Tomorrow, Saturday, March 29, has been designated SWAN Day (Support Women in the Arts Now Day) by The Fund for Women Artists, a San Francisco based non-profit arts organization which aims to help women artists acquire resources for creative work.

30 U.S. states and 10 countries will be hosting SWAN-related events ranging from a documentary film screening in San Francisco to a four-day SWAN Day festival in Berlin and a Celebration of Craftswomen bazaar in India.

You might be pleased to hear that the city of Martinez is joining in on the action with an arts event at the Martinez Opera which is located at 908 Ferry Street.

More than three dozen Contra Costa and Solano County artists will be displaying (and selling) their paintings, jewelry and crafts.

The free event will be held from noon-5 p.m. and all sale proceeds will go directly to the artists.

Visit www.womenarts.org for more information.

I called a friend of mine after seeing his name in a press release about the Bedford Gallery’s current show, “The Art of Diorama.” I was wondering if I could put the word out on an email list that I am on that his works would be part of the show and if I could carpool people to the opening last night.

Well, he was shy to be put on the list. And, he said, his work is old and there are more than 20 other artists showing at the gallery, all with fantastic work. I promised I would be at the show and we said our cheery goodbyes.

Well, I forgot about the show opening last night. Luckily, the newspaper’s art writer Robert Taylor worte a charming article about the show in today’s paper.

I hated making dioramas in school but I love looking at ones that are painstakingly put together by artists. They are fun, unusual and thought-provoking. I am definitely going to go see this show, missing the opening night be damned!

Yes, you can make money doing art, even if you’re not well-known. Alameda County is an art collector of sorts and they have $200,000 to blow on works for county buildings, the Juvenile Justice Center and rehabilitation center. The catch is, the works have to be relatively positive in nature. Read the details below.

“The Alameda County Arts Commission is offering new opportunities for Alameda County artists to have their artwork considered for the Alameda County Art Collection. Artists who make two-dimensional, low-relief, or wall sculptural artwork, and artists at all levels of professional development are invited to apply. More than $200,000 is available to purchase existing artwork and to commission artists to create new works of art. Through the Artwork Purchase Program existing artwork will be acquired and installed at County buildings. The Small Scale Artwork Commission Program will commission artists to make new works of art to be installed at the Juvenile Justice Center and the Sobering and Detoxification Centers in Alameda County. Artists interested in creating artwork for the communities served at these unique facilities are strongly encouraged to apply. Artists will be asked to create works with positive themes that contribute to a safe and supportive environment. The County’s art collection includes artwork that illuminates the history, culture, language, and traditions of this region; engenders a sense of continuity and belonging among the members of our community; and promotes understanding of cultural values and perspectives of all people. A selection panel appointed by the Arts Commission and comprised of arts professionals, County staff, and community representatives will select the artists and artwork. The final selections must be approved by the Arts Commission Board. Applications for these opportunities must be submitted online through the CaFÉ™ website, www.callforentry.org (search for “Alameda County”). A free technical application workshop will be held at the Alameda County Conference Center (125 12^th Street at Oak, Oakland) on Thursday, April 3 at 1pm. Space is limited; call the Arts Commission Office to make a reservation. The deadline for the Purchase Program is May 30, 2008 and the deadline for the Small Scale Artwork Commission Program is June 30, 2008. These opportunities are open to practicing, professional visual artists who live, are permanently employed, or rent/own an artist’s studio in Alameda County. Qualified professional artists, including women and African American, Latino/Chicano, Native American, and Asian/Pacific Islander artists and artists with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Further details about these opportunities are available at the Arts Commission website www.acgov.org/arts or by contacting the Arts Commission Office at (510) 208-9646. ”

We can argue all day if robots are art or not. You know, are they made for aesthetics, function or primarily for war?

I vote for war, most of the time. But then you see something like the Boston Dynamics‘ “Big Dog” and there is something arty about it.

Check out this wildly popular video of the bot. My dorky robot-loving friends love it but argue that no matter what, the thing does look like two guys in leotards. It is not, by the way.

