‘Fugue’: A Public Work in the Making

With city government funds available to individual artists for the first time through the L.A. Endowment, an exhibition at Cal State Northridge’s North Gallery seems timely. The exhibition, “The Fugue,” documents artist Jack Reilly’s execution and installation of a public arts commission in the city of San Diego (a steel sculptural painting on the 120-foot wall adjacent to the entrance of the County of San Diego’s new Health Services Complex).

The exhibition includes photo documentation of Reilly’s work in progress, models from the original proposal, a scaled-down version of one of the pieces, and a 30-minute video documentary of the entire process.

The North Gallery is on the college campus, 18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge. The short-lived exhibition closes on Friday.

MUSEUM MONTH: Twenty-one of San Diego’s museums and cultural institutions are joining in a month-long celebration to enhance their visibility with the public. Running today through Nov. 4, Museum Month will include several special events, exhibitions, tours and lectures.

Included in the scheduled events are: a major retrospective on Abstract Expressionist Robert Moskowitz, at the La Jolla Museum of Contemporary Art; “African Influences in the America’s,” a new exhibition at the Villa Montezuma; and “Traditional Crafts of Saudi Arabia,” with more than 200 items from the Bedouin culture, at the Museum of Man.

Other participating museums and centers include Mingei International, Museum of Photographic Arts, San Diego Museum of Art, Timken Art Gallery and Centro Cultural de la Raza.

BRASS RUBBINGS: The London Brass Rubbing Centre, with facsimiles from more than 500 medieval markers, will visit Long Beach from Saturday through Nov. 17. The Rubbing Centre will be at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, at Atlantic Avenue and 7th Street, and will be open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.

Information and reservations: (213) 437-1584.

FESTIVAL: Celebrating the rich cultural heritage and folk art traditions of the Mexican Vaqueros and their influence on the American cowboy, the 1989 Margo Albert Festival of the Arts will be held at the Plaza de la Raza Cultural Center (3540 N. Mission Road, Los Angeles) Friday through next Sunday.

The festival will feature various gallery exhibits and exhibits from various artisans displaying crafts such as rope making, saddle and leather works, utensils and other work from the period of 1800-1910.

Information: (213) 223-2475.

KUDOS: L.A. Artcore, a nonprofit visual arts organization devoted to helping emerging Los Angeles artists advance their careers, has selected Mark Moore, director of The Works galleries (Long Beach and Costa Mesa), to receive the organization’s first Award of Merit. The award will be presented during the group’s first annual Award of Merit Benefit on Oct. 29, which will also include a silent auction of works from more than 25 Los Angeles artists.

L.A. Artcore was formed nine years ago to give artists an exhibition space for their work, to create job opportunities in teaching programs and workshops, and to provide specific experience in the professional installation of exhibitions in corporate offices, community venues and L.A. Artcore’s own galleries. Honoree Moore represents more than 40 artists, including Lita Albuquerque, Peter Alexander, Billy Al Bengston, Tony Delap, Craig Kauffman, Jim Morphesis and Eric Orr.

Information about the benefit and silent auction: (213) 817-3274.

PLEIN AIR: More than 20 member artists of the Plein Air Painters of America are scheduled to paint on the streets of Avalon’s Catalina Island Oct. 13 and 14, as part of the weeklong fourth annual Plein Air Painters of America Exhibition and Sale, which begins Saturday.

Events included in the weeklong Catalina exhibition, during which the artists will travel to many parts of the island for on-location painting, include a three-day show of early California Plein Air paintings from the Fieldstone Collection (in the Casino Gallery, Oct. 13-15), and a sale of the artists’ work in the Casino Ballroom on Oct. 14.

Information: (213) 510-1148.