The to-do list

Food & drink

Eat it up: It seems like almost every renovated neighborhood in San Diego has its own food festival these days, so it should be no surprise that the Little Italy Association follows its counterparts in the Gaslamp, North Park and Hillcrest by presenting Taste of Little Italy from 5 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4. This walking tour of the district allows diners to sample entrées, appetizers, desserts and beverages from 26 of the area’s best restaurants, including Mona Lisa, Indigo Grill, Buon Appetito and Café Zucchero. In addition, attendees can enjoy live music by Regina Leonard and Luis Max and Blue Moon, and if they’re lucky, they can catch an earful of renowned fusion violinist Jean-Luc Ponty at Anthology ($35). www.tasteoflittleitalysd.com.

Photography

Every shot you take: The photography of Duane Michals isn’t only about what the camera sees, but also what’s in the eye of the subject; his series—often presented in stop-motion sequences—feature men with mirrors and magnifying glasses, men looking at paintings and standing idly by as domestic violence unfolds. Michals’ work during the last 50 years has spanned from commercial magazine photography to the conceptual text-and-image vanguard, and he may, unfairly, be best known for shooting the art for The Police’s 1983 album Synchronicity. With the backing of the SDSU Art Council, Michals will discuss his “Visual Journey” at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4, at the Neurosciences Institute, 10640 John Jay Hopkins Drive in La Jolla. $20, with discounts for SDSU faculty and students. www.nsi.edu. 

Hidden people: For more than a decade, David Bacon has photographed and written about people struggling to live amid war, poverty, abuse and brutal work. The topics might be heavy, but his stunning photos imbue his subjects with dignity. From 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29, UCSD’s Institute of the Americas (10111 North Torrey Pines Road), will host a reception for Bacon’s Living Under the Trees: A Photo Exhibit of Indigenous Mexican Farmworkers in California. Bacon will be on hand for a Q&A, as will advocates for farm-worker rights. Free, but registration is requested. www.iamericas.org.

Activism

Withering education: We read about the impacts pretty much every day. Public schools, community colleges, universities—they’re all trying to cope with draconian cuts to their budgets. If you can split from work early on Thursday, Oct. 29, a group of San Diego City College students known as BEAT (Bringing Education and Activism Together) from would love for you to join their budget-cut protest, which starts at 3 p.m. at Presidents Way and Park Boulevard at the southern end of Balboa Park and then marches to the governor’s San Diego office at 1350 Front St., Downtown. Their hope is to raise awareness of what all the budget hacking is doing to education in California, so they need numbers to draw attention. Join them if you can.

Special Events

Building history: If the name Robert Mosher rings a bell, it’s likely because you read something about the 89-year-old architect a few months back, when his most iconic piece, the Coronado Bridge, celebrated its 50th anniversary. But Mosher’s responsible for a lot more than the bridge: he was also behind projects like the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego in La Jolla and the UCSD art gallery, among dozens of other modernist-era buildings. Mosher is the first architect to be featured at the San Diego Architectural Foundation’s new series, Inside the Architect’s Studio, hosted by Modernsandiego.com’s Keith York (think a much hipper James Lipton, minus about 40 years). A reception starts at 6:30 p.m., followed by the 7:30 p.m. program on Thursday, Oct. 29, at the Neurosciences Institute, 10640 John Jay Hopkins Drive in La Jolla. $15, $5 for students. 619-232-1385. www.sdarchitecture.org.

Art

Culture cold war: San Diego Museum of Art’s Culture and Cocktails events are often filled with some serious gallerinas and culture vultures eyeballing each other more than the art. We don’t expect that to change between 6 and 9 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29, but scenesters take note: SDMA’s new exhibition, American Artists of the Russian Empire, featuring mid-century work from Russian artists who emigrated to the U.S. from the Soviet Union pre- and post-WWII, is a stirring show that’s worth taking an hour or so to peruse. There will also be complimentary cocktails (we have a feeling vodka will be involved), DJs, an interactive watercolor activity and an after-party at The Prado restaurant for post-culture schmoozing. 1450 El Prado in Balboa Park. $15. www.sdmart.org.

Two is better than one: If you’ve seen the video on their Facebook page, with the huge crowd, dancing, great art and music, you know the opening reception for Voz Alta’s One 2 Many show was pretty much off the chain. If you missed it, not to worry—the Barrio Logan art space (1754 National Ave.) will open its doors one more time from 6 to 11 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30, to show off Voz co-founder Carlos Beltran’s amazing work in photography, sculpture and visual art. Also, be sure to stop by again on Monday, Nov. 2, around the same time as the space is setting up a community altar for Dia de los Muertos. www.vozaltaproject.org.

Books

He talks pretty this day: If you pick up your haggard copy of Me Talk Pretty One Day regularly to flip to your favorite essay, or if you’re parked in front of your radio at 3 p.m. every Sunday for This American Life, or if you’re just a fan of crisp wit and incisive social critiques, then you’re almost certainly familiar with David Sedaris. The self-deprecating satirist, essayist, radio contributor, humorist, best-selling author and Grammy-nominated comedian will bring his fresh writings and biting social commentary to the Balboa Theatre at 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 30. There will also be pre- and post-performance book signings. $32-$50. www.artpwr.com.