Mark Your Calendar: Weekend Art Openings and Events

A few things on my radar this weekend:

Friday, May 1

* The Den, the brand-new lounge at the fabulous Fox Theater, hosts its inaugural "First Friday" Poster Art Party featuring gigposters from Jason Munn of The Small Stakes and Lil' Tuffy. The party (complete with drink specials and posters for sale) runs from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. The Den is located at 1912 Telegraph Ave. at 19th St. in Uptown Oakland.

* Old Oakland's FiveTen Studio presents The Home Show, a group exhibition featuring work from Modesto Covarrubias, Miriam Fagan, Linda Braz, Glenna Alee, Elyse Hochstadt, and Dave Higgins. The opening reception runs from 6 to 9 p.m., and the show will be up through May 30. FiveTen Studio is located at 831 Broadway at 9th.

* From 7 to 10 p.m., 21 Grand hosts its 9th Annual Art Sale featuring more than 100 affordable pieces from a dizzying array of local artists. (If you can't make it tonight, the sale continues Saturday and Sunday from 2 to 6 p.m.) 21 Grand is located at 416 25th St. near Broadway in Uptown Oakland.

* Over in San Francisco, Rare Device unveils Rachel Denny's Out of the Woods, showcasing the Portland artist's textile taxidermy and other sculptural pieces. The opening reception is from 7 to 9 p.m., and the show will be up until June 2. Rare Device is located at 1845 Market St. near Guerrero.

Saturday, May 2

*After you hit the Modern Economy Sale at Fort Mason Saturday morning, swing over to the other side of the City for the Dogpatch and Bayview Artists Spring Open Studios, which runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Artists Annie Galvin and Eric Rewitzer and ceramist Diana Fayt will open their doors for studio tours, art previews, and light refreshments. Galvin and Rewitzer's 3 Fish Studios is located at 610 22nd St. #243 at Illinois, and Fayt's space is at 1044 Revere Ave. #B29 at Griffith.

* Close out the day at Needles + Pens for the opening of You've Got Light in Your Eyes, a group show curated by art blogger extraordinaire Meighan O'Toole of My Love for You is a Stampede of Horses and featuring work from 1911, Kate Bingaman Burt, Jill Bliss, Will Bryant, Kime Buzzelli, John Casey, Lisa Congdon, Liam Devowski, Bill Dunlap, Kenn Goodall, Maxwell Loren Holyoke-Hirsch, Know Hope, Olivia Jeffries, Aidan Koch, Ashley Lande Brown, Jeremiah Maddock, Leslie Martinez, Terri Olsen Von Schaub, Mike Perry, Shannon Rankin, and Dan Szymanowski. The opening reception runs from 6 to 9:30 p.m., and the show will be up through June 28. Needles + Pens is located at 3253 16th St. at Guerrero.

* P.S. Don't forget that Saturday is World Naked Gardening Day! And Sunday is, of course, the Alameda Flea Market.

Have fun!

Mark Your Calendar: Audiowood at FiveTen Studio

Here's one for the boys and any other audio enthusiasts who may be out there reading: This Saturday, Old Oakland's FiveTen Studio is hosting a showcase for Audiowood turntables and other cutting-edge, sustainably produced, high-efficiency, and low-power audio components.

Handmade by Oakland carpenter Joel Scilley (who also happens to have a bachelor's degree in art history, a masters in cultural studies, and a Ph.D. in media studies), Audiowood turntables are crafted from reclaimed or sustainably grown timber and fitted with Origin Live DC motor controllers, Teres platter bearings, and Origin Live/Rega arms. (Scilley can custom build or retrofit vintage tables to your specifications, too.)

In addition to Audiowood designs, you can also check out speakers and other components from Glow, King Rex, Red Dragon, and more.

The showcase, complete with refreshments and vintage record spinning courtesy of Oakland's Funky Soul Stop, runs from 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday, March 14, at FiveTen Studio, 831 Broadway at Ninth in Oakland.