Belly dance is a hit for women of all ages and sizes, for exercise and art purposes. Rakkasah West just happens to be the largest belly dancing festival in the world and it just happens to be in the Bay Area. And it happens to be this weekend.

I went to Rakkasah West with a friend of mine last year and it was a hoot. I had NO idea how many people were into belly dance and how many people were going to be at this massive event.

My friend spent most of her time shopping for belly dancing clothes at the event. She found bra tops and skirts and jingly coin belts.

I have tried belly dancing but I like being watched doing it a little less than I like walking barefoot across dirty syringes. I do, however, like to see belly dance performance and there were a few vendors at the event that had wares for my liking. I got a lapel pin of a skull and crossbones with rubies and other accoutremonts. I promptly lost the $80 piece, but oh well.

Rakkasah West is a not-to-be missed event for all you ladies and gentlemen interested in dance and gyration as well. Some really talented performers take the stage constantly throughout the weekend. They are the best dancers from all over the West and my friend from Modesto is dragging me to it again. I am secretly looking forward to it.

Rakkasah West is being held Friday Saturday and Sunday at the Solano County Fair Grounds, 900 Fairground Drive in Vallejo. Tickets are $12 to $15 but I suggest bringing a wheelbarrow full of extra cash for all the shopping available.

Just because you like to look at art doesn’t mean you can’t appreciate the art of nature and sport. And have I got a thing for you.

Tonight and tomorrow night, the sports equipment store REI is hosting the Banff Mountain Film Festival World Tour. It’s a film festival with shorts from five minutes long to 50 minutes long about the outdoors, outdoor sports and activities and animals.

I went to the film festival last year and not only was I inspired and stunned by what I saw, I also won a sleeping bag from the film festival raffle! Yeah!

Anyway, I learned from a great source that this year’s festival is amazing and worth the $18 ticket price. See for yourself with this World Tour trailer. The first 1 minute and 47 seconds will be enough to get you into those seats. There are films with bears vs. wolves, man vs. mountain, ice climbing, tribal ceremony, etc. etc. And the music is pretty rad too.

 The film festival is held at 8 p.m. tonight and tomorrow night at Wheeler Auditorium at UC Berkeley. It then hits the peninsula Friday and Saturday night at the Eagle Theater at Los Altos High School.

The Society of Single Professionals is hosting an Art & Wine Tasting Party this Saturday in San Rafael from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. For $20 in advance or $30 at the door you get all the wine you can taste from boutique wineries and you get to be in a room with other singles looking to have a fun time.

It is being held at Art Works Downtown, a gallery that is now showing work from artists at the Headlands Center for the Arts.

I wrote about the Society of Single Professionals months ago and got a great response. The non-profit organization hosts several parties all over the Bay Area for singles who just want to get out there and meet other singles. It’s mostly an older crowd, people in their 50s and 60s, and a friendly one.

This art event sounds fun! Buy tickets here. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll find love!

 Downtown Oakland’s First Fridays Art Murmur is so hip it’s hardly a murmur anymore. It’s a full-on shout that downtown Oakland is the place to befor art lovers on the first Friday of the month.

You see, several studios open their doors for opening receptions of all sorts. Some artists gather near those doors and present their own pieces for the evening. People are walking and biking the neighborhood, going from gallery space to gallery space looky-looing at the art, the good and the bad. The Oakland Museum of California even stays open late on the first Friday of the month to participate in the event.

Michael Sacramento “1985 Air Jordans, 2007″ Acrylic on wood. 36 x 36″

This weekend, there’s something different on the line for the Art Murmur. Specifically, there’s a show being hung at the Uptown Body and Fender shop near all the other galleries that is simply a “you can’t miss this” show.

Rebecca Shortle “Bio\Logic 016″ Acrylic on panel, 36 x 36″

Basically, a group of nine artists are transforming the body and fender shop into a painting exhibition they are calling “Road Trip.” The event explores the creative paths taken by the individual artists and reflects the spirit of their group.

The story of the group is an interesting one. Many of the members first met in 2004 while participating in that Taking the Leap Art Business Program. They were all students of painter and mentor Jamie Brunson. When their program ended in early 2005, they decided to keep meeting regularly as a group.

