This weekend is the second in a month long series of SF Open Studios. Go to ArtSpan.org for a complete listing of all the open studios in your neighborhood.

Check out, "The Elephant in the Room" at Focus Gallery, an exhibit reviewed as "Art with an attitude." The mixed media paintings by Nancy Calef are cleverly conceived and brilliantly executed to stir political and moral debates. You can catch one last glimpse this Wednesday during the closing reception.

For your historical-conceptual dose visit Ever Gold on Thursday for a lecture by John Held Jr., who will be talking about his exhibit "Debris from the Cultural Underground." This show follows an international network of cultural workers, and includes interviews with notable artists such as John Cage, Ray Johnson and Alan Kaprow. Not to miss!

For a perennial favorite, head out to the "Fall Open House" on Sunday at the Headlands Center for the Arts.
 
New on Artcards Review:
- "Conflux Festival 2010: Day One" - Cielo Lutino
- "Post-Punk Auteur: Olivier Assayas" - Helen Homan Wu
- "2010 Art Forum Berlin Highlights" - Helen Homan Wu
- "Featured Artist: Erika Keck" - Helen Homan Wu 

Tuesday:
+ Artist Talk: "L'esprit de Corp" public dinner at Headlands Center for the Arts

Thursday:
+ Lecture: "Contemporary Japanese Art, Part I: Lecture on contemporary Japanese art from the 1960s to 1980s" curated by Rika Hiro at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
+ Lecture: John Held Jr. "Debris From Cultural Underground" at Ever Gold

Friday:
+ Lecture: Amy Francheschini, Michael Swaine "Erratum: Brief Interruptions in the Waste Stream Lecture" at San Francisco Center for the Book

Saturday:
+ Lecture: "Contemporary Japanese Art, Part II: Lecture on contemporary Japanese art from the 1990s to the present" curated by Gabriel Ritter at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
+ Workshop: Bill Berkson, Clark Buckner, Kevin Killian, Whitney Chadwick "Critical Sources, Part II: Writing about art in the Bay Area" Co-hosted by The Lab in conjunction with Patricia Maloney and Art Practical at The Lab
+ Richard Colman, Ryan Travis Christian at Guerrero Gallery
+ Mark Warren Jacques "I'm Here Now" at Gallery Hijinks

+ Performance: Pawel Kruk "Winning the Water: A Public Performance by Pawel Kruk; more info at http://www.sfartscommission.org/gallery/2010/winning-the-water-a-public-performrance-by-pawel-kruk/" at SF Arts Commission Gallery (Aquatic Park)

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+ Brandon Walls Olson , Collin McKelvey, Kelly Lynn Jones, Maggie Haas and Samantha Roth, Matthew Waldbillig, Michelle C. Blade, Victoria Keddie "Re-Imagine | Re-Build | Repeat" at Sight School

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+ Screening: Lydia Greer "Beauty Forms" at Royal NoneSuch Gallery

Sunday:
+ Open Studio: "Fall Open House" at Headlands Center for the Arts

Tuesday, October 12

Lecture: Christine Thomson "Japanning in America" at de Young (Golden Gate Park)
Bernal Heights: 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Drive, $15, 8pm

+ Artist Talk: "L'esprit de Corp" public dinner at Headlands Center for the Arts
Marin Headlands: 944 Fort Barry , off Bunker Road, floor 1-4, $15 (includes dinner), 6pm

Wednesday, October 13

Panel Discussion: Seth Curcio, Matt Mckinley, Jim Melchert, Marianna "How Do You Value Art?" at SOMArts Cultural Center
SOMA: 934 Brannan Street, Free, 6-8pm

Book Signing: R.A. McBride "Artist Talk and Book Signing" at SF Camerawork
SOMA: 657 Mission Street, floor 2, 7pm

Mary Ann Kratz, Jeanette Wright, Ethel Jimenez at Gallery 28
North Beach: 1228 Grant Avenue, 6-8pm

Art Fair: "California Nights" Celebrate California things! at California Historical Society
Downtown: 678 Mission Street, 5-8pm

