Have a lovely long holiday weekend, everyone! I'll see you back here on Monday.
P.S. If you're local, don't miss Evan B. Harris and Alisha Wessler's new show, Back Channels, opening tonight at Johansson Projects as part of the monthly Oakland Art Murmur.
A trio of great art events happening in San Francisco Friday night:
* Artists Annie Galvin and Eric Rewitzer, ceramist Diana Fayt, furniture maker Brad Boggie, and jewelry designer Cheryl Freeman showcase new pieces during their Renegade Preview Party from 5 to 9 p.m. at 3 Fish Studios in Dogpatch.
* Alexis Mackenzie's Never Be Sad debuts at Park Life in the Richmond District. The opening reception runs from 7 to 10 p.m., and the show will be up through July 27.
* Battle Royal -- a group show featuring Julian Callos, Anthony Clarkson, Joshua Clay, Patrick Gannon, Gene Guynn, Walt Hall, Martin Hsu, Aaron Jasinski, Marcus Schafer, and Jeremy Tinder -- opens with a reception from 7 to 10 p.m. at Gallery 1988 in Polk Gulch. The show will be up through July 18.
Have fun!
Heads up, locals: There's tons of great stuff going on in the Bay Area this weekend.
Friday, July 17
* Learn more about Italy's Alessi housewares at the first Summer Design Series presentation at Old Oakland's Entrez! Open House from 5 to 7 p.m. Alessi wares will be 10 percent off during the event, a Michael Graves tea kettle will be raffled off, and drinks and snacks will be served. RSVPs are required.
* Stop by the opening reception for Alex Rosmarin's A Daily Operation at Oakland's Cricket Engine Gallery from 7 to 9 p.m. The show will be up through July 26.
* Get your pyro on at the Crucible's ninth annual Fire Arts Festival. There will be ten acres of interactive fire art, performances, live music, and the largest collection of outdoor fire sculpture on the West Coast. The fiery spectacle runs from 8 p.m. to midnight on Friday, and wraps up at the same time on Saturday night. Tickets are $35 to $50.
* If you're in San Francisco this evening, join the Flower Weaving Workshop with Cathy of California at the Curiosity Shoppe from 5 to 7 p.m.
* While you're there, don't miss Lisa Congdon and Mati McDonough's pretty Little Pink Houses in the Curiosity Shoppe's gallery space. The show will be up through July 31.
* Swing by Congdon's own shop, Rare Device, over the weekend to check out its new art exhibit. The Buddy System: A Conversation in Art was curated by Little Paper Planes' Kelly Lynn Jones, and features work from Aline Cautis, Caitlin Gallupe, Clare Grill, Matt Momchilov, Bridget Moser, Nathaniel Russell, David Wilson, and Jess Wheaton. The show will be up through August 30.
* Kill two birds with one stone at the Mission's BellJar, where you can mingle at the opening reception for Ian Huebert's The Shape of Content from 6 to 9 p.m. and shop the store's Summertime Sale. Huebert's show will be up through August 11, and the sale lasts through July 23.
* Stroll down the street to see Ocean + Beach at Needles + Pens, featuring work from Charlie Callahan, Jeff Canham, Misha Capecchi, Alberto Cuadros, Amy Jo Diaz, Kyle Field, Christopher Gentile, Rachel Kaye, Jeffrey Manson, Aaron Mason, John McCambridge, Serena Mitnik-Miller, Dave Muller, Jay Nelson, Lana Porcello, Nathaniel Russell, Orion Shepherd, Mason St. Peter, Augustus Thompson, and Isabell Weberbauer. The show will be up through August 9.
Saturday, July 18
* Grab some great bargains at Modernica's mammoth 20th Anniversary Warehouse Sale. It's online from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Pacific Time (and in L.A. from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.).
* Don't miss the second annual Renegade Craft Fair from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. at Fort Mason's Festival Pavilion. This year's Renegade extravaganza will showcase more than 200 independent artists and crafters, and continues through Sunday.
