Events

Space, sea creatures, and beadwork make templates for the imaginary world of Barbara Takenaga. At "Paintings," she exhibits abstract acrylics on linen, canvas, and wood panel; all swirl around a tight circular center and radiate out in tentacly lines of smaller circles. They could be... More >>

They may have had fabulous hair, hand signs, a complete intolerance for disrespect, and fierce loyalty to one another. But the Mission High students known in the 1980s as the Tiny Locas were not a girl gang. They were friends, not criminals. At "Two Four Home Girls Circa 1980," a collection of... More >>

Sam Lipsyte’s The Ask is a very funny book. It’s also very bitter. If you’re currently slogging through an MFA, say, for painting, you might not want to read this book, though it might be the best thing you could do. Same goes for older, aimless art types who got the MFA and are... More >>

To Noah Lang, the Cold War seems almost quaint, compared to the War on Terror. “When I was growing up, the Soviet Union was the evil empire,” he says. “When you crossed the border, you were really behind enemy lines. At this point, the political climate feels almost like abstract... More >>

Sculptor Mildred Howard often makes room-sized sculptures; she likes multiples, it seems. At this show, she's focused on one of the most ridiculous multiples in, uh, the world: The globe. Not the actual one, the big one, but the ubiquitous round representation of where we live. Necessarily... More >>

Margaret Harrison's bemuscled specimens at "The Bodies Are Back" are superheroes on their way, sporting a cacophony of gender-signifying genitals, upper-body arrangements, and clothing: If Captain America were to get fruity in the boudoir, this might be the result. In other words, the artist... More >>

At first glance, Maya Hayuk’s art might make you timid: Her bold, colorful graphic shapes hint at an earlier era, when abstract art was a confusing thing for serious people to sort out by yelling at one another. Then you might come across a strange little bubby psychedelic space-alien... More >>

You can blame Al Gore for the dearth of quality punk rock in the jukeboxes of America. Not because of his li’l censor-happy P.M.R.C. wife (who’s done plenty of damage, no doubt), but because Al had to go and invent the internet. What a bum! Even dives with great jukes are phasing out... More >>

You may want your retro-soul weekend parties to be packed, sweaty blasts full of vintage grinders. But on Monday nights, the smooth, sugar-melting tones of ’60s soul music work as relaxing tonics to calm party-frazzled nerves — and that’s where Black Gold comes in. Hosted by... More >>

The Riptide’s signature brick fireplace was veiled behind red velvet curtains on a recent Sunday night, but the Outer Sunset dive still carried the strong scent of burning embers from the night before. Most days the Taraval Street bar is the stamping ground for surfers, punks, and... More >>

Toshio Hirano is a time- and continent-jumping troubadour. He grew up in Tokyo, coming of age when the American folk revival was also hitting Japan, but a chance listen to a Sunday afternoon radio program introduced him to the sound of southern Appalachia. Fast-forward through moves to... More >>

On any given Tuesday, Alcoholocaust provides a boozy chance to recharge old memory centers while simultaneously (and paradoxically) killing a few brain cells: cheap Tecate in fist, you can challenge yourself to recall which vintage metal or classic punk track you're hearing above the social... More >>

Large group exhibit of work on paper, curated by Brion Nuda Rosch. Artists include Joshua Abelow, Ky Anderson, Joe Biel, Libby Black, Michelle Blade, Ernesto Burgos, Ajit Chauhan, Todd Chilton, Creativity Explored, Chris Duncan, Vic Haven, Jason Jagel, Xylor Jane, Matt Kennedy, Mads Lynnerup,... More >>

As a self-described "logical extension of a free public library," our local free walking-tour company is, like most libraries, a fascinating mash of nerdy and white-hot rad. The San Francisco City Guides walking tours happen every day (except major holidays), are free, and follow in the... More >>

Not everyone loves architects. Some people, in fact, curse architects daily, self-righteously saying foul words about the designers of window-deprived apartment buildings, flat storefronts, and failed concept projects someone has to call home. Such people may gain new insight at “Vertical... More >>

In the beginning it was, of course, Ohlone Indian. Then it was Spanish-Ohlone. Were there Russians? It was Italian. Then it was Irish and German. As far as we can tell, the Mission District was never Chinese, but this is San Francisco, so why shouldn't it have been? It was Mexican, and then it... More >>

In the name of Miriam Bengoetxea, Basque bike engineer (of Orbea Orca fame), we command you to attend WTF: the Women, Transgenderqueer, and Femme bike-fix night! Bengoetxea is one of the only women in the world designing carbon-fiber bicycle frames, partly because she's had the support of the... More >>