Check out the entire Audiowood collection right here.

Mark Your Calendar: Your Weekend of Art, Shopping, and Valentine's Day Preparations

Bay Area locals: Get your arting pants on and don your best shopping shoes for a weekend of fun art- and design-related happenings.

Friday night, February 6, is, of course, the Oakland Art Murmur. Among the highlights this month:

Emily Wick (whose popular State Mottos prints were featured here recently) and her boyfriend, artist Brian Brooks, are opening a new gallery in the Temescal District called Smokey's Tangle (named after the couple's imaginary cat). Stop by Friday from 7 to 9 p.m. for the grand-opening reception and show featuring work from Wick, Brooks, and others. Smokey's Tangle is located at 4709 Telegraph Ave.

Lena Reynoso brings her Forty Four Presidents portraits to Blankspace Gallery. The show explores "the visual impact of our corpus of Presidents ... and the presentation and representation of our Nation’s past and our future." Blankspace is located at 6608 San Pablo Ave.

Creative Growth Gallery, which supports artists with disabilities, hosts a group show from longtime program artists Kerri Damianakes, John Martin, Ron Veasey, and George Wilson. Creative Growth is located at 355 24th St.

Fort Gallery, which has taken over the cavernous space recently vacated by Esteban Sabar, will hold an opening reception from 6 to 10 p.m. for Future Winter, a group show from Christopher Murdoch, Emily Goldstein, Miko Isla, and others. Fort is located at 480 23rd St.

Front Gallery hosts a reception from 7 to 10 p.m. for the group show Aftersight, featuring artitsts Francesca Pera, Rocky Angel, and Carolyn Haydu. Aftersight "examines the effect of extraordinary personal events and how they ... are never fully put aside but but always linger just under the surface of our everyday lives." Front Gallery is located at 35 Grand Ave.

At Old Oakland's FiveTen Studio, mother-and-daughter artists Rosa De Anda and Lila Maes De Anda unveil their joint show, The Challenge. The cross-generational collaboration features Ollin, "large-scale wings reborn from recycled lath discarded from San Francisco Victorian homes," and Shattered Not Broken, "small-scale hearts made from recycled glass found in dark alleys and bus shelters, on the side of church steeples, and under worn-out stools in bars. The selected pieces are about the spiritual journey and individual responsibility in healing one's heart." FiveTen Studio is located at 831 Broadway.

If you're across the Bay on Saturday, February 7, check out GetLocalSF's We Heart the Mission Midwinter Stroll from noon until night. Hip shops such as BellJar (where everything will be 10 percent off), the Curiosity Shoppe (also offering 10 percent off almost everything), Candystore, Paxton Gate, and Rare Device (which will be offering 20 percent off) will host special sales and other in-store events during the Stroll. Find a map of participating merchants here.

One special event not to miss in the Mission Saturday afternoon: Lea Redmond's World's Smallest Postal Service. Redmond will set up her lilliputian mobile office at the Curiosity Shoppe from 2 to 5 p.m. and turn out the sweetest, smallest Valentine's love letters imaginable for $8 apiece. (Not in the area? Never fear -- you can order a tiny letter or card online.)

Also on hand at the Shoppe will be PodPost's Jennie Hinchcliff and Carolee Gilligan, who will have an array of Valentine's Day and mail-friendly goodies for sale. The Curiosity Shoppe is located at 855 Valencia St.

Have fun out there, kids.

Mark Your Calendar: Art and Handmade Holiday Events

Since a majority of the respondents to my poll on local events posts seem to enjoy -- or at least not mind -- reading about Bay Area happenings, here's another roundup of weekend shopping and art events:

French-flavored Old Oakland boutique Mignonne (that's the shop's beautiful window display at top) is holding its third annual Holiday Party and Sale this evening -- Thursday, December 11 -- from 5 to 9 p.m. There will be wine, music, and raffle prizes. Plus, everything in the store except original art will be 30 percent off during the shindig, and gift-wrapping is free. Local fine-art photographer Valerie J. Cochran (above) and ceramist Whitney Smith will be in attendance to show off their work. Mignonne is located at 1000 Jefferson St.

