ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT REPORTS FROM THE TIMES, NEWS SERVICES AND THE NATION’S PRESS.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

A ‘Serious Mistake’: CBS News anchor Dan Rather apologized Wednesday for taking part in a recent Texas Democratic Party fund-raising event, in violation of CBS News’ ethical standards. “I made an embarrassing and regrettable error in judgment,” Rather said. “It was a serious mistake, which I acknowledge. . . . I am truly sorry and have apologized to . . . my colleagues at CBS.” Rather agreed to speak about the 2000 presidential election at the March 21 event, which was co-hosted by his daughter, Robin, but apparently failed to ask details about the event in advance. CBS News President Andrew Heyward said Rather won’t be disciplined, adding: “It’s not as though he is defending his actions; he was the first to say they were wrong.” Rather vowed to “do everything possible” to avoid any future questions as to “where CBS News and I stand when it comes to ethical journalistic conduct.”

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Mistaken Identity: Madrid’s Prado Museum said Wednesday that it now believes that two of its most famous paintings attributed to Francisco de Goya, “The Colossus” and “The Milkmaid of Bordeaux,” are not the work of the Spanish master. The Prado’s admission followed a recent published investigation of the works by British art historian Juliet Wilson-Bareau. “All the findings of Wilson-Bareau’s investigation, which I support, indicate that the painter [of “The Milkmaid”] was Rosario Weiss, who is said to be Goya’s daughter,” said Prado curator Manuela Mena, who heads the museum’s Goya collection. In the case of “The Colossus,” Mena said, radiography revealed another composition under the painting’s surface, suggesting it was an imitation of Goya’s style and designed to be sold. Mena said that although the works’ attribution would be changed, both paintings would stay at the Prado because they are still part of the painter’s heritage.

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Too Crowded: Santa Monica artist Alma Lopez will have to wait a little longer to find out the next step in the controversy over her digital collage “Our Lady.” Catholics have demanded that the artwork, which depicts the Virgin of Guadalupe clad only in roses and held aloft by a bare-breasted angel, be removed from a show at the state-run Museum of International Folk Art in Santa Fe, N.M. A public meeting of the museum’s governing board set to discuss the matter was canceled Wednesday because a crowd of 600 could not be accommodated in the meeting room. The meeting has been rescheduled for Monday--in a space big enough for 800.

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No Reef Picking: CBS’ “Survivor” is in trouble with Australian authorities investigating whether a contestant illegally removed coral from the Great Barrier Reef. In last week’s episode, Colby Donaldson was flown to the ecologically sensitive reef and returned with pieces of coral as souvenirs for other cast members. It is illegal to take coral from the reef without a permit. Penalties include fines of up to $52,800. “Survivor” producer Mark Burnett has apologized for Donaldson’s actions, calling it “an honest mistake which we deeply regret.”

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Prism Winners: “Traffic” picked up the Entertainment Industries Council’s annual Prism Award for feature film Wednesday night, while television winners included HBO’s “Sex and the City” and “The Corner,” NBC’s “Third Watch,” “ER” and “Days of Our Lives” and CBS’ “Cosby.” The Prism Awards, presented in partnership with the National Institute on Drug Abuse, recognize “accurate depictions” of drug, alcohol and tobacco use. NBC received a special award for its “encouraging” programming.