The to-do list

"Stop" by Dan Adams

Art

Wow factor: Some local galleries would be content to celebrate their first anniversary with a one-night-only party, but Kensington space Edgeware Gallery (4186 Adams Ave.) always seems to do things a little differently. For Art Wow, they’re inviting 11 of the best local artists to get out of their studios and do their thing onsite and let the public see firsthand the creative process. Starting Saturday, Oct. 17, and Sunday, Oct. 18, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., the interactive exhibition will continue every weekend and culminate in an opening on Friday, Oct. 30, when artists like Dan Adams, Eric Wixon and Anna Zappoli Jenkins will display the results of their work. www.edgewaregallery.com. The original version of this write-up listed the hours on Oct. 17 and 18 as 5 to 9 p.m. We apologize for any confusion.

Lectures

Critical thinking: Rabbi, psychologist, professor and writer Michael Lerner has at times been called “controversial,” but, honestly, we don’t understand why. We guess it’s because Middle East politics is so fraught with tension that if you offer any opinion at all, someone’s bound to get upset. The thing is, Lerner has long preached peace among warring nations and warring religious groups. Yes, he’s a Jew who’s been critical of Israel, but he’s also criticized creeping left-wing anti-Semitism. He has urged liberals to be more understanding of the need for many Americans to find meaning through religion, and he has attacked what he considers rampant materialism and selfishness in the U.S. Lerner will speak on the “Present Spiritual Challenge for U.S. Global Survival” at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15, at Linder Hall, First United Methodist Church of San Diego (2111 Camino del Rio S. in Mission Valley). Requested donation: $10. Register at www.fumcsd.org/sdscs/nsp. He’ll also speak at a luncheon at noon on Friday, Oct. 16, at the Hall of Champions in Balboa Park. $20. www.cityclubofsandiego.com.

Special Events

Beach bro bingo: High-tide warnings be damned—it’s time for the 6th Annual Dempsey Holder Ocean Festival and Surf Contest. The “Dempsey” is a grassroots surf contest at the Imperial Beach Pier Plaza to celebrate the progress being made to stop pollution that taints border beaches and endangers public health. Sewage problems on both sides of the border have been curbed significantly by the recent creation of four new sewage plants in the area, thanks to the environmental group Wildcoast’s “Clean Water Campaign.” If that’s not reason enough to strap on your wetsuit, the festival will also include a performance by High Tide and plenty of other activities on dry land. The festival goes from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18. www.wildcoast.net.

Short and sweet: As Shakespeare put it, “Brevity is the soul of wit.” Indeed, it’s a smart cookie who’s able to convey a complete story in 101 words or less. In honor of our annual Fiction 101 contest and all the winners featured in this issue, Write Out Loud, a local theater company that performs literary works, will hold its second annual Reading of Fiction 101 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Monday, Oct. 19, at Claire de Lune Coffee Lounge in North Park (2506 University Ave.). Last year’s reading, held at the now-closed Caffé Forte, packed ’em in with readings by the Write Out Loud crew, as well as a few brave Fiction 101 authors. Show up and listen as your favorite piece of itty-bitty fiction comes to life. www.writeoutloud.com

Photography

Milking it: Local artist Vabianna Santos likes to explore issues of identity using the thesis that the face is a mask—a product of our culture. For Milk My Face, her new show at The Rubber Rose (3812 Ray St. in North Park) opening from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, Santos photographed faces that resemble female icons, emerging through a thin pool of milk. Santos’ question for the viewer: Are we conditioned by society to see icons like Barbie and Marilyn Monroe? Or can we look past the mask to see what’s really emerging through the milk? www.therubberrose.com. 

Music

Swingin’: As the only all-jazz radio station in town, KSDS 88.3-FM doesn’t get enough credit for its series of stellar shows throughout the year. As if its schedule weren’t full enough already, the nonprofit station presents the first annual National City Jazz Festival, featuring a free outdoor concert with Quinteto Caballero, Sweet Baby J’ai and the Pete Escovedo Latin Orchestra from 2 to 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, at Pepper Park (south end of Tidelands Avenue). In addition to Saturday’s outdoor show, Café La Maze (1441 Highland Ave. in National City) also features live music in conjunction with the festival from 6 to 11 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14, through Saturday, Oct. 17, including performances from Sandy Chappel, Burnett Anderson, Trio Gadjo, the Ed Kurbov Big Band and others. So much jazz, so little time. www.nationalcityca.gov. 

Food & Drink

Do the worm!: Take advantage of the only weekend when it’s socially acceptable to drink more than 200 different types of tequila in one public place—it’s the 2009 Tequila Festival and Expo in Tijuana. From Friday, Oct. 16, through Sunday, Oct. 18, Avenida Revolución will be lined with live music, festival food and tequila-tasting booths run by tequila experts and distillers who will show you the finer qualities of the liquor. Five Star Tours & Charter Bus Company will provide Tequila Tours (read: designated drivers) to and from the festival throughout the weekend. $39 per person. www.tequila-tours.com.

Beer for boobs: Shaney Jo Darden, co-founder and executive director of the nonprofit Keep-A-Breast, has managed to move breast-cancer prevention into the realm of cool by partnering with surf and skate companies (to get young folks’ attention) and enlisting notable artists to decorate casts of nude female torsos that are then auctioned off to raise money for the cause. From 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18, stop by Blind Lady Ale House (3416 Adams Ave. in Normal Heights) because $1 from every beer you purchase will be donated to K-A-B. Local artist Joshua Krause will be doing live painting of a breast cast, and the K-A-B ladies will be handing out boobie swag. There’ll also be a raffle of skater gear, and there might be boob-shaped cupcakes, which we hear go great with beer. www.blindlady.blogspot.com.