Whitney is one busy party girl tonight, because she's also making an appearance at the Fourth & Clay Holiday Party alongside Diana Fayt, Rae Dunn, Christa Assad, and Josie Jurczenia. The celebration and sale runs from 6 to 11 p.m. at 2390 "C" Fourth St. in Berkeley. (If you can't make it, the clay babes will be holding another Studio Sale -- details here -- this Saturday and Sunday.)

Friday evening, December 12, from 5 to 9 p.m., West Berkeley's Relish at Home hosts a Holiday Trunk Show for jewelry designer Molly M. I'm not normally big on jewelry, but Molly's laser-cut designs are gorgeous, aren't they? Maybe she'll introduce a line of housewares at some point ... What's more, everything in the shop is 10 percent off during the event. Relish at Home is located at 2703 Seventh St. #112.

On Saturday, December 13, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Feria Urbana takes place at Oakland's Pizzaiolo restaurant (5008 Telegraph Ave. in the Temescal District). On offer will be clothing, jewelry, ceramics, home accessories, artwork, fashion accessories, baby items, and more from dozens of local designers. (While you're there, grab a slice of Pizzaiolo's fresh buttered toast with Blue Chair jam and a steaming mug of Blue Bottle Coffee. Yum!)

On Saturday and Sunday, December 13 and 14, from noon to 4 p.m., Emeryville potter Sara Paloma is holding a Holiday Studio Sale in her space at 4333 Holden St. #54. She'll have fresh stock of her iconic stoneware bottles as well as her fabulous new nesting bowls (above). And don't miss Paloma's "seconds" shelf for budget-friendly deals on slightly less-than-perfect pottery.

Also Saturday and Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., West Oakland's 56,000-square-foot Crucible holds its annual Holiday Gifty Art Sale & Open House. The sale features housewares, pottery, sculpture, art glass, clothing, jewelry, and other giftable items from more than 70 local artisans. There will be fire performers, stiltwalkers, circus clowns, a visit from Santa, refreshments and assorted holiday treats, as well as glass blowing, metal casting, and blacksmithing demonstrations, too. The Crucible is located at 1260 Seventh St.

Saturday evening, from 5 to 10 p.m., swing by Rowan Morrison Gallery for the RoMoLoCo Show. There will be affordable original works and prints from more than 30 local artists, plus 10 to 40 percent off Rowan Morrison's stock of art books and papergoods. If you can't make the RoMoLoCo opening party, available works will be on display through December 24. (Pssst -- Sunday, December 14 will also see the release of a new, limited-edition stencil print from Adam5100, available exclusively at Rowan Morrison.) The shop and gallery is located at 330 40th St. in Oakland.

Also Saturday night, from 6 to 9 p.m.: The opening reception for FiveTen Studio's Bailout, a "recession-proof" exhibit featuring work from 18 established and emerging local artists, all priced under $400. Bailout will be up in the gallery through December 30. FiveTen Studio is located at 831 Broadway in Old Oakland.

Finally, on Sunday night, December 14, Uptown Oakland's favorite punk rock dive bar, the Stork Club, hosts the Holi-DIY bash starting at 8 p.m. Indie vendors will be on hand, and live music and a burlesque show round out the offerings. The Stork Club is located at 2330 Telegraph Ave.

Enjoy!

(P.S. If you're on the other side of the Bay, there are a bunch of fun weekend events happening in San Francisco as well, including Trish Grantham at Rare Device, Christine Schmidt at Candystore, and the Mission District Holiday Block Party. Head on over to sfgirlbybay to get the deets on those from Ms. Victoria.)

Mark Your Calendar: Art Steals and Other Great Deals (Plus, Fire!)

