Note: I interviewed Claudia Altman-Siegel about her practice as the director of one of the Bay Area’s premier galleries. It is at Artcards.cc/review, and more interviews are to follow.

There are times when we realize there are too many things to see, that our personal plans and hobbies and responsibilities (both in and outside of our strange proclivity towards artsy this and that) keep us from attending a particular event or exhibition. 

A few thoughts. 

First, any time we are overwhelmed by the potentials on offer, we should remember these occasions when confronted with the claim (not entirely inaccurate) that we live in a provincial town. There is so much of interest going on constantly, with the Pacific Film Archive pouring out one wonderful film series after another, multiple mfa programs bringing students from around the country here at a very potent time in their careers, and new exhibition spaces coming into (and out of) being with a stunning regularity. 

Second, the inability to see everything shouldn’t keep us from seeing something. Looking is key to operating with an understanding of the broader conversation, both as something to rejoin and rail against. Lets not let the overbearing presence of facebook event invites and busy-seeming listing sites (such as this one) make us complacent or indifferent.

I bring this up because, as a busy bee, I almost missed the Mitze Pederson show at Ratio 3 despite recommendations to see it. I am so very glad I did, making it over there on its last day. In it, a host of concerns which I am interested in in my own practice found themselves amply addressed while even more questions were raised along with excitement about materials, frames… it was a bit of a breathtaking show.

But here I am, talking about something that has past, while you the reader can either relate to my experience through your own visit to Pederson’s display of ethereal work, hovering on the margins of objecthood, or you didn’t see the show. So I will suggest to you the equally exciting looking next show at Ratio 3, opening Friday and running through August 3rd, Andrejova-Molnár Papers by Katarina Burin. It is the artist’s first show at the gallery, and a little searching online has led me to one interesting project by Burin after another, so I am excited to see what she will bring to our little provincial village. 

Curiously Direct Picks

Most of the shows I liked from this past week closed; so I would suggest visiting George Pfau’s open residency at Royal Nonesuch Gallery in Oakland, and DocumentO, a wide ranging survey of Oakland artists organized by Jasmine Moorhead at Krowswork Gallery in Oakland featuring over forty artists in a variety of media. 

Tuesday:
+ Screening: Bong Joon-ho "Movie Night at the OACC: Mother (Bong, 2009)" curated by Jackie Im at Oakland Asian Cultural Center

Wednesday:
+ Screening: Bessma Khalaf, Chris Corrente, Chris E. Vargas, Daniel Wayne Olsen, Joshua Pieper, Laura Hyunjhee Kim, Lindsey White, Miles Ake, Pio Bujak, Spencer Rabin, Tim Sullivan at Queens Nails Projects (Rock Bar)
+ Performance: "THE SUN! A Summer Solstice Celebration of Sound & Vision" at Liminal Space

Friday:
+ David Shrigley "Brain Activity" curated by Cliff Lauson at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
+ Tucker Nichols "Stockhouse" at Gallery 16
+ Katarina Burin "Andrejova-Molnár Papers" at Ratio 3
+ Adenike Amin, Ali Dadgar, Anne Walsh, Anthony Discenza, Aurie Ramirez, Bessma Khalaf, Brontez Purnell, Carrie Hott, Cherie Chavez, Chris E. Vargas, Chris Fraser, Chris Kubik, Cybele Lyle, Daniel Healey, David Wilson, Dean Smith, Desirée Holman, Duane Deterville, Emma Spertus, Favianna Rodriguez, Frederick Alvarado, Gabrielle Teschner, Greg Youmans, Hillary Wiedemann, Jesus Barraza, John Davis, John Zurier, Kelly Lynn Jones, Laura Zuspan, Liz Walsh, Matthew Draving, Melanie Cervantes, Packard Jennings, Paul Clipson , Randy Colosky, Regina Clarkinia, RKDB, Ryan Chard Smith, Sasha Kelley, Steuart Pittman, Suzy Poling, Terri Bowden, Tooth, Tracey Snelling, Veronica De Jesus, Zach Houston, Zarouhie Abdalian "DocumentO" at Krowswork
+ Artist Talk: Dr. Bradley Voytek, George Pfau "ZOMBIE BRAIN LECTURE: Bradley Voytek, hosted by George Pfau" at Royal NoneSuch Gallery

Saturday:
+ Artist Talk: David Shrigley "Artist Lecture by David Shrigley" at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts

Tuesday, June 19

+ Screening: Bong Joon-ho "Movie Night at the OACC: Mother (Bong, 2009)" curated by Jackie Im at Oakland Asian Cultural Center
Oakland: 388 Ninth Street, Suite 290, $5, suggested donation, 7-9pm

Screening: Bong Joon-ho "Movie Night at the OACC: Mother (Bong, 2009)" curated by Jackie Im at Oakland Asian Cultural Center Oakland: 388 Ninth Street, Suite 290, $5, suggested donation, 7-9pm

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Wednesday, June 20

Leon Alesi "Personal Space" at RayKo Photo Center (Liberty Park)
SOMA: 400 3rd Street, at Harrison Street, 6-8pm