Performance: Nancy Calef "Elephant in the Room" at Focus Gallery Russian Hill: 1534 Grant Avenue, floor 1, free, 5-5:30pm

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Closing reception: Nancy Calef "Elephant in the Room" at Focus Gallery Russian Hill: 1534 Grant Avenue, floor 1, free, 6-8pm

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Thursday, October 14

Amanda Hughen , Lorene Anderson, Marc Williams, Reed Danziger, Sarah Walker "Purview Per View" curated by Heather Brubaker at Design Guild SF Gallery
SOMA: 427 Bryant Street, at 2nd Avenue, Reception, 5-8pm

+ Lecture: "Contemporary Japanese Art, Part I: Lecture on contemporary Japanese art from the 1960s to 1980s" curated by Rika Hiro at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
SOMA: 701 Misssion Street, at Third Street, 6-8pm

Dennis Letbetter "The Eight Ten Portraits, a selection" shown in conjunction with zyzzyva fall 2010 issue release at Bonnafont Gallery
North Beach: 946a Greenwich Street, , San Francisco, CA, 94133, 6-8pm

Jean-Dominique Burton "Nabaas" Traditional Chiefs of Burkina Faso at Bekris Gallery
Downtown: 49 Geary Street, floor 2, 5:30-7:30pm

Christel Dillbohner and Susanne Schossig "Inter Spacing" at Don Soker Contemporary
Downtown: 100 Montgomery Street, Suite 1430, 5-8pm

+ Lecture: John Held Jr. "Debris From Cultural Underground" at Ever Gold
Downtown: 441 O'Farrell Street, 7pm

Ryan Martin "New Paintings" at Mark Wolfe Contemporary Art
Downtown: 1 Sutter Street, floor 3, 5:30-8pm

Screening: "POW! POW! POW! Art Festival 2010" at A.T.A.
Mission District: 992 Valencia Street, $12 in advance - $15 at door, 8pm

Performance: Sharif Abu-Hamdeh "Habibi" A Play telling about Palestinian immigrants in the US at Intersection for the Arts
Mission District: 446 Valencia Street, Auditorium, $15-$25, 8pm-9:30pm

Book Signing: "The Exquisite Book" at Rare Device
Hayes Valley: 1845 Market Street, 7-9pm

Friday, October 15

"Meat Show" at Medicine Agency
Downtown: 1262 Mason Street, 8-11pm

"Edward Minoff" at John Pence Gallery
Downtown: 750 Post Street, 6-8pm

"Bill Jenkins" at Jancar Jones Gallery
Mission District: 965 Mission Street, Suite 120, 6-9pm

+ Lecture: Amy Francheschini, Michael Swaine "Erratum: Brief Interruptions in the Waste Stream Lecture" at San Francisco Center for the Book
Potrero Hill: 300 De Haro Street, 6-9pm

"F3" Open Studios at FLOAT Gallery
Oakland: 1091 Calcot Place, #116, 6-9pm

Saturday, October 16

"CAM Alternative Press Expo Party" Storytime! and Graphic Details at Cartoon Art Museum
SOMA: 655 Mission Street, Sliding Scale: $5-$20, 8-11pm

Performance: "Long Conversation" In Conjunction with 'Longplayer' at the ybca at Contemporary Jewish Museum
SOMA: 736 Mission Street, Third Street, Free with Admission, 3pm-9pm

Performance: "Longplayer: 1,000 Years in Three Simultaneous Acts" at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
SOMA: 701 Misssion Street, at Third Street, YBCA Forum, 7am-11:40pm

+ Lecture: "Contemporary Japanese Art, Part II: Lecture on contemporary Japanese art from the 1990s to the present" curated by Gabriel Ritter at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
SOMA: 701 Misssion Street, at Third Street, 2-4pm

Obi Kaufmann "Warflower" at Fivepoints Arthouse
SOMA: 72 Tehama Street, at 2nd Street, 1-6pm

Tour: "Yerba Buena Fall Gallery Walk" at Yerba Buena Gallery Alliance
SOMA: Various Locations, 12-5pm

Bill Cone "Recent Landscapes" at Studio Gallery
Downtown: 1815 Polk Street, 2-6pm

