How many times have you visited a museum or gallery and used all your restraint not to touch the art? Well, at SOMArt's "Frontrunners" exhibit, you can finally get your fix … on one of the installations, at least. Test your equilibrium on Helene Schlumberger's single-person balancing platform (which might be tricky after a few drinks), or marvel at Michael Koehle's 23-foot-tall masking tape lamp post that's suspended in the air by a set of red balloons. The group exhibit showcases work by 23 Bay Area artists, cleverly coined "the frontrunners."

So just who are these frontrunners anyway? Every year, The San Francisco Foundation offers a series of monetary awards to up-and-coming local artists. The 23 involved in this show at SOMArts are all winners of this year's Murphy & Cadogan Fellowship, which awards $3,500 to MFA graduate students for continued academic study. If you're one of those types who likes to know what's new and next, get yourself to this show, and come ready to take notes. Because this isn't the last time you'll be hearing these artists' names.

For an even deeper experience, check out Lesser But Vital Practices, the free accompanying artist talk and happy hour on Tuesday, 8/30 from 5:30 - 7 p.m. Seven of the exhibit's featured artists will give mini-talks about topics that have informed their work.

"Frontrunners," Wed. 8/17 – Fri. 9/16 at SOMArts Cultural Center, 934 Brannan St., 415-863-1414, somarts.org