Art San Diego will kick off arts month with its third annual Contemporary Art Fair from Sept. 1-4 at the Hilton Bayfront Hotel.

The fair will launch on Sept. 1 with a VIP opening night from 7 to 9 p.m. where chef Patrick Dahms of Vela will serve up wine and hors d’oeuvres, followed by a VIP opening night pool party at the Hilton’s heated saltwater pool until 10 p.m.

Tickets to the VIP opening night are $75 and tickets to the pool party are $25.

Fair doors will open on Sept. 2-3 from noon to 10 p.m. and on Sept. 4 from noon to 5 p.m., where guests can view a variety of artists and art forms, including contemporary furniture designers, solo-artist exhibitions, video-based works, art in public spaces, a lounge designed by architect Jennifer Luce and nearly 70 internationally acclaimed galleries featuring works by more than 500 artists from around the world.

For a more interactive art experience, Art San Diego will also offer a number of free lectures, film showings, culinary events and music and dance performances at the three-day event.

One-day passes to the fair are $15 in advance and $20 at the door.

An additional treat offered at the art fair is The Vault: Contemporary Art and Fine Wine event where more than 30 wineries will showcase their latest vintages and international award-winning wineries on Sept. 3 from 6 to 9 p.m.

Tickets to the wine event are $35, which includes the price of a one-day pass.

Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel is located at 1 Park Blvd. For more information about Art San Diego’s Contemporary Art Fair, visit www.artsandiego-fair.com. To purchase tickets, visit www.artsandiego- 2011.eventbrite.com or call (858) 735-4914.

Art Labs

In conjunction with the fair, 19 Art Labs — single- and multi-artist exhibitions, interactive activities, multimedia installations and performance art — will be taking place in locations throughout the county from San Ysidro to the San Diego International Airport from Sept. 1-4.

Art labs will include a hybrid dance and painting performance by local emerging Afro-Cuban artist Silfredo La O, the (In)Visible Project showcasing portraits and audio stories from San Diego’s homeless population and an invitation for community members to join together on a 1,000-foot picnic blanket while enjoying the Giant Puppet Parade staged on the Embarcadero.

Other unique, technology-driven exhibits include a selective overview of public art in San Diego via iPhone applications and a virtual project where laborers who built historical landmarks in San Diego appear as floating visuals as guests tour the area with handheld Apple, Android and Symbian devices after sunset.

For a full list and interactive map of Art Labs, visit www.artsandiego-fair.com/art_labs/ or call (858) 254-3031.

— Mariko Lamb