Sparks Fly at Museum Over NEA Plight : THE SCENE

The opening-night discussion at the Santa Monica Museum of Art between controversial New York artist David Wojnarowicz and his “Tongues of Flame” curator, Barry Blinderman, briefly turned into a community meeting to combat efforts to restrict National Endowment for the Arts funding. Sparks finally began to fly out of the slowly proceeding discussion when an audience member asked Wojnarowicz who the good guys were in the NEA crisis and how she could get involved and help. Soon several members of the standing-room-only audience of more than 200 were trading phone numbers for the L.A.-based Coalition for the Freedom of Expression, (213) 744-8887; a hotline to send telegrams in support of the NEA to legislators, 1-900-226-ARTS, and other groups who were working either in support of the NEA or to defeat Sen. Jesse Helms (R-N.C.) and other politicians trying to restrict government arts funding.

Candace Lee of Saxon-Lee Gallery has decided to leave the gallery as of Sept. 1. Lee, who had been on an extended maternity leave, said she will continue to work on independent art projects while devoting the majority of her time to her 8-month-old son. Meanwhile, the Beverly Boulevard gallery will be renamed the Daniel Saxon Gallery, and will open its fall exhibition schedule Sept. 7 with new paintings by Gronk.

ELSEWHERE

A recent one-week letter-writing campaign at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art generated more than 1,000 letters from museum visitors to members of Congress in support of a full and unrestricted reauthorization of the National Endowment for the Arts.

The campaign was launched as part of San Francisco’s participation in the national Festival for the Freedom of Expression. Because of the high response, the museum has decided to continue the campaign through the end of the summer.

Works produced by several local Chicano artists at East L.A.’s Self-Help Graphics can be seen in San Diego beginning Friday at the David Zapf Gallery. Included in the show, which runs through Sept. 1, are more than 25 silk-screen prints by artists including Diane Gamboa, Margaret Garcia, Gronk, Leo Limon, Frank Romero and Patssi Valdez.

DEBUTS

Abstract painter Michael Napper, who has previously shown at galleries in Santa Barbara and San Francisco, makes his Los Angeles debut with new works at the Earl McGrath Gallery on Robertson Boulevard. The show, which also features paintings by Sandow Birk, opens Tuesday (with a reception from 6-9 p.m.) and runs through Sept. 1.

ETC.

Artist Linda Macaluso, winner of a $10,000 1990-91 cultural grant through the L.A. Endowment for the Arts, was incorrectly identified in the July 22 Art World. Macaluso will use her grant to produce photographically based works for local bus shelters.