Loads of fun stuff happening in the East Bay this weekend for any locals who may be reading:

Friday night, September 5, is the monthly Oakland Art Murmur. A few gallery openings worth checking out:

Everybody Get Up: The Poor Man's Art Show runs from September 5 through 26 at the Rock Paper Scissors Collective. It features over 100 pieces of original art on cardboard, with nothing priced over $50.

At Johansson Projects, Outpost showcases the work of David Hamill and Jeff Konigsberg, which "probes the imaginary and illusory properties of architecture."

Swarm Gallery hosts an opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m. for Casey Jex Smith's Materials Unorganized, which strives to "create a visual narrative of spiritual experience."

While you're there, pick up a copy of Dan Nelson's limited-edition All Known Metal Bands ($22), which is exactly what it sounds like and is the latest offering from the irony-laced McSweeney's publishing empire.

At Rowan Morrison, L.A. artist Seth Armstrong's solo show, Where So Ever You May Go, features narrative paintings that "mix a personal family history with the exploits of marauding masked men." (Update: Rowan Morrison won't actually be open Friday night, but you can see the new show there during regular business hours: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays.)

Horror Vacuuim at WELL consists of solo pieces from Jeff Roysdon and Mats!?, as well as "improvisational collaborations with disastrously successful consequences," and promises to "give your retinas a serious work-out. Optical Electro-Shock Treatment."

As always, the Murmur runs from 6 p.m. until about 10.

(Note: I just read on OakBook that Esteban Sabar Gallery has closed. I know that Sabar himself was somewhat controversial among his Art Murmur peers, and I didn't always love the shows at his gallery -- though I did like many of them. Still, I'm sad to see him go, and sad to see any high-profile gallery in Oakland's burgeoning Uptown area shuttered.)

Also in Oakland Friday evening: Red Cake Gallery's Autumn Open House, featuring affordable new paintings by Allen Stickel (above) and others. Email for reservations and directions.

Finally, Old Oakland's FiveTen Studio will hold an opening reception from 6 to 9 p.m. for Inseparability, a new show with work from Zoe Blackwell (above), Christine Kesler, Brooke Inman, and several other participating artists.

The shops on Berkeley's Fourth Street are having their annual Sidewalk Sale on Saturday, September 6, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Discounted wares from the splendid-but-spendy Gardener, for instance, will be 40 percent off.

Also on Saturday, West Oakland's fiery Crucible hosts its annual, free Fall Open House from noon to 6 p.m. Come check out the fire-arts organization's 56,000-square-foot studio and see artwork from Crucible students and staff; fire, music, and dance performances; a metal pour in the foundry; and welding, glass working, metal casting, and blacksmithing demonstrations.

If you're hungry, don't miss the Green Potluck from 1 to 4 p.m. at Old Oakland boutique Mignonne. Food from B Restaurant, Tamarindo Antojeria, G.B. Ratto & Co., and Sweet Adeline Bakeshop will be provided -- you simply choose from the shop's selection of lovely vintage tableware on which to enjoy the goodies. Once you're done chowing down, you'll get 25 percent off the dishes you used.

Mark Your Calendar: First Friday Openings

Looks like another great collection of gallery shows at this month's Oakland Art Murmur, Friday, August 1, from 6 p.m. to 9-ish:

* The second anniversary party at Industrielle, featuring new work from Sita Rupe (top) and others

* The Sum of Its Parts, with art by Laura Ball (above) and seven other artists, at Swarm Gallery

* Radialvedic, with contributions from Kristina Lewis, Jill Gallenstein, and Kana Tanaka, at Johansson Projects

* Cityscapes, with images from a variety of fine art photographers, at Rock Paper Scissors

* A Sacred Subject, featuring work from Clay Cahoon, Hunter Mack, and Rocky Rische-Baird (above), at Esteban Sabar

* A.K.A. Graffiti, with Peeta and others, at FiveTen Studio

* Audrey Welch's Random Thoughts at WELL

You can find more info about the Art Murmur right here.