The It List: Five things to do in Berkeley this weekend

PHOTOGRAPHY SHOW Berkeleyside contributing photographer Nancy Rubin’s work is among the pieces featured in a new group show at the Abrams Claghorn gallery. A reception for The Art of Seeing show takes place Saturday Dec. 10th, 5-7 p.m. at the gallery on Solano Avenue. See work also by Maria Budner, Mary Elliott, Leonard Farwell, Steve Haimovitz, Becky Jaffe, Zohra Kalinkowitz, Deborah Lichtman, Ann Low, Don Melandry, Aphra Pia, Emmy Randol, John Rice, Diane Rice, Nancy Rubin, Cliff Saunders, Monika Schrag, Larry Statan, Carol Thomas and Theresa Thomas. The gallery also offers many handmade items for sale in its gift section. Abrams Claghorn is at 1251 Solano Ave. Visit the gallery website for full information.

EAST BAY BOOK AND ZINE FEST The seventh annual East Bay Alternative Book and Zine Fest (EBABZ) is back in Berkeley, at the David Brower Center, on Saturday, Dec. 10, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Meet, support, trade and see how much our community has grown since last year’s event. EBABZ is an all-volunteer-run/organized event. Sadly, Ara Jo, its main organizer, was killed in the Ghost Ship fire. All funds go towards paying “featured workshop instructors, panelists, lecturers and worker bees who strive to uphold a safer space of information and ideas!” Find information on the EBABZ Facebook event page.

ARTISAN OPEN STUDIOS More than 100 professional artists, craftspeople and galleries at studio buildings in Berkeley open their doors to the public during the 26th annual Berkeley Artisans Holiday Open Studios. The open studios continue Saturdays and Sundays Dec. 10-11, 17-18 and 19-24. Grab the brochure for a self-guided tour of fine art, blown glass, functional and decorative ceramics, ornaments, menorahs, lamps and lighting, painted and custom furniture, garden art, floor cloths, one-of-a-kind clothing, textiles, dolls, leather bags, many styles of jewelry, sculpture, photography, paintings, original prints & works on paper, mosaics, and work from recycled materials. All work is handcrafted, and many pieces are one-of-a-kind. Full details.

BOOK READING/HISTORY OF BUTTER Tonight (Friday) at Books Inc. at 7 p.m., award-winning food writer and chef Elaine Khosrova will discuss her new book, Butter: A Rich History. The delicious kitchen staple we so often take for granted is not merely a stick tucked into our refrigerator door. It’s a culinary catalyst, an agent of change, a gastronomic rock star. From its accidental invention in a long-ago herder’s pouch to its ubiquitous presence in the world’s most fabulous cuisines, butter is boss. Now, it finally gets its due. Books Inc. in Berkeley, 1491 Shattuck Ave.

ECOLOGY CENTER WINTER CRAFT FAIR Shop local and responsibly this year at the Ecology Center’s 25th Annual Winter Craft Fair which will have on offer sustainably made, hand-crafted, and beautiful gifts from Bay Area artisans. For two Saturdays in December — starting on Dec. 10 — the downtown Berkeley farmers market will be awash in upcycled messenger bags, wooden bowls from sustainably harvested wood, nontoxic jewelry, wildcrafted and natural body products. Peruse gifts while getting your grocery shopping done at the Farmers’ Market, and enjoy hot cider and good music. Remember to bring your reusable shopping bag. Or find a handmade one there! Craft Fair at the farmers market on Dec. 10 and Dec. 17 at Civic Center Park, 2151 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Ever wonder how Berkeleyside compiles its weekly It List? We rely on event organizers to tell us about their events (email editors@berkeleyside.com) and we also select events listed by organizers on the Berkeleyside Events Calendar — submissions are self-serve and free, so be sure to use it!