Jane Norling, “Capp3/Urgup” Oil & graphite on rag paper, 36 x 36″

Since then, the group has exchanged ideas about the creative process monthly as well as shared resources, processes, and encouragement.

The artists are lawyers, designers, architects, gamers, therapists, currency traders and activists-turned artists. A portion of the exhibit proceeds will go to Oakland’s Creative Growth Art Center. 

“Road Trip” opens at 6 p.m. Friday at Uptown Body and Fender, 401 26th St. between Broadway and Telegraph Avenue. The exhibit continues through the weekend of March 8 and 9, open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Here are some more tastes of what you will see at “Road Trip.”

Tracy Rocca, “Seedling Study,” Oil on polyester over panel, 24 x 24″

I personally love seeing a bunch of work from different artists being displayed in one place, especially if the work is of this quality. The pieces are diverse as are the themes and it seems fresh and vibrant expression.

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 Amanda Williams, “BLS #15: Code Blue Part I” Oil, mixed media on panel 4.5″

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  Suzanne Onodera, “The Path of Desire” Oil on canvas, 60 x 60 “

 Judy Levit, “Mirror,” Acrylic & collage on canvas, 36 x 36″

Lorrie Fink, “Thrill Seeker, study,” Oil on paper, 9.5 x 7.5″

 Sarah Gopher, “Eye of the Storm,” oil on canvas, 48 x 60″

I spent a relaxing afternoon at Zeitgiest Sunday and ran into Melissa Alexander, the Executive Director of Burning Man’s Black Rock Arts Foundation, a non-profit organization that helps support the arts in the Bay Area. She told me that the organization, which is responsible for bringing a number of large-scale artworks to San Francisco, is funding a trip of the much-talked-about Homouroboros to San Jose.

The huge piece, done by artist Peter Hudson, was one of the highlights of Burning Man 2007. It consists of 18 life-sized monkeys hanging from curved branches. People can pound on six drums to get the piece moving. Then, using strobes at night or liquid crystal shutter goggles by day, a mind trick called “persistence of vision” causes the monkeys to appear like they are jumping from branch to branch. It is totally amazing.

I have been a fan of Hudson’s work since I saw his swimmers, “Sisyphish” at Burning Man 2001.   

I got a cool surprise when Contra Costa Times Walnut Creek reporter Theresa Harrington wrote about her brother’s work for Burning Man 2007 and her brother happened to be Hudson and the piece happened to be this amazing monkey sculpture.

The Black Rock Arts Foundation hopes to exhibit Homouroboros for one month in conjunction with San Jose’s bi-annual Zero One festival, a festival of technology and art.

Melissa Alexander told me about how the piece will affect the multi-cultural citizens of San Jose. She really wants it to get to San Jose and so do I.

Look for it this spring.

I went to see Tim Barsky’s “Over 9 Waves” this past weekend, a show put on by Everyday Theatre. I was expecting to see classic Barsky storytelling mixed in with music and instrumentals, poetry and passion.

I was not disappointed.

As the weekend before, the 70-minute show ended with a standing ovation for Barsky in the tiny Climate Theater space. My friend and I arrived at the show 30 minutes early and got great seats in the back. Being familiar with Barksy’s work, I wasn’t surprised with what I saw Saturday night but my friend, who had never seen Barsky before, really thought she came across something special. She did.

They announced at the show that “Over 9 Waves” has been extended. It will now be held March 15, 22 and 29 at the Climate Theater. Get tickets here.

Everyday Theatre also hosts other events, like Vowel Movement Beatboxers, being held April 5.  Resident beatboxers include Soulati & Infinite, Butterscotch, Eachbox, Tim Barksky, DC, Cornbread and Syzygy among others. Vowel Movement is at Climate Theater.

The Climate Theater is also presenting a monthly “Show & Tell” art night billed as a “slide slam and pot luck,” Sunday, March 9.  Artists are encouraged to bring slides of their work in progress and hook up with a community of other artists at the event.