Entertaining Is an Art to the Fellows

Fellows of Contemporary Art certainly enjoy life. This week Fellows Joan and Fred Nicholas opened their Beverly Hills home to about 100 members to dinner by Rococo under the careful planning of Fellow Betty Faris and to meet British-born artist Alan Wood, whom several of the Fellows had met during an art tour of Seattle and Vancouver last spring.

It was the perfect opportunity to see the Nicholas’ contemporary and primitive art collection (he is chairman of the Museum of Contemporary Art’s board of trustees). After cocktails Wood showed slides of his present work, including his outdoor “Ranch” installations on the Rocky Mountain Ranch in southern Alberta, Canada. Fellows board member Gordon Hampton introduced the artist to the audience of art collectors.

Wood and his wife, Flora, have been covering the Los Angeles art scene this week, kept well-informed by Art Chester, vice chairman of the Fellows.

Talk, too, was of what’s to come. Attorney Russel I. Kully becomes new chairman. And the Fellows next underwrite Lita Albuquerque’s exhibit in Santa Monica, in keeping with their policy of underwriting exhibitions of California artists. They’ll also hear Al Nodal, newly appointed general manager of the Los Angeles Cultural Affairs Department, speak.

Suzanne Paulson, trip chairman, missed the festivities because she was in Honolulu tending to details for the Fellows’ trip to see island art, private collections and Honolulu’s new Museum of Contemporary Art; they’ll also visit with artist Billy Al Bengston.

Among those at the Wood evening: Hannah Kully, Carolyn and Bob Volk, Joan Rehnborg, Anne Lasell and Eldridge Lasell, Ginger Krueger, Billie Youngblood, Bill and Julie Masterson, Louise Brinsley, David and Cathie Partridge, Thomas and Susan Hollingsworth, Helen Epstein, Milton and Judith Stark, Vern and Marsha Bohr, Jack and Bonnie Wilke, Anne Moses, Eaton and Beverly Ballard, James and Liz Greene, Leon and Molly Lyon.

FANCY DRESS: Don’t be surprised, but the Bachelor’s Ball, which has been scheduled the week before Lent for decades, comes two days after Ash Wednesday this year due to mix-ups in hotel dates. It’s Feb. 10 at the Beverly Hilton, according to David Sargeant. First, Bob Gail’s big band will play traditional dance music for the fancy-dress affair; then Gail’s hot, wild and crazy rock band will “will rock the Bachelors till they cry for mercy.” Sounds interesting. There’s a midnight show too.

HOST: UCLA Chancellor Charles E. Young carried on alone at the dinner honoring Ambassador and Mrs. Lester B. Korn (Carolbeth) the other evening at the Regency Club. Young’s wife, Sue, canceled because of her mother’s funeral earlier that day. The Korns, who both attended UCLA, recently gave $1 million to the Anderson Graduate School of Management at UCLA. He was U.S. representative to U.N. Economic and Social Council.

Among dinner guests were John and Marion Anderson, Eugene and Maxine Rosenfeld, Bill and Keith Kieschnick, Dean J. Clayburn and Barbara La Force, Susan Rice, Vice Chancellors Alan Charles and Peter Blackman, Gary and Susan Wilson, Sue Cummings, wife of the late Ambassador to Austria Ted Cummings, Irving and Serene Felt and Courtney McIntyre.

PREVIEWS: Opening parties and previews are surrounding “Contemporary Mexican Artists,” which opens to the public Wednesday at UCLA. Monday evening Emilio Azcarraga Milmo, founder and chairman of the recently established Friends of Mexico/Amigos de Mexico, and Miguel Angel Corzo, president, host a reception.

The next evening Fisher Gallery and the Friends/Amigos host the official opening. Fisher Gallery director Selma Holo says the exhibition features 95 paintings, sculptures and photographs by 28 vital young Mexican artists working today. The exhibit continues through Feb. 18.

GALA: Michael Eisner, chairman and CEO of the Walt Disney Co., will be in the spotlight when the USC Associates stage their annual black-tie gala Feb. 28 at the Beverly Wilshire.

GALA, TOO: Caroline Leonetti Ahmanson will receive the Award of Excellence on Feb. 8 from the California Museum Foundation Advisory Board for her outstanding contributions and assistance in fostering education in science and industry. She will join previous honorees David Anderson (General Telephone), George Moody (Security Pacific), Robert Anderson (Rockwell International) and Robert O. Anderson (Arco).

Philip M. Hawley, chairman and CEO of Carter Hawley Hale Stores, is chairing the black-tie affair.