Artists First Rockin' the Ritz

Formerly known as the Turner Center for the Arts, Artists First is a local non-profit that provides arts outreach for people with developmental disabilities, brain injuries and mental illness. The goal is to give its clients a voice through creative self-expression. You can see (and buy, hint hint) their work today at the Artists First Rockin' the Ritz benefit. If the weather cooperates, the paintings and drawings will be displayed between 3 and 8 p.m. in Ritz Park (3147 South Grand Avenue; www.artistsfirststl.org), where local musicians DinoFight!, Accelerando and DJ Meek 9 perform with several other acts. In case of rain, the art will hang in Mangia Italiano. The restaurant donates 25 percent of the day's proceeds to Artists First regardless of the weather. And don't miss Michael Weidle's stand-up act; Weidle is a double threat, working in both visual art (he has work in the show) and comedy. Admission to Rockin' the Ritz is free.