Here’s the shortlist of places not to miss tonight, which looks to be a beautiful evening despite the rainy forecast  just a day ago.

Firstly, Vanae Rivera will be having a solo show at 19 Blue (19 West Ortega). Vanae was the designer of the first Santa Barbara Arts Collaborative t-shirt and was a huge contributor to the Bar Napkin Biennale at Muddy Waters just a few weeks back.  I can’t say that I remember seeing a show at 19 Blue, but I am excited to see a new venue added to the First Thursday lineup. Vanae’s work is graphic, and street-inspired, and is the kind of edgy work that is all too hard to find in Santa Barbara, so make sure you don’t miss this show.

The other thing that should not be missed tonight is the Forum Lounge with Sanford Biggers at the Contemporary Arts Forum. This is a major event at CAF, and I have been been waiting for weeks for this event. The show starts at 7 tonight, so you’ll have plenty of time to check out your regular favorite First Thursday spots.

I believe that there are also a lot of street performances scheduled for tonight. And I’m sure there are a lot of other great places to check out tonight, so if you want to help get the word out about shows or events that I have missed, please help spread the word by posting a comment on this post.

Sanford Biggers,Bittersweet the Fruit, 2002

THUR. APR. 1, 7 PM
Forum Lounge: Sanford Biggers, with special guests Gamelan Sinar Surya and DJ Jahi Sundance

Although largely known as a visual artist, Sanford Biggers uses sound and music as a central element in his work, which is currently on view at CAF. Biggers presents a unique mash-up featuring Los Angeles-based DJ Jahi Sundance, live video mixing, and local ensemble Gamelan Sinar Surya. Drawing from ancient African and Buddhist musical traditions, stream of consciousness, hip hop culture, and projected images, he will offer a collective audience interaction relating back to the Buddhist concept of interconnectedness (in that many people have touched the work and with every new touch, each person becomes connected to one another in a real, but subtle way). Co-presented by Gamelan Sinar Surya and The Brotherhood of Santa Barbara.
FREE

FRI. APR. 2, 6 – 8 PM
Artist Seminar: CAF invites students, artists, and members of the community who wish to gain a more in-depth understanding of the themes addressed in the exhibition on view at CAF,Sanford Biggers: Moon Medicine, to this seminar-style event with Miki Garcia, Executive Director. Attendance is limited; please RSVP. Participants are invited to prepare by reading selected articles, to be provided upon RSVP. Contact Nicole at nbiergiel@sbcaf.org, or 805.966.5373 ext. 102 for more information.
FREE

NOV. 15, 2009 – APR. 15, 2010
Passport to Santa Barbara County at CAF
Children in kindergarten to sixth grade are invited to the Contemporary Art Forum (CAF) with an accompanying adult free of admission when they present a Passport to Santa Barbara County booklet. Collect a stamp in your passport booklet and experience the art of our time through a variety of art activities, as part of the Santa Barbara Educators Roundtable (SBERT) Passport to Santa Barbara County program. more info
FREE

WED.  APR.  21, 7 PM
Discussion and Book Signing with Peter Clothier
Clothier is an internationally-known writer who specializes in writing about art and artists. He will be available at CAF to discuss and sign copies of his newest book Persist: In Praise of a the Creative Spirit in a World Gone Mad with Commerce about the predicament of the artist in a cultural environment dominated by money and celebrity, and it encourages artists to develop new strategies for success.
FREE