EAT, DRINK, READ In an impressive show of collaboration, three Elmwood merchants have joined forces to organize an “Elmwood happening” on Sunday Sept. 9th. “Moveable Feast” starts at Summer Kitchen Bake Shop at 4:00pm with a menu of small plates inspired by the new book “Ripe: A Fresh, Colorful Approach to Fruits and Vegetables”. Author Cheryl Sternman Rule and food photographer Paulette Phlipot will give a talk on getting started in food writing and photography at Mrs Dalloway’s bookstore at 4:30pm; then there will be a photography exhibit and wine reception at art gallery Collector at 5:00pm. For details, see Elmwood Happenings. Tickets available at Mrs. Dalloway’s (510-704-8222). (Update: 1:35pm: Two readers have won the two tickets Berkeleyside was giving away to this event. Thanks to those who participated!)
TAKE A BREAK FOR ART Lisa Rasmussen and Lauren Odell Usher have a vision: to create a global tradition of the world sitting down together to make art. Towards that goal, the two artists have created Take 5: Art Break Day where, on the first Friday in September, communities set up public art stations where people can stop by to draw, paint, doodle, or do other creative endeavors, all for free. The day isn’t quite global yet, but it is growing with locations in the Bay Area, Malibu, and Americus, GA. In Berkeley on Friday Sept. 7, the group will be setting up in the Gourmet Ghetto on Shattuck and Vine from 9 am to 5 pm. Take a break from quotidian tasks and stop by to make art. The first 1,000 participants will get a free gift.
ROCKING THE WORLD How often do you get a chance to listen to music and do your civic duty? Not often, most likely. But on Friday, Rock the Vote, a group whose mission is to register young voters, will be in the Greek Theater for a concert with Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. In partnership with the snack food Pringles, Rock the Vote will be registering students and others for the Nov. 6th election. “Our goal is to reinvigorate our country’s democracy and redefine citizenship for a generation in 2012 and beyond,” reads the group’s website.
SECRET GRAFFITI Somewhere in West Berkeley is a 36,000 square foot, three-story warehouse that has been vacant for more than a decade. But during the past few months, its interior has been transformed by a cadre of 40 Bay Area street artists, some of whom have exhibited work at the Oakland Museum. On Saturday Sept. 8 from 6 pm to midnight, the graffiti-decorated interior will be shown for the first time, part of Special Delivery Art Show by Endless Canvas, an underground group that promotes grafitti and large-scale mural exhibitions. The location is a mystery and won’t be revealed until Friday on the group’s website. Berkeley’s Ear Peace Records will produce a live hip hop show on the third floor, including a performance by CandleSpit Collective. Miggy Stardust will DJ on the first floor. The warehouse will also be open for viewings during the day each Sunday in September. UPDATE: The secret location is THE CARBON WAREHOUSE, 1350 4th Street, Berkeley.
IT’S IN THE EYE OF THE BEHOLDER When Glen Helfand and gallery owner Katrina Traywick set out to guest-curate a show for the Berkeley Art Center, they put out a call to artists asking them to submit work that related to “Beauty.” There was no more explanation, which is apparent at the show at the gallery in Live Oak Park, which closes Sept. 9. From Johanna Friedman’s woven cotton tapestry showing a scene from the film, “Body Heat,” to Matthew Gottschalk’s “20 of People Magazine’s Most Beautiful People 2012,” the 25 artists in the show offer widely different and unique views on what beauty means.
Don’t forget other weekend happenings previously mentioned on Berkeleyside:
Review: “Kumaré” opens at Rialto Cinemas Elmwood on Friday Sept. 7
The 38th annual Solano Stroll takes place on Sunday, Sept. 9
Also, check out the newly launched Berkeleyside Radio, which presents music from many bands that will be playing around town in the next two weeks. You can stream it, too. Produced by Deli Radio.
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To find out about more events in Berkeley and nearby, visit Berkeleyside’s Events Calendar. We also encourage you to submit your own events.
