7 Days in the Arts

16Saturday

Casablanca-born, New York-based artist Jacob El Hanani will be on hand for the artist reception celebrating his latest exhibit at Mark Moore Gallery in Bergamot Station. El Hanani’s intimate, abstract drawings, which have been collected in 25 American museums, often involve small, complex networks of lines and repeated symbols. 5 p.m. Exhibit runs through Oct. 28. 2525 Michigan Ave., Santa Monica. For more information, call (310) 453-3031.

17Sunday

Jane Seymour and Jon Voight host a twilight piano concert tonight to benefit Israel’s Assaf Harofeh Medical Center. The garden concert evening, titled “From Shadow to Light,” features the twin pianos of Mona Golabek and her sister, Renee Golabek-Kaye. Celebrated host Monty Hall will be master of ceremonies for this evening of dining and entertainment at the home of philanthropists Daphna and Richard Ziman. Assaf Harofeh Medical Center supports the largest trauma center in the Middle East, serving many of the poorest communities in Israel. Tickets to the event, which will be limited to 150 persons, begin at $300 each and may be obtained from the organizing committee at (310) 275-2985.

18Monday

FirstStage Theatre presents “Meat” by playwright Glenn Hopkins, the latest in the theater’s weekly Monday night staged readings of new work. Love, politics, homophobia and hostage-taking are all addressed in this modernized interpretation of the complex, dramatic Biblical struggle between King Saul and his eventual successor, David. $5. 7 p.m. 6817 Franklin Ave., Hollywood. For more information, call (323) 850-6271.

19Tuesday

“Jew Boy” is Alan Kaufman’s memoir of growing up the American-born child of a Holocaust survivor, an exploration of that guilt and confusion as well as an adventurous tale of his quest for freedom from that legacy. Kaufman will discuss and sign copies of the book tonight at the Jewish Community Library of Los Angeles. In addition to his critically praised book, Kaufman is the founder and editor of the magazine Davka: Jewish Cultural Revolution, and the editor of the “Outlaw Bible of American Poetry” anthology. 7 p.m.-9 p.m. 6006 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. For reservations or more information, call (323) 761-8648 or e-mail info@jclla.org.

20Wednesday

Art historian, critic and curator Alicia Haber will deliver a lecture tonight at the Skirball Cultural Center on the integration of Latin American culture with the search for Jewish identity. The lecture is in conjunction with upcoming exhibitions of the work of Jewish Uruguayan artist Jose Gurvich. Born in Lithuania and raised in Uruguay, Gurvich was an active artist of the constructivist movement before traveling to Israel in 1955 to work on a kibbutz and explore his Jewish heritage. That experience increased the importance of Jewish subject matter in his art, which will be on view starting Sept. 22 at the Museum of Latin American Art in Long Beach, and on Sept. 26 at the Skirball Cultural Center. Lecture tonight, 7:30 p.m. 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles. For reservations or more information, call the Museum of Latin American Art at (562) 437-1689.

21Thursday

The women artists’ collective known as Mother Art was active from 1974-1986, with members including Deborah Krall, Suzanne Siegel and Laura Silagi. Founded to address the issue of artists as mothers, the group is best known for its “Laundry Works” series of performances in Los Angeles Laundromats. A Shenere Velt Gallery of the Workmen’s Circle/Arbeter Ring presents “Revisiting Mother Art,” a survey of the collective’s work featuring photographs, documentation and a new installation titled “Aging Gracefully.” Mon.-Fri., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and by appointment. Through Oct. 29. Opening reception for the artists, Sun., Sept. 17, 3 p.m.-5 p.m. 1525 S. Robertson Blvd., Los Angeles. For more information, call (310) 552-2007.

22Friday

Time to head back to the Skirball for the closing night celebration of the Cool Art 2000 exhibit of Theatre of Hearts/Youth First. Over 200 pieces of art created by Los Angeles-area youth will be on sale during the event, hosted by Emmy-winning actress Beah Richards. In addition to the fine art of the students, the evening’s entertainment will include Octavio Figueroa Salsa Band and a tribute to filmmaker Jonathan Demme. $100. 7 p.m. Ruby Gallery, 2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Los Angeles. For more information, call (310) 201-5033.