Teeny-Boppers

SAT 7/23

Onstage spray-can mural painting, tons of food, and a slew of DJs, MCs, and live music: sounds like a party. But intelligent, artistic teens have other reasons to come to the San Francisco/Bay Area Urban Youth Arts Festival. For those with a serious need to get creative, the main attraction is the chance to make your own mural panel. Organizers from the Precita Eyes Muralists provide 400 square feet of blank wall: This is the kind of thing that makes a young painter's trigger finger itchy. And that's what the folks at Precita Eyes want -- kids getting interested in self-expression instead of self-destruction. Further enticement to young muralists: The panel judged "best overall" wins a $100 gift certificate to the PE Mural Art store. The event also includes slam poetry, break dancing, and traditional mural painting and is open to all youth, starting at 1 p.m. in Precita Park, Precita & Folsom, S.F. Admission is free; call 285-2287 or visit www.precitaeyes.org.
-- Hiya Swanhuyser

The Swim-Painter

TUES 7/26

Alberto Cristini once swam from Alcatraz to Crissy Field with his hands and feet bound -- a neat trick. But today he'll make the crossing (and here we must use italics, as if speaking through a bullhorn) while simultaneously painting a picture on a floating canvas. He'll be unrestrained, but the feat has its dangers: He could be shat on by a gull or attacked by kiteboarding philistines, to say nothing of catching the artist's malaise and drifting out to sea. But we think he'll do just fine, having previously produced solid work in Venice's Grand Canal. As for materials, you'd think he'd use something durable like road paint or waterproof crayon, but he's sticking with simple oils, a reckless move we unreservedly praise. The day is yours, Alberto. He comes ashore at 10 a.m. at Crissy Field, Halleck & Mason (in the Presidio), S.F. Admission is free; visit www.sfiic.org.
-- Michael LeavertonReaders Rejoice

SAT 7/23

Buying from independent bookstores not only keeps the locals in business; it also makes Books by the Bay: A Celebration in Independent Bookselling possible. Now in its 10th year, the event offers yet another embarrassment of riches for readers, featuring 40 independents selling their wares, more than 50 authors signing books (including Gus Lee of China Boy fame), eight author panels moderated by San Francisco Chronicle columnists (Jon Carroll, Leah Garchik, et al.), and, of course, Anne Lamott. The event runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Yerba Buena Gardens, Fourth & Mission streets, S.F. Admission is free; visit www.booksbythebay.com.
-- Michael Leaverton