Eugene Weekly : Calendar : 7.5.07

According to the Live Earth's Live Impact carbon footprint calculator, we have a carbon output of 7 tons. Good, but not great. What do we do? Oh yeah, let's throw a benefit concert on a global scale to combat this global problem. Along lines similar to those, Live Earth was born. Live Earth is a 24-hour, seven continent concert series taking place on the ominous date of 7/7/07, spearheaded by megaproducer Kevin Wall and former Vice President Al Gore. Locally, Cozmic Pizza will be rebroadcasting the concerts throughout the day Saturday in a Party for the Planet event, capped off with a viewing of presidential candidates discussing their plans to address climate change. Following this, attendees will partake in a Virtual Town Hall meeting organized by MoveOn.org and will vote for the candidate with the best plan. Democracy with a slice of pizza and a rock/pop concert! See Saturday Calendar.

You can go ahead and leave that heavy steel bike lock at home if you ride your bike to this weekend's Art and the Vineyard in Alton Baker Park. The much-appreciated valet bike parking will keep your people-powered vehicle nice and secure while you stroll through this annual combination of wine tasting, art browsing, fresh food and outdoor music. Notable performers include The Flat Mountain Girls, Hank Shreve and the Family Band (pictured), Skye and Steel Magnolias. Also, for those with kiddies, check out the Youth Art Arena, full of arts and crafts activities guaranteed to keep the little ones occupied while you peruse the tantalizing beverage options (bring extra money; it's 50 to 75 cents per tasting). See Friday Calendar.

Call it the "tour of the lesser visited venues" as this week's First Friday ARTWalk touches base with some downtown mainstays not often featured on the guided tour gallery circuit. Start your evening right at the New Zone Gallery, where this month's featured artist, Mona, debuts her latest oil paintings, "Undersea: A Memorial to Anthony Danno," in addition to over 50 other New Zone artists. Danno, who died of AIDS, is honored in this exhibit and donations from art-walkers will be used for AIDS research. Next, have a look inside the Downtown Library, that beautiful public institution along West Broadway, where Oregon Crafted artists have created works inspired by the music of Bach. Stop #3 transports you into the fantastic fabric installation sculptures by Mate' Mateus and colorful, enlightening paintings by Nemo Boko. The Fenario Gallery hosts the fourth stop with a show of paintings and prints by Robert Venosa, entitled "Other Worldly Extremes." And, finally, at stop número cinco, the Museum of Unfine Art (probably the only venue to work both the First and Last Friday art walks) features work by Jeff Hurt, Jesse Liberty, Chris Cooke and Ila Rose (her Somewhere in China is pictured). See Friday Calendar.