San Diego LGBT Pride will present its second annual “Art of Pride” exhibit at this summer’s 30th anniversary festival in Balboa Park, July 31 and Aug.1. The juried exhibit, coordinated by “Jeane and Judy the Beauty” of the Big Kitchen, showcases works in various media by local artists. Proceeds from sales will go directly to the participants.

The deadline to submit artwork is July 1. Artists must email four photographs of their work in three-inch jpeg files to director@sdpride.org, and they are required to donate one of their pieces for a silent auction to take place during the festival. Last year’s exhibit attracted more than 20 artists skilled in oil painting, pottery, sculpturing and jewelry making.

An artist reception will be held at 5:30 p.m., Aug. 1, at the Art of Pride space, located inside the newly acquired section of the festival just past the main gate. The exhibit and sale is designed to give artists in the GLBT community an opportunity to expose their talents to an estimated crowd of nearly 40,000 festival attendees.

For more information, call the San Diego LGBT Pride office at (619) 297-7683.

Kevin B. Burk, a San Diego-based relationship coach and spiritual counselor, will conduct a workshop for gay men, entitled “How to Design and Create Your Ideal Romantic Relationship”, on Saturday, June 19, from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., with a free introductory workshop on Friday, June 18, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. The workshops are sponsored by and will take place at The Center, located at 3909 Centre St.

According to Burk, the main reason gay men have so much trouble with their love lives is that they only have one socially acceptable model for what a romantic relationship should look like: a heterosexual, monogamous life partner, even if this isn’t the kind of relationship they want to create.

To register for the workshop, call Burk at (619) 807-2473. Friday’s workshop is free; Saturday’s workshop is $65 per person.

Join The Center as they present Carlease Burke and Vicky Shaw in a comedy show to benefit women’s programming at The Center. Laura Jane will be ringmaster for the evening as Burke and Shaw unleash their inner animals for an evening of laughs, chuckles and guffaws. It’s guaranteed to be more fun than a barrel of monkeys. A no-host bar will be available for audience members who need a little taming.

The show is on Saturday, June 5, at 8:00 p.m. and will be held in the main auditorium of The Center. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 the night of the show. For tickets or information, contact Summer Morse at (619) 692-2077, ext. 247.

The third annual “Return-to-Work” job fair will be held on Wednesday, May 26, at Balboa Park’s War Memorial Building starting at 12:00 noon. Some of this year’s confirmed employers are UCSD, Adecco, Embassy Suites, University of Phoenix, Community Options, St.Vincent de Paul, the City of San Diego, Family Health Centers of San Diego, Comfort Keepers, Accountemps, San Diego Career Opportunity Partners and Neighborhood House. There will also be giveaways, including a Sony DVD/CD player and several gift certificates.

This event is sponsored in part by Family Health Centers of San Diego. Contact Autumn or Jim at (619) 515-2544 for more information.

Please join Ebony Pride for the second annual Ebby Awards. The Ebbys honor individuals who have made significant contributions to the African American GLBT community. Now in its second year, the Ebbys take place on June 12 at The Center. The Ebbys feature an evening of dinner, cocktails, entertainment, raffles, a silent auction and the awards ceremony.

Show time is 7:00 p.m. Tickets are $35 for individuals and $60 for couples; tables for eight people are available for $280. For tickets or for more information, call (619) 515-3606.

The Center will be offering a Basic Initial Training course to all new HIV case managers and peer advocates as well as experienced CMs and PAs who still need to complete the 24-hour course. This course meets the 24-hour requirement for all HIV case managers and peer advocates. The trainings are scheduled for June 14, 16 and 18 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Light snacks will be provided. There will be a one-hour and fifteen-minute lunch break each day. Please bring your own lunch.

There will be a daily sign-in log. In order to receive credit for the training, attendees must be on time and stay for all presentations. If you need special assistance, please email the coordinating team as soon as possible at CMPATraining@thecentersd.org.

Concerns are arising from all directions about the upcoming election season. The voting public is feeling powerless. Learn what you can do to start making a difference by participating in “Defending Democracy 2004”, a nonpartisan workshop/forum, on Saturday, June 12, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Diego, located at 4190 Front St. Nationally known speakers include Midge Costanza, former assistant to President Carter; Robert Sheer, renowned journalist; and Jackie Ladd, election expert and human-rights advocate. Registration fee for the full-day program is $20 for adults and $10 for students. A simple box lunch is included. Interpretation in both Spanish and American Sign Language will be available. The workshop site is wheelchair accessible, and there is free parking in the church ACE parking lot.

“Defending Democracy 2004” offers opportunities for concerned citizens to educate themselves and become mobilized to start making a positive difference in the electoral process. For more information, contact Katherine Miller at (858) 571-7006 or John Falchi at (619) 222-6036.

On Bingo nights, the doors of the auditorium at The Center open at 6:15 p.m. and the first game starts at 7:00 p.m. Admission for 10 games is $10 for a six-card game pad. Additional pads can be purchased for $5 each. Prizes for the first nine games are $50 and the last game played is $100.

As if all this wasn’t enough to fill your evening, there is also a Door Prize Dash, where 10 lucky attendees can win non-cash prizes, from free bingo games to items donated by various Bingo sponsor merchants in the community.

Bingo at The Center is a seven-year tradition. During that time, Bingo has raised over $100,000 for The Center and its programs. Bingo would not be possible without the weekly dedication of Bingo volunteers. Volunteer responsibilities at Bingo include auditorium set-up, entrance sales, pull-tab sales, extra game/money ball sales, calling games, cafe duty, verifying winners, collecting winners’ signatures and delivering their prize money. The Bingo crew welcomes new volunteers and enjoys the camaraderie of working together each week.

If you would like more information, call The Center at (619) 692-2077 ext. 247.