Classes
Art Classes Six-session spring courses for adults include Ceramics, Beginning Drawing, Figure Drawing, Acrylic Painting, Photography, Clay Sculpture, Collage, Pottery, and more. Beginning on April 22. EDUCATIONAL ALLIANCE ART SCHOOL, 197 E. Broadway. 212-780-2300 ext. 463 or email artschool@edalliance.org.
Dance and Pilates Ballet, jazz, tango, hip hop, and modern dance classes offered for all levels. $16/class, discounts for multiples. DANCE NEW AMSTERDAM, 280 Broadway (entrance at 53 Chambers St.) 2nd Floor. 212-279-4200, dnadance.org.
Downtown Boathouse offers a number of kayaking classes and trips for a variety of levels. Go to the Park office and get an identification card (cost $9), which is needed for any class in the park. Ongoing. 646-613-0740, downtownboathouse.org.
Horticultural volunteers Battery Park City Parks Conservancy is seeking volunteers to work alongside its horticulturists on Wednesday mornings, from May 7 through the end of October. Volunteers must be at least 18 years old and able to commit for the entire season. Applications are available by calling Eileen Calvanese at 212.267.9700, ext. 364. Deadline is April 25.
Lifeguard Training In these American Red Cross certification classes, participants gain hands-on practice and learn how to prevent and respond to aquatic emergencies at swimming pools and non-surf, open-water environments such as lakes and rivers. Must be 15 years old by May 17. 5 Saturdays: April 19-May 17. $300 members, $350 nonmembers, including $25 for pre-test on April 19 at 2pm. COMMUNITY CENTER at Stuyvesant High School, 345 Chambers St (access: West St.) 646.210.4292, bpcparks.org.
Printmaking workshops and classes Lithography, drypoint, Japanese woodblock, etching, and water-based silkscreen techniques taught from May 5-July 20. Registration open now. MANHATTAN GRAPHICS CENTER, 481 Washington St. (bet. Spring & Canal). 212-219-8793, manhattangraphicscenter.org.
DANCE
OB•ject • ob•JECT DNA’s ongoing celebration of female choreographers with a collaborative edge features 3 premieres: Nicole Wolcott’s “fiveminusfour” in Dramarama!, Vanessa Justice Dance in “Noise’sNoise”, and DOORKNOB COMPANY in “Julia Julia Julia Child.” April 19 at 8 p.m. and April 20 at 3 p.m. Opening reception $20 general, $15 members, $17 students. DANCE NEW AMSTERDAM, 280 Broadway (entrance at 53 Chambers St.) 212-279-4200, dnadance.org.
Newsteps: A choreographer’s series Semiannual emerging choreographers’ showcase. The season features 5 premiers from Mana Kawamura, Heidi Latsky, Jennifer Lott, Dorian Nuskind-Oder, and Beth Simons. April 24-26 at 7:30 p.m. $12 general, $10 students/seniors. CHEN DANCE CENTER, 70 Mulberry St. (at Bayard). 212-349-0126, chendancecenter.org.
EVENTS
Fairway Bus Trips every thursday Shopping trip to Fairway (Red Hook, Brooklyn) welcome to all senior citizens. Two van pick-up spots, 8:45 a.m. on River Terrace across from Pan Latin and at 9 a.m. on South End Ave. in front of the Chase bank. The van leaves Fairway at 11 a.m. for the return trip to BPC. Sponsored by BPCNA and the Downtown Alliance. bpcna.org.
Free Hearing Screenings at the League for the Hard of Hearing Every Tues. from 12-2pm and every Thurs. from 4-6pm. Call or email to schedule an appointment. League for the Hard of Hearing, 50 Broadway, 6th Fl. 917-305-7766, appointments@llh.org.
Small Business Networking Series For those who run small businesses or work from home, this event, sponsored by the Battery Park City Neighbors’ Association, features local small business owner, Adam Berk of Neighborrow.com, as the event speaker. May 15, 7-9 p.m. Free. Gatehouse on South End Avenue (at Albany Street).
Tribeca film festival This 7th annual festival includes screenings of 121 feature films in lower Manhattan and the Union Square area. The Festival hosts several free community events, including the Tribeca Drive-In at the World Financial Center April 24-26 and the Family Festival Street Fair along Greenwich Street on May 3. April 23-May 4. Movie tix are $15 for evening and weekend screenings and $8 for daytime weekday and late nights. Single ticket sales begin 4/18 for downtown residents, and 4/19 for the general public. 866-941-FEST, tribecafilmfestival.org.
EXHIBITS
Amazonian Design, Fashion and Sustainable Economy Focusing on the relationship between design and ecological sustainability, this exhibition presents contemporary visions by leading designers and companies from the Amazon region that utilize raw materials in their work. Part of Amazônia Brasil, an international festival that raises awareness about the diverse ecosystems of the Brazilian Amazon. Through July 13. Amazon community people demonstrate centuries-old traditions, including basket weaving May 14 & 16, noon-2:00pm. Free.
Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef Bursting forth in a colorful, crocheted panoply of loopy “kelps,” curlicue “corals,” and fringy “anemones,” this homage to Earth’s endangered coral reefs is a beautiful marriage of traditional arts & crafts and hyperbolic geometry. Featuring The Toxic Reef, New York Reef, and Chicago Reef (www.theiff.org) to raise awareness about these disappearing marine treasures. Through August. Free. World Financial Center Winter Garden, 220 Vesey St. 212-945-0505, worldfinancialcenter.com.
