First rains of the season, maybe its time to keep dry in a lecture or two. This week there are a ton of them, starting off tonight at CCA with the Wattis's Jens Hoffmann and Terry Smith, an Australian artist and art historian who was notably a member of the collaborative Art & Language.

Wednesday there is a talk about Chess Variants at the Kadist with Ted Purves and examples to play, and Zarouhie Abdalian at the Wattis. Friday, artist and professor Thomas Zummer will speak at SFAI about “his multi-faceted role as scholar, artist, writer, and curator as well as his thoughts on topics in philosophy, aesthetics, and the history of technology. And if you haven’t gotten enough, Monday of next week has Michael Robinson at SFAI, Idris Khan at CCA, and Karen Kilimnik at Mills.

Curiously Direct Picks

Queens Nails//I Like where this is going= A very good group show with Kate Bonner, Christine Ancalmo & Cybele Lyle… all three use something between collage and digital glitches to transform space/the picture plane…This is a very cohesive group show; a must see.

YBCA//Nayland Blake: FREE!LOVE!TOOL!BOX!= Hard to pin down solo show by this former local in which a mixture of highly charged objects and interactive installations seem both ready to be activated, and somehow 'after the event.' Which is to say, there is a sense of a party having had happened, and it is this strange tonality which is most powerful here. I had a great time in a room with Blake's record collection and dj equipment; there were so many great records in there I couldn't resist playing a few. Im's pick, a particular Sonic Youth song, resounding through the cavernous YBCA as we viewed some of the work, seemed especially fitting. The sense that 'Brave Men Run (In My Family)', here a family of queer or outsider kinship, weighed heavy upon the exhibition, as did a sense of defiance amidst loss. A great show.

Tuesday:
+ Lecture: "Lecture with Zoe Strauss" at California College of the Arts (CCA)

+ Lecture: "Jens Hoffmann and Terry Smith in Conversation" at California College of the Arts (CCA)

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Wednesday:

+ Lecture: "Chess Variants Hosted By Ted Purves" at Kadist Art Foundation

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+ Artist Talk: "Wattis Small Talk with Zarouhie Abdalian" at CCA Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts (Kent and Vicki Logan Galleries)

Friday:

+ Lecture: "Lecture by Thomas Zummer" at San Francisco Art Institute

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Saturday:
+ William Cordova "smoke signals: viviendo pa’ la ciudad" at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts

Sunday:
+ Closing reception: Abelardo Morell, Allison Smith, Anandamayi Arnold, Andy Freeberg, Bill Fontana, Camille Utterback, Cornelia Parker, Courtney Lain, David Liittschwager, Doug Hall, Jeannen Przyblyski, Kate Pocrass, Mark Dion & Dana Sherwood, Pae White, Stephanie Syjuco "International Orange Closing Event" at For-Site Foundation

Monday:

+ Lecture: "Lecture by Michael Robinson" at San Francisco Art Institute

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+ Lecture: Karen Kilimnik "Sleeping Beauty and friends: Talk And Screening, in conjunction with Karen Kilimnik's World of Ballet and Theatre" curated by Melissa E. Feldman at Mills College Art Museum

Tuesday, October 23

+ Lecture: "Lecture with Zoe Strauss" at California College of the Arts (CCA)
Potrero Hill: 1111 Eighth Street , Timken Lecture Hall, Free, 7pm

+ Lecture: "Jens Hoffmann and Terry Smith in Conversation" at California College of the Arts (CCA) Potrero Hill: 350 Kansas Street, Free, 7-9pm

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Wednesday, October 24

+ Lecture: "Chess Variants Hosted By Ted Purves" at Kadist Art Foundation Mission District: 3295 20th Street, at Folsom Street, free, 6-9pm

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+ Artist Talk: "Wattis Small Talk with Zarouhie Abdalian" at CCA Wattis Institute for Contemporary Arts (Kent and Vicki Logan Galleries)
Potrero Hill: 1111 Eighth Street, Free, 7-8pm

Thursday, October 25

Screening: Andy Sidaris "Savage Beast" at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
SOMA: 701 Misssion Street, at Third Street, YBCA Screening Room, $10 regular; $8 YBCA Members/students/seniors/teachers; FREE for YBCA: You, 7:30pm

"10.22.38 Astoria" at The Lab
Mission District: 2948 16th Street, Free, 6-9pm

Lecture: "Lecture by David L. Eng" at California College of the Arts (CCA)
Potrero Hill: 1111 Eighth Street , Timken Lecture Hall, Free, 7-9pm

Momo Yao, Seo Kyeong Yoon "We Still Believe in Fairytales" curated by Aimee Harlib, Ariel Zaccheo at San Francisco Art Institute (Swell Gallery)
Potrero Hill: 2565 Third Street, 7-9pm

Screening: "Shaun of the Dead Screening + Bonus Movie Afterwards" at Compound Gallery
Oakland: 1167 65th st., Oakland, CA 94608, Ground floor, Free, 9 p.m.

