San Diego’s Sushi Performance and Visual Art organization is celebrating 30 years of presenting alternative contemporary arts in San Diego. In accordance, Sushi, located at 390 11th Ave., will hold its annual fund- raising event, the Red Ball, this year on June 5 from 7 to 11 p.m. The evening will be filled with art, performance, music, installations, great food, libations and, as always, interesting people. Patrick Stewart, the executive director of Sushi, expects about 300 attendees this year. “Sushi is the premier performance art place in San Diego,” he said. “This is Sushi’s signature fund-raising event. We are celebrating our 30th anniversary and we will be reviewing the past years and performances throughout the night … and we will have plenty of artifacts from the past on hand to contemplate.” Stewart said the space will not be set up in any conventional fashion. “This is not going to be a traditional, stuffy sit down gala, but a cutting-edge, challenging and entertaining ‘outside the box’ event,” he said. “People are going to see something new and different this night.” Regarding accommodations, Stewart said, “It will mostly be a standing event with some seating and roped off space outside on 10th and J streets. Food will be self-served buffet style on china.” Instead of a traditional master of ceremonies, Sushi will feature a busker, who, like a performance artist, will rove or prowl around and mingle with the crowd and make announcements and introduce acts from all around the house. Music will be provided by sound artist and avant garde DJ Margaret Noble who has designed a sound landscape or “auditory adventure” for the entire evening. Interspersed with the music will be slides, video and verbal quotations which will serve as a time machine to invoke and explore the past 30 years of Sushi performances. Animal Cracker Conspiracy, consisting of Bridget Rountree and Ian Gunn, will move around the space throughout the evening, executing circus stunts, feats and acrobatics. A Bit o’ Burlesque dance group, composed of some scantily clad, sexy women, will put on a show of R-rated, artsy burlesque which promises to be sassy, saucy and amusing. San Diego State University dance instructor Leslie Seiter’s dance company, Little Known Dance will also put on a dance piece involving aspects of visual design. The Paint Night Group will be on hand in the interactive art zone creating art projects on-site and attendees to the ball are invited to join in on the artistic process for some hands-on fun. The Sushi art gallery will be open for viewing with art pieces up for silent auction. Some of the artists included in the “for sale” exhibition include the colorful documentary photographs of Stephen Chalmers; Ray Ceaser’s exotic, doll-like, large-headed women; and Dutch artist Oscar Prinsen’s sculptures which will include some adult playground pieces. The food promises to be fabulous with 10 chefs — such as Matt Gordon, Jared Van Camp, Sean Magee, and Arthur Calamari — from restaurants such as Urban Solace, Quality Social, Proper Pub and Suite & Tender catering the event. Sushi will also be raffling off art-oriented travel packages, like a trip called “Portland Getaway” — two nights in a first-class hotel, plus tickets to the Portland Rep or a Portland Council of the Arts event. Stephen Johnson, vice president of public affairs at the San Diego Convention Center, is a big fan of Sushi and the Red Ball and encourages everyone to attend. “What I love most about the Red Ball is the people that show up,” he said. “They are always dynamic, exciting and artistic. This will be an event like no other. This is the cutting edge.” Stewart suggests that people dress any way they want, from costumes to formal to casual to festive, but he requests that they all stick with the black and red color theme. Those attending must be 21 years old and up. Tickets are $60 for a single and $110 for a couple. There will be discounted parking across the street at Padres Parked at 10th and J Street. For further information call Sushi at (619) 235-8466 or visit www.sushiart.org.