Meet Erik Otto. He's a 28-year-old emerging artist who's swiftly becoming a big deal. With "The Sea of Change," his second solo show currently at the Shooting Gallery, Otto serves up twenty-five pieces made from salvaged wood that examine moments in life when things can go either way—or, as he puts it, "the critical point between struggle and resolution." Because Otto is obviously talented at searching out cool stuff for his projects, we asked him to give Gen Art five of his favorite San Francisco finds. Enjoy, and sail over to the Shooting Gallery before August 9th to check out his work!

1. St. Francis Fountain
This spot has always been my default for lazy days when the fridge is empty. It's located in my old neighborhood, so I like going back to "live it up" with their all-day breakfast menu followed by an espresso milkshake. Try to arrive early on weekends because when the late-night party crowd wakes up around 1 p.m., the place gets packed.

2. Building Resources
I'm a big dumpster diver and scavenger of sorts, and I used to spend hours junk collecting in abandoned areas only to come back to the studio with a few things I could use. I think of this as a secondhand Home Depot where I can get all the building material needed to use in my installations. I like to take my time and walk around the entire lot looking at all the junk while my mind races with potential projects.

3. Shooting Gallery
I may be biased because I work closely with them, but before I did, I used to go to shows here and was blown away by the amount of amazing artwork. Their opening nights draw a large crowd—sometimes too many people to enjoy the art—but if you get there early, you'll usually leave thinking about something you just saw.

4. Fabric8
This place rocks and the owners make you feel right at home. They're known for their smaller and more affordable artworks as well as handmade collectibles, shirts and toys created entirely by local artists. Every month they invite friends and fans to their new backyard space to watch artists in action while listening to local DJs spin rare grooves.

5. Crepes A Go Go
My late night quick bite spot located in the middle of the nightlife scene . If you don't mind passing through throngs of people looking for an antidote to their expensive night of drinking, this is the spot for breakfast, dinner and dessert crepes served up by a friendly staff right out the side of their modified service truck.

The Shooting Gallery is located at 839 Larkin Street, (415) 931-8035; read more about Otto on his blog.

- Caroline Stanley

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