SAN FRANCISCO

Vintage poster fair – it sells the real thing

Poster art is marvelous stuff, long used worldwide for magazine covers (a specialty of French artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec) and to promote entertainment events, advertising, politics, protests and the like.

You can get an eyeful at the marvelous International Vintage Poster Fair at Fort Mason Center in San Francisco, 5 to 9 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. next Sunday.

The fair is the king of poster expositions, with vendors from around the world offering thousands of original vintage posters of all styles and subjects, priced from $500 to $50,000.

The posters are from the 1890s through the 1980s and represent a spectrum of eras, from the Belle Époque and art nouveau, to art deco, modernism and the Atomic Age.

Poster topics include entertainment, travel, international events, food and advertising. All the posters have been vetted as authentic originals by the International Vintage Poster Dealers Association; there will be no reprints at the show.

The show's featured exhibit, "Seven Deadly Sins: Vices in Poster Art," will showcase wrath, greed, sloth, pride, lust, envy and gluttony "sinfully displayed through a selection of original vintage posters."

Fort Mason Center is at the intersection of Buchanan Street and Marina Boulevard; (415) 345-7500. Admission: $15 for all three days, free to ages 25 and younger. Information: (800) 856-8069, www.posterfair.com.

CLIMATE LECTURES

Loss of Sierra Nevada's glacial ice to be explored

The loss of glacial ice is of global concern, with the nearby Sierra Nevada among the Western mountain systems that have had some of the most dramatic meltdown.

Educate yourself at two presentations of "Glaciers: Going, Going, Gone?" led by geologist Dick Hilton and American-landscape photographer and writer Tim Palmer.

The two will explain how Sierra Nevada glaciers were formed, and how they – and, consequently, us – are being affected by climate change.

On Friday, Hilton will present "How the Sierra Obtained Its Beauty," 7:30 p.m. in Room 111 in Sewell Hall. Admission: $5 general, $2 students and seniors. Information and reservations: (916) 660-7926, jskillen@sierracollege.edu.

On Saturday, Palmer will present "California Glaciers," 7:30 p.m. in Room 111 in Sewell Hall; no charge. Information and reservations: (916) 660-8250, jmedeiros@sierracollege.edu.

The presentations will be on the Sierra College Rocklin campus, 5000 Rocklin Road, Rocklin; $3 parking fee. For more information, call the Sierra College Natural History Museum at (916) 660-7926.

STUDY ABROAD

ARC plans orientation for Florence, London trips

Really, who wouldn't want to take college courses in a foreign country? Here's a chance to explore some opportunities to do just that.

An orientation for three upcoming study-abroad options will be at 12:15 p.m. Thursday in Room 160 at American River College, 4700 College Oak Drive, Sacramento.

The topics: a spring semester program in Florence, Italy; a five-week summer program in Florence; and a four-week summer program in London.

For more information, contact Prof. Bill Wrightson at (916) 484-8429 or wrightb@arc.losrios.edu.

FOR RUNNERS

Palm Springs 6K event a tough uphill climb

You say you're serious about running. Prove it at the 27th annual Tram Road Challenge, considered the toughest of all 6K races. It will be in Palm Springs. Look at it as a challenging weekend getaway.

Bring your gear for the competition, which starts at 7 a.m. Saturday at the bottom of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway and ends at Valley Station, an elevation gain of 2,643 feet in 3.7 miles. The last kilometer is a 19 percent grade.

"Runners from all over the world come for this race," said organizer Greg Klein. "It's unique because of the shortness and the dramatic elevation gain."

For information and registration: (760) 324-7069, www.kleinclarksports.com.

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