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

THE ARTS

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2 Architectural Firms Vie for LACMA Project

The architectural firms of Ateliers Jean Nouvel of Paris and OMA/AMO of Rotterdam, Netherlands, led by Rem Koolhaas, are the final contenders in a competition to design the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s projected $200-million expansion and redesign.

The museum was scheduled to announce the winning architect on Thursday, but the board of trustees and its architect selection committee narrowed the field of five finalists to two and postponed the decision to allow more time for analysis.

Steven Holl Architects of New York, Daniel Libeskind of Berlin and Morphosis of Los Angeles, led by Thom Mayne, were eliminated from the competition. The museum has not released a new date for the final announcement.

Disappointing Take on N.Y. Auction Scene

A round of New York contemporary art auctions got off to a shaky start at Phillips on Monday night. The sale of 44 works was expected to bring a total of $10.5 million to $15 million but racked up only $8.3 million.

An untitled painting of a distressed angel by Jean-Michel Basquiat commanded the top price of $783,500; it had been estimated to bring $900,000 to $1.2 million. Among pieces that failed to sell was Chris Burden’s “Samson,” a massive installation that increases pressure on the walls of a building as people pass through a turnstile. Valued at $250,000 to $350,000, the work was put up for sale by Los Angeles television writer and collector Tom Patchett.

Getty Ships Art Back

to Rightful Owners

A group of fragments from ancient Italian vases and figurines donated to the J. Paul Getty Museum between 1976 and 1983 has been returned to Italy.

The action, announced Tuesday, was the result of a seven-year international study to determine the origin and rightful ownership of the materials, which were created in the late 7th and 6th centuries BC.

Scholars determined that the Getty fragments, along with a related group at the University of Bern, Switzerland, had been taken from the site of Francavilla Marittima in Calabria. Both sets of objects have been transferred to the Archeological Museum of Sibari in Calabria.

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Key Deputy Is Hired

at O.C. Museum of Art

The Orange County Museum of Art has hired Jeb Bonner as interim deputy director of administration, a temporary position created to assist in day-to-day operations while director Naomi Vine is on medical leave, museum officials announced Tuesday.

Bonner will work part time and oversee the activities of the finance, development and operations departments, including long-range planning. He will work with acting director Elizabeth Armstrong until Vine returns.

With a master’s in business from the UCLA Graduate School of Management, Bonner served in the development department of Los Angeles’ Museum of Contemporary Art. He also was finance manager of the Long Beach Museum Art Foundation, director of finance and administration for the Los Angeles Opera Company and controller of the Center Theatre Group of Los Angeles.

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POP/ROCK

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Keys Tops List of Music Awards Nominees

The Cinderella story of Alicia Keys continues as the R&B; sensation earned five nominations Tuesday for the 29th annual American Music Awards.

The Harlem-born singer, whose debut album, “Songs in A Minor,” has been a huge commercial and critical success, will vie for the trophy for favorite pop/rock female artist (against Janet Jackson and Jennifer Lopez), favorite pop/rock new artist (against Nelly Furtado and Lifehouse) and favorite R&B;/soul album (against Jackson’s “All of Me” and the late Aaliyah’s self-titled disc).

In the favorite pop/rock album category, groups from three different parts of the music landscape with succinct album titles were nominated: “Everyday” by the Dave Matthews Band, “Survivor” by Destiny’s Child and “Celebrity” by ‘N Sync. In the pop/rock favorite male category, R&B;, rock and reggae are represented as R. Kelly, Lenny Kravitz and Shaggy contend for the honor.

The American Music Awards nominations are based on radio airplay and retail sales, while the winners are selected by the public, in the form of a survey of 20,000 people. The gala, at the Shrine Auditorium, will air on ABC Jan. 9.

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QUICK TAKES

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ABC’s 2-week-old newsmagazine, “America ‘01,” has been pulled from the schedule due to low ratings. A spokesman said that ABC News will continue to work on the program “as the network tries to find a more suitable time period.” ABC will air animated specials at 8 p.m. this Friday and bring “America’s Funniest Home Videos” back to the lineup the following week.... “The Lion King” won four NAACP Theatre Awards on Monday, the same night it walked off with seven Ovation Awards. “In Real Life,” “Behind Closed Doors” and “Fabric of a Man” each captured three NAACP honors.... CBS has ordered a full season of “The Ellen Show,” Ellen DeGeneres’ first-year sitcom.

Elaine Dutka and

Vivian LeTran