ART/SNEAK PEEK : `WOLVES' FOCUSES ON LIVES OF THE YOUNG AND ALIENATED.

Stalking the concrete jungles of America, photographer Jim Goldberg found the ultimate dog-eat-dog world. During a 10-year period Goldberg shot hundreds of images of teen-age runaways, mostly in California. His depictions of the mean streets of Hollywood and San Francisco make up the bulk of ``Raised by Wolves,'' the highly disturbing multimedia exhibition that ends next weekend at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

Goldberg takes viewers into the personal lives of young people alienated from their families and largely abandoned by society. Ranging from small Polaroids to oversized photo murals, his portraits speak to such issues as child abuse, racism and prostitution without a trace of sermonizing or voyeurism. Rather, Goldberg augments his pictures with text, video, handwritten statements and personal objects belonging to the teens, allowing perspectives other than his own to shape viewers' impressions.

On Saturday, you can hear Goldberg describe how he works and answer questions in a 1 p.m. public lecture at LACMA. The lecture is free with museum admission, which is $6 for adults, $4 for seniors and students 18 and older, $1 for children and younger students, and free to children 5 and under.

LACMA is at 5905 Wilshire Blvd. For information, call [phone].

Fresh eyes

About 100 works by graduate and undergraduate students will be on view through May 29 at California State University, Northridge, as part of the college's Annual Juried Student Art Exhibition. The works are being shown in the Art Dome, at the campus, 18111 Nordhoff St., noon to 4 p.m. Monday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. Admission is free; parking is $1.75 in the student lots. For information, call [phone].

Also at CSUN through May 18 is a selection of works by students at the Optimist Youth Homes, a residential facility for ``at-risk'' L.A. youth. Titled ``Optimistart: Heaven, Hell and Hunger'' was funded through the city's Cultural Affairs Department.

Wanda Patterson, director of the youth facility's arts department, says the show offers insight into ``the lives and inner visions of at-risk youth we know only from 20-second nightly news flashes.'' It's showing in the lobby of CSUN's Performing Arts Center of the University Student Union. Admission is free.

Going to the dogs

Outraged by recent news reports of abused canines? Well, Thursday you can spruce up your interior decor while striking a blow for other species.

The western regional office of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is sponsoring its first-ever art auction, ``Humane Expressions,'' at 7 p.m. at the Los Angeles Athletic Club, 431 W. Seventh St., downtown. Dozens of animal-loving Hollywood celebs (Jack Lemmon, Laura Dern, Hector Elizondo) plan to attend the live and silent auction; proceeds will benefit the ASPCA's regional programs.

Among the 70 donated artworks are pieces by Andy Warhol and photographer Gary Franklin.

Tickets are $75 and may be purchased by calling the ASPCA at [phone].

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Photo: ``Raised by Wolves,'' at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, takes viewers into the personal lives of runaway teens alienated from their families and largely abandoned by society.