Artist Talk: Bill Cone "Recent Landscapes" at Studio Gallery
Downtown: 1815 Polk Street, 7-8pm

+ Workshop: Bill Berkson, Clark Buckner, Kevin Killian, Whitney Chadwick "Critical Sources, Part II: Writing about art in the Bay Area" Co-hosted by The Lab in conjunction with Patricia Maloney and Art Practical at The Lab
Mission District: 2948 16th Street, RSVP to: Maryanne@thelab.org, $25, 12-4pm

+ Richard Colman, Ryan Travis Christian at Guerrero Gallery
Mission District: 2700 19th Street, 7-11pm

+ Mark Warren Jacques "I'm Here Now" at Gallery Hijinks
Mission District: 2309 Bryant Street, at 21st Street, floor 1, free, 6-10pm

Lecture: Ellen Gailing, Fletcher Oakes, Ken Osborn, Matt Matsuoka "Blossoms & Thorns" The Legacy of Richmond's Historic Japanese American Nurseries at Richmond Art Center
Richmond District: 2540 Barrett Avenue, 1-3pm

+ Performance: Pawel Kruk "Winning the Water: A Public Performance by Pawel Kruk; more info at http://www.sfartscommission.org/gallery/2010/winning-the-water-a-public-performrance-by-pawel-kruk/" at SF Arts Commission Gallery (Aquatic Park) Marina District: 890 Beach Street, the water, FREE, 9-10am

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Open Studio: "Bayview Opera House Hosts a Group Site for Open Studios" at SF Arts Commission Gallery
Hunters Point: Third Street in Bayview, 11am-6pm

Screening: and Alicia Woods, Anna Von Mertens, Caroline Seckinger, Jessica Martin, Mung Lar Lam, Patricia Thomas "ProArts Concept + Craft" curated by Danielle Fox at Pro Arts Gallery Oakland: 150 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza , entrance on Kahn's Alley, 1-3pm

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+ Brandon Walls Olson , Collin McKelvey, Kelly Lynn Jones, Maggie Haas and Samantha Roth, Matthew Waldbillig, Michelle C. Blade, Victoria Keddie "Re-Imagine | Re-Build | Repeat" at Sight School Oakland: 5651 San Pablo Avenue, 7-9pm

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+ Screening: Lydia Greer "Beauty Forms" at Royal NoneSuch Gallery
Oakland: 4231 Telegraph Avenue, 7-10pm

Sunday, October 17

Performance: Dylan Bolles and Sasha Hom "Myth of Ten Thousand Things" curated by Nathan Lynch at Southern Exposure
Mission District: 3030 20th Street , FREE, 3pm-9pm

Artist Talk: Tobi Kahn "Sacred Synergies" at Manresa Gallery
Haight Ashbury: 650 Parker Avenue, 10:45am-12pm

Tobi Kahn "Sacred Synergies" at Manresa Gallery
Haight Ashbury: 650 Parker Avenue, 12pm-2pm

Art Fair: "Capsule" fashion and design festival at Capsule
Hayes Valley: Hayes Valley Park, Free, 11am-6pm

Open Studio: "Bayview Opera House Hosts a Group Site for Open Studios" at SF Arts Commission Gallery
Hunters Point: Third Street in Bayview, 11am-6pm

Open Studio: "Open House" at Headlands Center for the Arts
Marin Headlands: 944 Fort Barry , off Bunker Road, floor 1-4, 12pm-5pm

+ Open Studio: "Fall Open House" at Headlands Center for the Arts
Marin Headlands: 944 Fort Barry , off Bunker Road, floor 1-4, Free, 12-5pm

Monday, October 18

Lecture: "Lisa Sanditz" at San Francisco Art Institute
Russian Hill: 800 Chesnut Street, Lecture Hall, 7:30pm

Artcards San Francisco is a weekly email publication led by editor Emma Spertus. Email event submissions to sfinfo@artcards.cc or use our submission form. New: you can now add an image to your listing by using the submission form.

+ = Editor's pick
? = Opening not confirmed - check site for updates.