Mark Your Calendar: Friday Fun

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!

Mark Your Calendar: Your Weekend of Art, Crafts, and Wicked Cool Pyrotechnics

Photo by Lane Hartwell

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.

Object of Lust: San Francisco Terrain Sculpture

Is there a place in the world that's captured your imagination, that inspires you daily, and that holds a place in your heart equal to no other?

For Conor Fennessy, that place is San Francisco. His San Francisco Terrain sculpture depicts the unique topography of his beloved City by the Bay, simply and beautifully, in pure white gypsum.

It's $175 framed and ready to hang, or $275 with its own stand direct from Fennessy or at San Francisco's Jak Home boutique.

Mark Your Calendar: Weekend Events

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!

Mark Your Calendar: Weekend Roundup

* 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.

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: Modern Economy Sale

If I can manage to sneak away from my coughing, sniffling, feverish, germ-ridden family (no, it's not Swine Flu -- at least I don't think it is) for a couple of hours on Saturday, I am so hitting the Modern Economy Sale in San Francisco.

Meg Mateo Ilasco's annual event features first- and (almost imperceptibly) second-quality bargains from dozens of cool independent artisans and housewares designers. So if you're in the area, stop by and snap up some lovely ceramics, textiles, potted plants and terrariums, and other modern home accents at up to 80 percent off retail.

Participants include:

Cursive Design

Emma Gardner Design

Ferm Living

Henry Road

Jean Pelle

Jefdesigns

Paige Russell

Papaver Vert

Perch!

Rae Dunn

Soft Goods

Tikoli

Xenia Taler

... and many more.

The sale takes place this Saturday, May 2, from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Fort Mason Building A Conference Center. (In my experience, the place gets picked clean fast, so plan to arrive early for the best selection.)

More info here. My blog buddy Anh-Minh Le also had a great article about Modern Economy -- as well as how the modern economy itself is affecting local artisans -- in yesterday's San Francisco Chronicle; read it here.