Some times I come across things that I consider the best/worst or worst best. For instance, in my neighborhood there is a place that serves the best/worst breakfast, a very non-fancy diner with none of the pride in this or that ingredient or preparation style or presentation. But, they do what they do just right, and if there was a nicer spot a few blocks away I'd be hard pressed to make the extra effort.

Bay Area Now 7 may very well be the best/worst or maybe even the worst/best. I'm torn - is the delegation of curatorial duties to a large number of collectives a terrible idea which will result in a unique picture of our Bay Area art scene, or is it great idea that will result in a huge mess of a show?

Either way, its pretty unmissable, the only decision being whether one wants to wade through the intense madhouse of an opening Friday night or wait to see it another day (or both). My feeling is a mixture of excitement for my friends and colleagues in the show and the feeling that the everyday participation in the scene is far more interesting and powerful than any overview could ever be. 

Thursday:
+ Amy M. Ho "We Are Only Dust and Shadow" at Et al.

Friday:
+ "Bay Area Now 7" at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
+ Lecture: Cheryl Dunye "SFAI Graduate Lecture Series (GLS)" at San Francisco Art Institute

Saturday:
+ Screening: "M.I.R. Artist Tour & Tarasov Soviet Cartoon Screenings" at Kadist Art Foundation
+ Conrad Guevara "No Can Handle" at City Limits

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

Wednesday, July 16

Ferdinanda Florence, Wynne Hayakawa at Andrea Schwartz Gallery
SOMA: 525 2nd Street, 5:30-7:30pm

"Cross Section: Recent Acquisitions" at Mills College Art Museum
Oakland: 5000 Macarthur Boulvard, 6-8pm

Thursday, July 17

Alia Penner, Alicia Mccarthy, Andrew Schoultz, Annie Vought, Anthony Discenza, Apex , Brett Amory, Casey Gray, Chris Johanson, Dave Schubert, Desirée Holman, Hannah Ireland, Jen Stark, Jeremy Fish, Jet Martinez, Pakayla Rae Biehn, Zio Ziegler "Way Out West" curated by Jenny Sharaf, Tova Lobatz at Heron Arts
SOMA: 7 Heron Street, $15-$65, 5:30-11pm

+ Amy M. Ho "We Are Only Dust and Shadow" at Et al.
Chinatown: 620 Kearny Street, 7-10pm

Tilde Ann Thurium "Looking Up" at SF Institute of Possibility
Mission District: 3359 Cesar Chavez St., 7-10pm

Jane Norling, Jeff Snell, Robin Denevan, Thea Schrack "Modern Landscape" at Slate contemporary
Oakland: 473 25th Street, floor 1, 6-8pm

Friday, July 18

+ "Bay Area Now 7" at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
SOMA: 701 Misssion Street, at Third Street, $12 in Advance / $15 at the Door YBCA Members, YBCA:You FREE, 8-11pm

+ Lecture: Cheryl Dunye "SFAI Graduate Lecture Series (GLS)" at San Francisco Art Institute
Russian Hill: 800 Chesnut Street, Free, 6:30 pm

Michael Sosin "30 Years Handblown Glass" at ACCI Gallery
Berkeley: 1652 Shattuck Avenue, 6-9pm

Saturday, July 19

Alan Ellison, Andrea Steves, Andy Puls, Baby Barbarella aka Krisztina Lazar, Caitlin Denny, Chelsea Akita, Chen Hangfeng, Christine Ancalmo, Dalius Baranauskas, Elia Vargas, Eric Staller, Fernanda D’Agostino, Gail Dawson, Heather Cassils, Ileana Tejada, Jeff Ray, Jenn Cohen, Jeremiah Barber, Jesper Carlsen, Jiang Zhuyun, Kadet Kuhne, Kadet Kuhne, Kelsey Thorne, Kiki Hunt, La Chica Boom aka Xandra Ibarra, Luke Judd, Mary Franck, Mary Franck, Maya Smira, Miami aka Cristina Victor, Pamela Z, Pamela Z, Paul Clipson , Sofia Cordova, Solarist Project, Sonni aka Linda Trunzo "Night Light: Multimedia Garden Party 2014" at SOMArts Cultural Center
SOMA: 934 Brannan Street, $12 general admission, $35 for SOMArts 35th Anniversary Celebration, 9pm-12am

+ Screening: "M.I.R. Artist Tour & Tarasov Soviet Cartoon Screenings" at Kadist Art Foundation
Mission District: 3295 20th Street, at Folsom Street, 5pm

Tour: Led by Joanna Salska of Mercury 20 "3rd Saturday Guided Gallery District Tour: What is Avant-Garde in Art Now?" at Mercury 20 Gallery
Oakland: 475 25th Street, at Telegraph Avenue, Free, 2-4pm

Closing reception: Cheja, Jais Booth "The Poet and The Artist in Aphrodite's Garden: Liminal, Lyrical, Lucid" curated by Jais Booth at Red Door Gallery and Collective Oakland: 416 26th Street, $20 donation requested, open 1-5pm, closing 8-10pm

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+ Conrad Guevara "No Can Handle" at City Limits
Oakland: 300 Jefferson Street, 7-11pm

Performance: Paul Clipson with Tashi Wada, Steve Dye with Anthony Iamurri, Thad Povey & Mark Taylor, Zach Iannazzi "Gravity Spells: Bay Area New Music and Expanded Cinema Art. Program 3." curated by John Davis at Kala Art Institute
Berkeley: 2990 San Pablo Avenue, Free ($3 - $20 suggested donation), 7-10pm

Sunday, July 20

Closing reception: Carolyn Castaño "Narco Venus and Other Stories" at Meridian Gallery
Downtown: 535 Powell Street, 2-4pm

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

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 and add an image to your listing here. Powered by phpList.

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