected to focus on the theme “Perspectives on Los Angeles: Narratives, Images, History.” Photographer and media artist Robbert Flick, who teaches at USC, will spend the year making visual documents that reveal the history of the city and reflect concerns of its citizens. Allan Sekula, a professor at CalArts, will conduct research on a project examining the “complex identities and transformations” of the Port of Los Angeles.

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ART FOR EVERYONE: Artexpo, an unabashedly commercial trade fair--not to be confused with the more subtly commercial ART/LA, which folded its tent two years ago--is returning to the Los Angeles Convention Center after a three-year hiatus. The event, billed as “the world’s largest art marketplace,” claims to offer items to suit every budget and taste, from mass-produced posters to unique $100,000 paintings.

Hoping to pack in shoppers with its something-for-everyone approach, organizers are also trying to appeal to a discriminating fine-arts crowd. Among high-toned enticements are “IRIS 10:18,” an exhibition of digital works by 20 artists organized by Los Angeles-based artist and curator William Radawec.

The fair also has allied itself to local museums and art centers by inviting their participation in a series of lectures and seminars. Nancy Berman, director of the Skirball Cultural Center, and Mark Greenfield, director of the Watts Towers Cultural Arts Center, are among panelists for “Los Angeles--Land of Diversity,” Oct. 19 at 10:30 a.m. Tim Wride, assistant curator of photography at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, will talk about “Online Art Exhibitions,” Oct. 19 at 1 p.m.

Artexpo hours: Oct. 19, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Oct. 20, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Oct. 21, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Information: (800) 331-5706 or https://advanstar-expos.com/art on the Internet.