Myra Greene "My White Friends" at RayKo Photo Center (Liberty Park)
SOMA: 400 3rd Street, at Harrison Street, Free, 6-8pm

+ Screening: Bessma Khalaf, Chris Corrente, Chris E. Vargas, Daniel Wayne Olsen, Joshua Pieper, Laura Hyunjhee Kim, Lindsey White, Miles Ake, Pio Bujak, Spencer Rabin, Tim Sullivan at Queens Nails Projects (Rock Bar)
Mission District: 80 29th Street, Free, 7-10pm

+ Performance: "THE SUN! A Summer Solstice Celebration of Sound & Vision" at Liminal Space
East Bay: 950 54th Street, Adeline, Free, 12 pm- 12am

Thursday, June 21

"Fabulous" curated by Sara O'Sullivan, Whitman Donaldson at Creativity Explored
Mission District: 3245 16th Street, Free, 7-9pm

Heather Watson, Larissa Erin Greer, Regina Acebo, Simone Bailey "Between Here and Here" at Queens Nails Projects
Mission District: 3191 Mission Street, 7-10pm

Friday, June 22

+ David Shrigley "Brain Activity" curated by Cliff Lauson at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
SOMA: 701 Misssion Street, at Third Street, $15; $12 students/seniors/teachers; YBCA Members: FREE, 8 - 10 pm

+ Tucker Nichols "Stockhouse" at Gallery 16
SOMA: 501 Third Street, Free, 6-9pm

Atsuko Morita, Llewelynn Fletcher ""Everything Changes" Interactive queer spirit animal installations by Welly Fletcher come to life amidst Atsuko Morita's surreal seascape pinhole photography." curated by Aline Dargie at Make Hang
North Beach: 450 Green Street, floor 1, 6-9pm

Ferris Plock, Kelly Tunstall "Edible Complex" at FFDG
Mission District: 2277 Mission Street, floor 1, Free, 7-10pm

+ Katarina Burin "Andrejova-Molnár Papers" at Ratio 3
Mission District: 1447 Stevenson Street, Free, 6-8pm

"APA Curator's Voice - (Un)Familiar" curated by Gwen Lafage at Carte Blanche
Mission District: 973 Valencia Street, floor 1, Free. Mandatory RSVP here: http://apasfcv2012rsvp.eventbrite.com/, 6.30-9pm

+ Adenike Amin, Ali Dadgar, Anne Walsh, Anthony Discenza, Aurie Ramirez, Bessma Khalaf, Brontez Purnell, Carrie Hott, Cherie Chavez, Chris E. Vargas, Chris Fraser, Chris Kubik, Cybele Lyle, Daniel Healey, David Wilson, Dean Smith, Desirée Holman, Duane Deterville, Emma Spertus, Favianna Rodriguez, Frederick Alvarado, Gabrielle Teschner, Greg Youmans, Hillary Wiedemann, Jesus Barraza, John Davis, John Zurier, Kelly Lynn Jones, Laura Zuspan, Liz Walsh, Matthew Draving, Melanie Cervantes, Packard Jennings, Paul Clipson , Randy Colosky, Regina Clarkinia, RKDB, Ryan Chard Smith, Sasha Kelley, Steuart Pittman, Suzy Poling, Terri Bowden, Tooth, Tracey Snelling, Veronica De Jesus, Zach Houston, Zarouhie Abdalian "DocumentO" at Krowswork
Oakland: 480 23rd Street, at Telegraph Avenue, Side Entrance, 6-9pm

+ Artist Talk: Dr. Bradley Voytek, George Pfau "ZOMBIE BRAIN LECTURE: Bradley Voytek, hosted by George Pfau" at Royal NoneSuch Gallery
Oakland: 4231 Telegraph Avenue, Free, 8-9:30pm

Artist Talk: Dr. Bradley Voytek, George Pfau "Zombie Brain Lecture" at Royal NoneSuch Gallery Oakland: 4231 Telegraph Avenue, free, 8-9:30pm

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Saturday, June 23

Charlotte Kay, Eric Larson, Harold Davis, Jack Androvich, Jahan Michelle, Jane Alexanderperry, Jessica Levant, Kayla Garlick, Lennell Allen, Misho, Pat Powers, Paul Cartier, Peter Gorwin, Sophia Coyle, Wendell Shinn, Xavier Phelp, Yuri Boyko "Refection" curated by Misho at Misho Gallery
SOMA: 680 8th street, Suite 230, Free, 1pm-5pm

+ Artist Talk: David Shrigley "Artist Lecture by David Shrigley" at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
SOMA: 701 Misssion Street, at Third Street, Free with gallery admission, 2-4 pm

Sunday, June 24

Tour: "Behind The Scenes: Celebrating The Golden Gate Bridge" at Mills College Art Museum
Oakland: 5000 Macarthur Boulvard, FREE, RSVP to museum@mills.edu, 1:00pm

Artcards San Francisco is a weekly email publication led by editor Jackie Im and Aaron Harbour. 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.