DEC. 3 - DEC. 10: Our picks of this week's events

ART

The art of energy

Local artist and sculptor Bret Barrett is a tinkerer. He tinkers with electronics, gears and gadgets and creates what he calls kinetic collages, which turn out to be artistic sculptural pieces that look like beautiful machines from the future. Barrett likes to paint, too, and for his upcoming solo show at Art of Framing Gallery (3333 Adams Ave. in Normal Heights), which opens from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, he’ll exhibit his sculptures and paintings, which are mostly of cool-looking robots and other surreal things that might exist in this world if only humans were more imaginative. www.theartofframing.net, 619-563-9770.

The spirit’s alive: When Magpie Boutique and Gallery closed its doors a year or so ago, we worried that no one would be able to take its place—the owners’ taste in both fashion and art was pretty impeccable. Our worries were put to rest when Junc Boutique & Gallery set up shop at 2205 Fern St. in South Park and filled the space with nice clothes for boys and girls and brought on local artist Jasmine Worth as the curator. Worth has been putting on good shows since she stepped in, and she continues on the right path with Partridge in a Pear Tree, a show featuring local artists such as Pamela Jaeger, Paige Luneau, James Geiger, Worth herself and more. The opening will be held from 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, the same time the entire South Park community opens its doors with music and refreshments for the recurring South Park Walk-About. www.southparkscene.com.

MUSIC

Fathers of folk

Roger McGuinn has a MySpace page. We wonder if he saw that coming back in the ’60s when he was fronting The Byrds and blazing the folk-rock trail. McGuinn’s page, though, isn’t about the past; it’s about what he’s up to now, which includes a national tour that stops at the Poway Center for the Performing Arts (15498 Espola Road) at 8 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6. McGuinn will be joined by fellow folk-rock father John Sebastian of The Lovin’ Spoonful. McGuinn will play solo; Sebastian will be joined by his band. $42. www.powayarts.org, 858-748-0505.

Unexpected places: The Two Roses Tattoo parlor (2181 Logan Ave. in Barrio Logan) was voted one of the city’s best tattoo parlors by our readers in our recent Best of San Diego issue. It’s a pretty sweet honor, but Two Roses is really so much more. It’s a tattoo parlor, a café and a barber shop all rolled into one. The aesthetic of the place is great, and we’re hoping the acoustics are, too, because at 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, they’ll host the pretty and relaxing acoustic sounds of The White Buffalo with guest Russell Hayden. $10-$12. www.tworosesinc.com.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Getting attention

Teenagers are hopeless—that’s what most people think. But most people aren’t The New Children’s Museum (200 West Island St., Downtown), which has sectioned off a big chunk of the museum just for angst-filled teens. Curators have been filling the Teen Studio with interesting shows and happenings since its opening earlier this year, and from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5, the tradition continues with the opening of The Wonder Parlor, an interactive installation by Clare Parry and Julia Westerbeke. The two artists have come up with a fantastical surreal creation that turns ordinary thrift-store furniture into something extraordinary. In conjunction with the installation, the artists will hold workshops for teens that delve into the meaning behind the thing, the first of which will happen from 1 to 4 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 8. www.thinkplaycreate.org.

ACTIVISM

Who the f@#% did it?

Who in their right minds voted yes on Proposition 8, the initiative that banned gay marriage in California? It’s a question we keep asking ourselves as we cry into our beers and watch in horror as our country takes two steps forward while our state takes three steps back. At 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4, author and historian Sherry Wolf will talk about The History of Gay Oppression and the Fight for Liberation and try to shed some light on the darkness that is Prop. 8. Wolf, author of the forthcoming book, Sexuality and Socialism: History, Politics and Theory of Gay Liberation, is the guest speaker for this month’s International Socialist Organization meeting at the City Heights Rec Center, 4380 Landis St. The public is encouraged to attend. www.activistsandiego.com.

FASHION

We’ve got it

San Diego is forever yapping at the heels of L.A. and New York in terms of its fashion scene, but from 7 to 10 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 4, the local fashion scene will be at its best for the annual art-inspired runway show at the Museum of Contemporary Art’s TNT event (at the Downtown location at 1001 Kettner Blvd.). This year, artists and designers were asked to use the museum’s current Human/Nature: Artists Respond to a Changing Planet exhibition to create eco-friendly clothing designs for the What Goes Around Comes Around: An Eco-Chic Fashion Show. Fresh will do the hair, and DJ Mark E Quark will make sure the models are walking to a decent beat. Exist1981, Grammatique, Sally Bee and Tib Nelson Designs are a few of the designers who’ll be featured. Show up early for a good view of the show. $3 suggested donation. www.mcasd.org.

BOOKS

Jazz it up

Ami Silber is living proof that graduate degrees aren’t worthless. She got one in literature at UCSD and another at University of Iowa. After she was done, she scored a book deal with The Toby Press for Early Bright, her debut novel about a white, Jewish jazz musician in 1940s Los Angeles. Silber will read from her book while Burnett Anderson improvises some live jazz at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7, at The Ink Spot, 710 13th St., Downtown. www.sandiegowriters.org, 619-284-1343.