* After you've taken in all that Renegade has to offer, pop over to Fort Mason's SFMOMA Artists Gallery to see its current exhibit, Pipeline: Art, Surfing, and the Ocean Environment. The show features artwork by Jo Ann Biagini, Leo Bersamina, Charlie Callahan, Terry Hoff, Reuben Margolin, Serena Mitnik-Miller, Adrienne Keahi Pao, and Charles Valoroso, surfboards by Jeff Clark, and photography by Frank Quirarte and Doug Acton, and will be up through August 28.
* Check out L.A. street-turned-fine artist Becca's True Colors at White Walls Gallery, up through August 1. (Pssst: New, limited edition prints from Becca available here.)
* Cap off your day at the opening reception for Theo Ellsworth's new exhibit, Imaginary Friends, from 6:30 to 10 p.m. at Giant Robot. The show will be up until August 19.
Whew! Have fun out there, kids.
A few Bay Area events and art openings on the radar this weekend:
Thursday, June 4:
* Everything You Need Can Grow, new work by Christopher David Ryan, opens at San Francisco's Rare Device. The artist's reception runs from 7 to 9 p.m., and the show will be up through July 7.
* Worship Thee Kindly the Dark Hand That Guides Me, a new installation of sculpture, paintings, and mixed media work from Skinner, opens at 111 Minna. The reception runs from 6 p.m. on, and the show will be up at the SOMA gallery through June 27.
* Over in Oakland, Nathaniel Crane and Michael Deane's Becoming Non-Object opens with a reception from 6 to 9 p.m. at Uptown's Hatch Gallery. The gallery will also be open for Friday's monthly Oakland Art Murmur, and the show will be up through June 27.
Friday, June 5:
* There will be a First Friday reception for Val Britton and Michael Meyers's The Echo Fields from 5 to 9 p.m. at Oakland's Johansson Projects. While you're there, don't miss Jennifer and Kevin McCoy's Show Me installation in the project space.
Saturday, June 6:
* More than 400 local artists will provide glimpses into their work spaces and processes during East Bay Open Studios, which runs from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday as well as next weekend. Get a list of participating artists here, studio maps here, and preview the artists' work here.
* The Sunset Celebration Weekend transforms Sunset magazine's sprawling Menlo Park campus into a multi-acre test kitchen, demonstration garden, craft bazaar, home and garden trade show, and performance venue. The event takes place both Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and tickets are $15.
* Pop Noir is San Francisco nonprofit arts organization Southern Exposure's huge annual fundraiser, with art for sale from a veritable who's-who of the Bay Area art scene. The auction runs from 6 to 10:30 p.m., and there's a $35 admission charge. Preview the artwork for sale here.
* Annie Galvin's In a Golden State opens at San Francisco's Studio 3579. The reception runs from 6 to 9 p.m., and the show will be up through July 18.
Sunday, June 7:
* Oakland newsstand extraordinaire Issues holds its Second Anniversary Party from 2 to 6 p.m. Stop by for snacks and microbrew, palm readings, a customer-appreciation raffle, and a giant sidewalk sale featuring books, vinyl, t-shirts, "weird sculptures," and odds and ends galore at the popular Piedmont Avenue-area shop.
Lots to do!
* Saturday, May 9, from 10 to 3: Feria Urbana at Pizzaiolo in Oakland
* Saturday and Sunday from 10 to 4: Open Studios and Factory Store Sale at Heath Ceramics in Sausalito
* Opening Saturday at noon at Johansson Projects in Uptown Oakland: Val Britton and Michael Meyers's Echo Fields (the artists' reception for the show is next Saturday, May 16, from 5 to 8 p.m.)