Friday, October 26

+ Lecture: "Lecture by Thomas Zummer" at San Francisco Art Institute Russian Hill: 800 Chesnut Street, Lecture Hall, free, 4:30pm

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Carole Deltenre, Emmanuel Lacoste, Iris Eichenberg, Jivan Astfalck, Kiko Gianocca, Kirsten Haydon, Lauren Kalman, Leonor Hipólito, Liesbet Bussche, Lisa Juen, Maisie  Broadhead, Mike Holmes, Natalie Luder, Peter Hoogeboom, Rebekah Frank, Sophie Hanagarth, Susanne Klemm "Mirror Mirror: An Exhibition in Homage to Suzy Solidor" curated by Benjamin Lignel, Jo Bloxham at Velvet da Vinci
Russian Hill: 2015 Polk Street, 6-8pm

Jin Zhu, Johnna Arnold, Joshua Band, Nicole Jean Hill "Nothing to See Here" curated by Aimee Le Duc at SF Arts Commission Gallery
Civic Center: 401 Van Ness Avenue , at McAllister Street, Free, 6-8pm

Guillaume Grasset "California Dreamin'" curated by Gwen Lafage at Carte Blanche
Mission District: 973 Valencia Street, floor 1, 6-9pm

Jennie Lennick "Jenny Lemons" at City Limits
Bernal Heights: 35 Naglee Avenue, 8-10:30pm

Mark Baugh-Sasaki "Mark Baugh-Sasaki: The Civilized Wild" at Krowswork
Oakland: 480 23rd Street, at Telegraph Avenue, Side Entrance, Free, 6-9pm

Saturday, October 27

Screening: Andy Sidaris "Double Feature: Hard Ticket to Hawaii & Picasso Trigger" at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
SOMA: 701 Misssion Street, at Third Street, Admission Includes both films: $10 regular; $8 YBCA Members/students/seniors/teachers; FREE for YBCA: You, 7:30pm

+ William Cordova "smoke signals: viviendo pa’ la ciudad" at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
SOMA: 701 Misssion Street, at Third Street, 7-9pm

Angie Mason, Aunia Kahn, Carrie Ann Baade, Cory Benhatzel, Edith Lebeau, Fang Ling Lee, Glenn Arthur, Ixie Darkonn, Lara Dann, Miss Mindy, Nichole Bruckman, Patrick Deignan, Rudy Fig, Scott Holloway, Shaunna Peterson, Sheri DeBow, Tina Imel, Tom Bagshaw "Moon Goddess Exhibit" curated by Aunia Kahn, Russell J. Moon at Modern Eden
North Beach: 403 Francisco st, san francisco ca, 1st floor, 6-10pm

Randy Beckelheimer "Black & White" curated by Steven Lopez at ArtZone 461 Gallery
Mission District: 461 Valencia Street, Free, 5-8pm

Randy Beckelheimer "Black & White" curated by Steven Lopez at ArtZone 461 Gallery Mission District: 461 Valencia Street, Free, 5-8pm

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Ben Blackwell, Brenda Luckin, Cliff Gustafson, Daniel Peters, Eliza Gauger, Rick Arnitz, Russell Andaval, Stephen Keyton, Tom Schultz, Vaea "Resident Artists Exhibition" curated by Brenda Luckin at Gallery Mac
Oakland: 1250 57th Ave, noon-5pm

Sunday, October 28

+ Closing reception: Abelardo Morell, Allison Smith, Anandamayi Arnold, Andy Freeberg, Bill Fontana, Camille Utterback, Cornelia Parker, Courtney Lain, David Liittschwager, Doug Hall, Jeannen Przyblyski, Kate Pocrass, Mark Dion & Dana Sherwood, Pae White, Stephanie Syjuco "International Orange Closing Event" at For-Site Foundation
Marina District: Fort Point, 12:30pm-5pm

Monday, October 29

+ Lecture: "Lecture by Michael Robinson" at San Francisco Art Institute Russian Hill: 800 Chesnut Street, Lecture Hall, Free, 7:30-9:30pm

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Lecture: "Lecture by Idris Khan" at California College of the Arts (CCA)
Oakland: 5212 Broadway Avenue, at College Avenue, Ralls Painting Studio, Free, 11am-12pm

+ Lecture: Karen Kilimnik "Sleeping Beauty and friends: Talk And Screening, in conjunction with Karen Kilimnik's World of Ballet and Theatre" curated by Melissa E. Feldman at Mills College Art Museum
Oakland: 5000 Macarthur Boulvard, Free, 7-9pm

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.