This Week's Hottest Events: Smokey Robinson, The Gay Essay, and More

7x7 editors reveal the hottest events going on this week and give you a head's up on tickets to grab in advance (before they sell out)!

The Gay Essay

“When you use your camera as a means of personal discovery, the rewards are tremendous,” says Los Angeles photographer Anthony Friedkin, whose deYoung Museum exhibit, “Anthony Friedkin: The Gay Essay”—a series of 75 black-and-white images taken of the LGBT communities in LA and San Francisco from 1969 to 1973—begins this month. The photographs are a powerful intersection of race and sexuality—an affectionate and honest snapshot of the turbulent time. “As human beings, gay or straight, intimacy is fundamental to our existence,” says Friedkin.

You'd be hard pressed to find another city that can bring big name talent to the masses, for free. The Big Picnic kicks off the 77th Stern Grove concert season this weekend with an admission-free concert starring two music legends: multi-award-winning singer-songwriter Smokey Robinson and GRAMMY Award-winner Patti Austin. The day begins with aticketed benefit party followed by the free concert

Get ready to dance, feast, and craft at the annual North Beach Festival. Celebrating San Francisco’s historic “Little Italy” and the birthplace of the Beat Generation, the two-day fest offers live music, Italian street painting, a kid’s chalk area, and over 150 booths offering arts, crafts, gifts, fabulous food, and beverage gardens.

Saturday, June 14th and Sunday, June 15th: 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. On Grant Avenue between Columbus and Filbert; Columbus Avenue between Broadway and Green; and Vallejo and Green Streets between Grant Avenue and Columbus.

The first IDSA-sponsored Women in Industrial Design Show invites you to celebrate the emerging and established women in industrial design from across the USA. Hosted by Astro Studios and Coalesse during San Francisco Design Week, the show will celebrate design talents and diversity of industrial design. Join in for an evening of design elegance and get inspired in the company of leading designers, journalists and other industry specialists. The panel will be moderated by Cameron Campbell — Senior Strategist at Teague. Panel includes: Cathy Bailey of Heath Ceramics, Kate Freebaim Creative Director of Kindle/Amazon, Shujan Bertrand of Coalesse, Shannon Fong — design director at Smart Design, and Amina Horozic of Industrial Designer at FuseProject.