* Saturday from 2 to 4: The First Annual Cupcake Bake-Off at Oakland's Rock Paper Scissors Collective (across the street from Johansson Projects); $4 at the door
* Saturday from 7 to 11 p.m.: The opening reception for Isabel Samaras's Into the Woodz at San Francisco's Shooting Gallery
* And at the same time next door at White Walls Gallery: The opening reception for New Work from Ian Johnson
* Finally, if you're still on the hunt for a Mother's Day gift, don't forget the exclusive discount for More Ways to Waste Time Readers at Atomic Garden in Rockridge.
Berkeley's 4th and Clay Studio is holding its annual "2nds on 4th" sale featuring first- and second-quality bargains from ceramic artists Christa Assad, Rae Dunn, Josie Jurczenia, Sara Paloma, Whitney Smith, and Sharon Virtue.
The sale takes place this Saturday and Sunday, April 25 and 26, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 2390 4th St. at Channing. More info here.
Friday, April 17
* Olivia Park's Counting on Numbers at BellJar in San Francisco's Mission District. The opening reception runs from 6 to 9 p.m.
* Eli Geiser and Kelly Lynn Jones at San Francisco's Park Life. The opening reception runs from 7 to 10 p.m., and the show will be up through May 17.
Saturday, April 18
* Trunk Show from 2 to 5 p.m. featuring the magical terrariums of Kat Geiger, at Oakland's Urban Indigo.
* Tea Tasting & Reception from 4 to 6 p.m. at Two For Tea, a new tea-centric boutique in a charming garden cottage behind Sebastopol's FFT Antiques. Proceeds fund Food for Thought, a Sonoma County HIV/AIDS food bank.
* Devon Kelley-Yurdin at Berkeley's Expressions Gallery. The opening reception runs from 6 to 8 p.m., and the show will be up through June 5.
* Tree Show V, featuring tree-centric work from more than three dozen rising artists, at San Francisco's Giant Robot. The opening reception runs from 6:30 to 10 p.m., and the show will be up through May 13.
* And not brand-new, but definitely worth checking out if you're in the area is Daniel Danger and Dan McCarthy's The Watcher in the Woods show at San Francisco's Gallery 1988. It runs through April 25.
Another busy, busy art weekend (and week) ahead:
Friday, April 3
* At San Francisco's Rare Device, Portland artist Mark Warren Jacques' The Optimistic Life & Mind opens with a reception from 7 to 9 p.m. The young painter's colorful, graphic, and highly detailed work is "a testament to Jacques' sense of order within disorder and acute presence of mind." The show will be up through April 29 at Rare Device, 1845 Market St. at Guerrero. (If you're not in the area, you can view and purchase Jacques' pieces for the show here.)
* The Mission's Triple Base Gallery presents Out of the Flat Files II, featuring new work from more than 30 local artists, including Alissa Anderson, Marty Anderson, Chi Birmingham, Michelle Blade, James Bradley, Todd Bura, Michael Cappabianca, Shashana Chittle, Serena Cole, Tara Foley, Bryson Gill, Leonie Guyer, Jason Kalogiros, Melissa Kaseman, Justin Limoges, Isaac Lin, Leigh McCarthy, Jay Nelson, Kelly Ording, Oliver Halsman Rosenberg, Hilary Pecis, Jesse Schlesinger, Orion Shepherd, Christine Shields, Paul Urich, David Wilson, and Edmund Wyss.
* Also at Triple Base, Bryson Gill's Mirror and Mirror, Warm Milk - Still Cream, Degrees of Separation, Shades of Blue and Throwbacks, small works that reinterpret "late 17th century portraits through the lens of advertising-inspired graphic pictorial devices." The shows will be up through May 3 at Triple Base, 3041 24th St. at Treat.
* Hop on the Bay Bridge and head over to Oakland's Swarm Gallery, where John Casey's solo show, Distant Cousins, opens with an artist's reception from 6 to 9 p.m. At first glance, Casey's works "seem to portray a menagerie of deformed creatures. A collective analysis reveals this array of oddball creations to be a series of psychological studies -- self-portraits of the artist's inner psyche in all of its multifaceted incarnations."
