Art Against AIDS, which will feature auctions of 100 pieces, will take place Feb. 16 at The Kinetic Playground, 1113 W. Lawrence, 6-9 p.m. Contact Tina Gonzales at ( 312 ) 660-1313 or at tgonzales@heartlandalliance.org .
The Bayard Rustin Community Breakfast, a celebration of the openly gay Black activist who taught non-violent direct action to Martin Luther King, Jr., will be held Feb. 18, 9:30 a.m.-12 noon, at The Social Service Administration, 969 E. 60th. The featured speaker at the free event will be John D'Emilio, author of Lost Prophet: The Life and Times of Bayard Rustin. RSVP by Feb. 8 by contacting Angela Carruthers at ( 773 ) 702-9700 or angie@uchicago.edu .
AIDSCare will hold its Fat Saturday Ball on Feb. 25 at Union Station, 225 S. Canal, from 6:30-11:30 p.m. The black-tie event will feature cocktails, dinner, auctions and entertainment from The 'Original' Supremes starring Mary Wilson. Tickets are $225 each. Contact Kirstan Natoli at ( 773 ) 935-4663, ext. 120 or see www.aidscarechicago.org .
Center on Halsted, About Face Theatre and the Museum of Contemporary Art are hosting a special performance and reception for 'Loving Repeating: A Musical of Gertrude Stein,' Feb. 23. The performance is at 6:30 p.m.; the reception is at 8 p.m. Tickets are $50 each. Call ( 773 ) 472-6469 or visit www.centeronhalsted.org by Feb. 17.
Gifted and Black: 'How We Did It: Successful Black Women Share Their Stories,' a forum presented by the National Association of Women Business Owners, will take place Feb. 16 at 5:30 p.m. at the Chicago Athletic Association, 12 S. Michigan. The guest speaker will be Deborah M. Sawyer, President and CEO of Environmental Design International, Inc. The cost is $30 for members, $55 for non-members. Cal ( 312 ) 609-1300 or see www.nawbochicago.org .
Tying one on: News about Tie One On and Dream With Us, in which designer ties, scarves and other accessories will be modeled and raffled off to benefit Howard Brown Health Center, will be revealed Feb. 16 at 6 p.m. at the Palmer House, 17 E. Monroe. This is a kickoff for the Oct. 28 HBHC gala. Contact Amy Bloom at ( 773 ) 388-8996.
Starr power: Windy City Times columnist Steve Starr will be photographing guests at Chicago Sings For New Orleans, a benefit for the Emergency Fund of the New Orleans Musicians Clinic, at the Park West, 322 W. Armitage, on Feb. 28. For further information, visit www.ChicagoSings.com .
The 'F' word: Chicago Foundation for Women ( CFW ) and the Institute for the Study of Gender and Women in Arts and Media at Columbia College will host 'Defining the 'F' Word in the African American Community,' an intergenerational discussion regarding feminism, on Feb. 23, 5:30-7:30 p.m., at CFW, 1 E. Wacker. Visit www.cfw.org for more details.
Jails and scouts: The documentary Troop 1500: Girl Scouts Beyond Bars will be shown at Chicago Filmmakers, 5243 N. Clark, on Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. ( The 68-minute film focuses on some of the girls in the titular troop as they make their monthly trip to the Gatesville Hilltop Prison to visit their mothers. ) Troop leader Julia Cuba will attend. General admission is $8. Call ( 773 ) 293-1447 or see www.chicagofilmmakers.org .
HIV/AIDS and Women: The first annual National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day is March 10. To access materials to help educate, motivate, and mobilize your local community in the fight against HIV/AIDS, visit www.omhrc.gov/hivaidsobservances/women/index.html .
Party time: The Ride for AIDS 2006 Kick Off Party, which will benefit BEHIV ( Better Existence with HIV ) and TPAN ( Test Positive Aware Network ) , will take place Feb. 27, 7-9 p.m., at Chicago in Bloom Floral and Events, 4223 N. Lincoln. RSVP to ( 773 ) 989-9400 or rideforaids@tpan.com .
Rapping about rap: The Institute for the Study of Women and Gender in the Arts and Media at Columbia College Chicago will host 'Women in Hip Hop' Feb. 23, 4-6 p.m., at Hot House, 31 E. Balbo. RSVP by Feb. 21 to ( 312 ) 344-8829 or amast@colum.edu .