Stuff to do: Poetry month, greenway gathering, park pop-up

Read in spanish / Leer en español

The rain appears to be over for now. We’ll have a mostly sunny weekend — perfect for hanging out to enjoy spring! In the Mission, we will say farewell to several great art exhibitions that close this week, but more await us in April. 

Incidentally, here  is a list of Mission bars that provide fentanyl test strips and Narcan. Our reporters called almost every bar in the neighborhood to collect the data, and we’ve included cards on how to use both. You can save lives.

This week’s sheriff oversight meeting near Japantown got one single participant, again. Board members want input from the public to “make sure people of San Francisco get the inspector they deserve” to lead the new oversight body, according to the board’s president, Jayson Wechter. 

If you’re a Mission resident and interested in learning more about the future Inspector General role overseeing the conduct of sheriff’s deputies, mark the date: April 21. The District 9 community meeting will be from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Mission Arts Center. Let’s see if people — plural — show up to discuss this weighty matter. 

Closing soon

Solo Mujeras

The “Solo Mujeres” 36th Annual Art Exhibition at Mission Culture Center for Latino Arts will end Thursday, March 30. The closing reception will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. If you haven’t seen it, take this last chance to view 20 Latina artists’ works. It’s worth the $5 ticket, for sure. And you may meet some artists in person at the reception.

“An artist is not special. An artist is an ordinary person who can take ordinary things and make them special.”

—Ruth Asawa

Asawa-Lanier exhibition

The exhibition, “Generation/The Roots of Making in the Asawa-Lanier Family,” will close March 31. The current show comes 10 years after Asawa’s death. And it celebrates four generations of the famed family’s artwork at Ruth’s Table on 21st Street between Mission and Capp streets. Art from Asawa and her husband, Albert Lanier, can be viewed along with pieces by their daughter and son, Aiko Cuneo and Paul Lanier; their granddaughter, Lilli Lanier; and great-granddaughter, Lucia Ruth Soriano.

Thursday

As part of Community Music Center’s Inspiration & Influences series of talks, this week presents Irene Chagall, a teacher  at the center since 1984. In an hour-long session starting at 7 p.m. this Thursday, she will share some of her favorite experiences generated through sharing songs, dances, poetry and puppets. Video conference link will be sent if you reserve a spot here.

Friday

Live music and art

SKY artist Mark Heringer will be playing with his band from 7-9 p.m. on March 31st in The Drawing Room Annex at 780 Valencia Street. And the SKY show has been extended to April 29th!

The art supply garage sale is back, with 50 percent off retail prices on a huge selection of high-quality art products.

Community show

Wicked Talented Friends at Manny’s is an inclusive and judgment-free space for creative expression and experimentation. At 7 p.m. this Friday, music, spoken word, comedy, dance, informal Ted Talks, funny PowerPoint presentations, and any other creative pursuits are welcomed from community members. Just show something that speaks to how you’ve become the person you are today! You can get a $5 ticket and learn more info here.

Alayo Dance Company

Alayo Dance Company will present Mouth of A Shark, a reflection on the lives of immigrants, at ODC Theater at 3153 17th St starting this Friday at 7:30 p.m. The show is inspired in part by Somali poet Warsan Shire’s poem Home: “No One Leaves Home; Unless Home is …”

You will see Afro-Cuban dance forms incorporated into a conceptual framework of the dual identities of immigrants. The work is also informed by Alayo’s return in 2021 and 2020 to his native Santiago, Cuba. While there, he worked with young professional dancers from Danza del Caribe—the company he danced with before immigrating to the United States.

There are three shows in total, including one at 7:30 p.m. this Saturday and one at 4:30 p.m. this Sunday. The ticket price is $35 for an adult and $25 for a youth under 12. Learn more here.

Tarot meetup

Have you been craving an inclusive, tarot-loving community? The Scarlet Sage Herb Co. is holding a monthly in-person meetup to exchange tarot resources, readings, questions, spreads, ideas, and lots of laughter.

That happens on Friday at 1193 Valencia St., from  4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Your oracle cards, as well as $5-10 donation, are welcome! Register in advance here.

Saturday

Greenway Community celebration

This Saturday, from 4 to 7 p.m., the Mission Greenway will hold a community celebration with the Mission Arts Performance Project on the controversial Parcel 36. They want to transform what was once a section of railroad, connecting Treat Ave. to 22nd St., into a hub for pollinator gardens, small food production, education and environmental stewardship. Bring your friends, families, pets and instruments to join the neighborhood party!

Heart Your Parks

Free screen printing pop-ups are coming for the Heart Your Parks campaign. It is an annual San Francisco Parks Alliance campaign to showcase the love that San Franciscans have for the city’s parks and public spaces through free events and fundraising to support the spaces. 
Alamo Square Park is the first park up this year! From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. this Saturday, parkgoers are invited to participate by pulling their own prints on provided paper and donating directly to the campaign. More info can be found on the donation page.

‘Future Resonance’ opening

On April 1, Yerba Buena Arts Center will present a new exhibition, “Future Resonance,” in collaboration with thirteen Studio Forward graduate students at California College of the Arts (CCA). It features an array of immersive works: Objects, graphic artifacts, digital tools, multimedia environments, using speculative design methodologies and biotechnology to navigate conceptions of time, space, sound and light. There will be an opening celebration for the exhibition at the galleries from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday, April 7, featuring music pioneer Suzanne Ciani.

Upcoming

Spring quarter registration

Reserve your lessons and classes at the Community Music Center on Capp Street between 20th and 21st streets today. Spring quarter starts April 3. The center provides any new student with a free registration fee and a free instrument rental. You can find all class information here, and the calendar here.

April: National Poetry Month

Every Sunday in April, poets, writers, and readers alike will come together and celebrate the beauty of language and the power of poetry. Yes, 826 Valencia will be popping up at the Sunday SPARK Socials  from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. for National Poetry Month! Poetry-themed games and activities will welcome you, and there is a chance to win a 20 percent off coupon at Mission Bay Woodland Creature Outfitters. More info can be found here.