* Also opening at Swarm: Nature Boy, a collection of Don Porcella's pipe cleaner sculptures, which "play with our concept of consumerism, reality and our own weird mortality," as well as Regime Change, a group show featuring small works (all priced under $500) celebrating our new representation in Washington and the hopefulness that has inspired. Participating artists include Alfred Steiner, Amanda Williams, Amy Ross, Andy Vogt, Barbara Holmes, Casey Jex Smith, Chris Pew, Chris Sicat, Dan Nelson, David Higgins, David King, Ema Sintamarian, Ernest Concepcion, Fred Muram, Fumiha Tanaka, Gregory Euclide, Jaime Cortez, Jessica Serran, Jim Rosenau, Jordan Essoe, Joshua Hagler, Kathy Aoki, Kevin E. Taylor, Linda Braz, Mayumi Hamanaka, Michael Hall, Narangkar Glover, Pete Glover, Sarah Emerson, Sarah Smith, Terry Furry, Treasure Frey, Vaughn Bell, Vicki Walsh, Zach Houston. The shows will be up through May 10 at Swarm, 560 Second St. near Jack London Square.
* Good battles evil at Rock Paper Scissors Collective's new exhibition, Heroes and Villains, which kicks off with an opening reception from 6 to 9 p.m. The show offers "a new and interesting eye on the classic dichotomy of chivalry and ugliness, portraiture and caricature, love and death." Artists include Arnell Ando, Teppei Ando, Graham Annable, David Ball, Ben Catmull, Mary Cook, Alika Cooper, Matt Hart, Matt Hewitt, Obi Kaufman, An Nguyen, Jonah Olson, Deth P. Sun, Mark Todd, and Derek Wood. Heroes and Villains will be up through April 25 at Rock Paper Scissors, 2278 Telegraph Ave. at 23rd St. in Uptown Oakland.
* Jason Byers and Patricia Wakida will be in attendance for the opening of their join show, [Print] Run, at 21 Grand from 7 p.m. on. The show features new paintings from Byers as well as Wakida's linoleum block prints, and will be up through April 18 at 21 Grand, 416 25th St. at Broadway.
* Smokey's Tangle in Oakland's Temescal District hosts an opening party from 7 to 10 p.m. for Beatlenuts, an "attempt to bridge the gap between fine art and fan art." The show will be up through April 15 at 4709 Telegraph Ave. at 47th St. (hint: that's a few doors down from Lanesplitter Pizza & Pub, if you want to make an evening of it).
Saturday, April 4
* At Oakland's Rowan Morrison, Small Ruins, featuring the photography of Hannah Henry, opens with an artist's reception from 7 to 10 p.m. Henry's large-scale photographs showcase "objects from the bottom of people's hearts and drawers: things with a past but no longer a purpose. The photos depict an individual object set against a blank background, highlighting the object itself, and begging of it a myriad of imaginary narratives." The show will be up through May 9 at Rowan Morrison, 330 40th St. at Broadway.
Thursday, April 9
* Finally, the show I've been anticipating with baited breath for months: Marci Washington's Dark Mirror at San Francisco's Rena Bransten Gallery. Washington's "lush paintings work on several levels to build suspicion and to enhance an ominous sense of discomfort and crisis in viewers. She achieves this by depicting ghosts, haunted houses, vampires, dismembered limbs, bloody scenery, and an assortment of sallow young people who serve as metaphors for serious social ills. Washington’s model for a doomed society was Edwardian England, whose rigid social norms and repressive imperialist vision sparked its decline -- a situation Washington feels is mirrored by a present-day America. Her Edwardian characters and romance novel format allow Washington 'to construct an allegorical tale ... in order to reveal a much darker tale of moral decline, spiritual crisis, and rampant anxiety, all lurking beneath the siren song of material desire.'” I'm not exactly sure what that means, but I do know that Washington's deliciously dark and twisted images give me chills (in the best possible way). Dark Mirror will be up through May 16 at Rena Bransten, 77 Geary St. at Kearny.
Happy arting!
