IN:SITE...that's what you should check out this weekend. No doubt.

Yes, there are tons of things to do things weekend artsy wise. Just link click away at this list and you'll be more than full of art this weekend:

•Next Act Theatre's production of LOMARDI: THE ONLY THING is still going, and is now extended by popular demand. Yahoo! Love the extensions.

•The Skylight's production of LA BOHEME is, I am told, a winner. Also, you might want to check out the blog Barihunks to see why the Skylight's Marcello, Texan Michael Mayes, was mentioned on as one of opera's sexiest baritones. Mayes is also a hell of a Texan barbeque master and he recently visited my back yard and made it look at smell like a cattle round up. Which is a good thing that will will get some electronic ink from me soon.

•RIPPER! closes at The Alchemist Theatre and it's just bloody good fun. Who doesn't love them a serial killer play?

•The Rep play factory is in full tilt and you probably can check out 60 or 70 shows there this weekend. (I'll be at the 4:00 PM Saturday showing of I AM MY OWN WIFE to see Michael Gotch's many faces while he wears a subtle, conservative black dress, so if you see me say, "Hi, Artsy Schmartsy!").

•sfSound is in residency at UWM this weekend making much noise as part of the UNRULY MUSIC SERIES.

•Add LOVE'S LABOURS LOST at Milwaukee Shakespeare and GOSSAMER at First Stage and you got yourself a full weekend.

But the thing to see this weekend is IN:SITE.

IN:SITE is just more awesomer than the most awesomest thing I know. For the past six months they have been "curating" public art installations in the Sherman Park area. I don't know if you've driven through the Western corridor of North Avenue recently, but a street lined with homies in hoodies isn't necessarily the first place you think of as a public art destination. But look what I found at the corner of 39th and North (with a couple of homies in hoodies standing in a doorway nearby, mind you).





That's Eriks Johnson's murals for "Road Closed/Path Open". Me like.

You need to support IN:SITE by checking out how it is having a fabulously positive effect on the community it is in with it's temporary art exhibits right now. Here's the lowdown about this weekend from the IN:SITE website:

IN:SITE Fall 2008 Opening Event
Saturday, September 27th from 1:30-4:00pm

Events include:

* 1:30-2:30pm – Reception at Sherman Park Community Association (3526 W. Fond du Lac) with all the artists discussing their work. In addition, Claire Odishoo, Director of the Northwestern Mutual Art Gallery at Cardinal Stitch University, will talk about Eriks Johnson's wall painting.

* 3:00-4:00pm – Artists will be at their installations to answer questions. A map of the installation sites will be available at Sherman Park Community Association and Sherman Perk Coffee Shop.

* Eriks Johnson with "Road Closed/Path Open" at 3901 W. North Avenue.
* Bridget Frances Quinn at Sherman Perk Coffee Shop with "I've just seen a face" (4924 W. Roosevelt).
* Kamryn K. Boelk with "I'll take one of each; wrap it to go" near the northwest corner of Sherman Boulevard and Burleigh in Sherman Park.
* Stephanie Davidson and Georg Rafailidis with "Public Heat" at Sherman Park Community Association. These two artists will travel from Germany to install this heat-sensitive project.

Again, IN:SITE. IN:SITE. You do that this weekend, you're cool.