Annual members juried show Juried by New Jersey-based photographer Ellen Denuto, this 13th annual exhibition features both classic and contemporary, pinhole, digital, bleached, black and white, and color photos. Through May 3. SOHO PHOTO, 15 White St. 212-226-8571, sohophoto.com.
Beauty Surrounds Us Featuring an elaborate Quechua girl’s dance outfit, a Northwest Coast chief’s staff with carved animal figures and crests, Seminole turtle shell dance leggings, a conch shell trumpet from pre-Columbian Mexico, and an Inupiak (Eskimo) ivory cribbage board. 2 interactive media stations show visitors in-depth descriptions of each object. Through Fall 2008.
Emendatio Multimedia installation challenging commonly held assumptions about Native people and tribute to Pablo Tac, a Luieno Indian who traveled to Rome in the 19th century. Through July 20.
Listening to Our Ancestors: The Art of Native Life Along the North Pacific Coast 400 artifacts from 11 Native American communities. Ongoing. Free. NATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE AMERICAN INDIAN, George Gustav Heye Center, 1 Bowling Green, 212-514-3700, AmericanIndian.si.edu.
Daring to Resist: Jewish Defiance in the Holocaust This large-scale exhibition, presented in association with Ghetto Fighters’ House, Israel, brings to light the stories of men, women, and children who defied the Nazis. Through July.
Paul goldman, “to return to the land” From Tel Aviv streetscapes to the bombing of the King David Hotel, from street vendors to Prime Ministers, these photos of the birth of Israel capture life before statehood and during the War of Independence.
Sosúa Jewish refugees who made their home in the Dominican Republic in the late 1930s, and their Dominican neighbors, are the subject of this new, bilingual exhibition. $10 adults, $7 seniors, $5 students. Members and children 12 and younger free. Admission is free on Wed. from 4-8 p.m. MUSEUM OF JEWISH HERITAGE– A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, 36 Battery Pl. 646-437-4202, mjhnyc.org.
A Life in Whaling This new exhibit explores the reality for the sailor signing up for a whaling voyage. Through original artifacts used and kept onboard whaling vessels, the views gets a sense of what life was really like for a sailor, dispelling myths about whaling popularized through movies and literature. Through Oct.
Ocean Liner Cutaways Since the inception of ocean travel, advertising has been the key to entice passengers young and old to sign on for a voyage. The Museum has an excellent collection of cutaways through the years, from the famous Great Easter of the 1850s through the modern cruise ships of today. Visitors get their own “inside look” into the rich lifestyle of ocean travel. Through Dec.
Soundings Treasures from the museum’s permanent collection, including scrimshaw, ship portraits and models, newspapers, maps, toys, signal flags and more, exploring all of the languages of communication used in port. Through Oct.
VIEWS OF NEW YORK: 1660-1868 These views of NY depict a dynamic port city that changed dramatically in its first two centuries. From its modest beginnings as an outpost in the New World for the Dutch East India Company, NY was well on its way to commercial and cultural dominance of the young American nation in the post-Civil War years. Through Oct. $8 general admission, $6 seniors/students, $4 children 5-12, under 5s are free. SOUTH STREET SEAPORT MUSEUM, 12 Fulton St (bet Front & South Sts). 212-748-8786, southstseaport.org.
Thomas Holton, “The Lams of Ludlow Street” Color photos. Through May 1. SASHA WOLF Gallery, 10 Leonard St. 212-925-0025, sashawolf.com.
Heroes This exhibit looks at the many people from diverse backgrounds who joined together to win America’s independence. Paintings on exhibit include Henry Hintermeister The Drill Master, John Ward Dunsmore’s The Message from Lexington, and Dennis Mallone Carter’s Molly Pitcher at the Battle of Monmouth. Ongoing. Adeline Moses Loeb Gallery.
If These Walls Could Talk As Manhattan’s oldest surviving building, 54 Pearl Street has witnessed nearly 300 years of the city’s history. Ongoing. $4, $3 seniors and children under 18, and free to children under 6. FRAUNCES TAVERN MUSEUM, 54 Pearl St. 212-425-1776, frauncestavernmuseum.com.
Frederick Kiesler, “Co-Realities” This historical exhibition traces the interests of the Austro-American architect and artists in the expressive possibilities of drawing through key projects from the 1940s to the ’60s and will include never-before-seen drawings on loan from the Kiesler Foundation, Vienna. April 18-July 24. DRAWING CENTER, 35 Wooster St. 212-219-2166, drawingcenter.org.
Robert Janz, “In this dream” Paintings and sculpture made from scraps found in the artist’s downtown neighborhood, broken wood produce boxes, glue, and thread. Janz has been using this method since he was a small child. Through May 10. CHERYL PELAVIN FINE ARTS, 13 Jay St. 212-925-9424, cherylpelavin.com.
Inside the Fence This exhibit serves as a tribute to the dedicated people in transportation, sanitation, and construction trades who played a major role in supporting the recovery at the WTC site, and provides a glimpse into current projects in development in construction, sanitation and transit based upon increased awareness and innovative technologies developed after the attacks. Through June 9. THE TRIBUTE WTC VISITOR CENTER, 120 Liberty St. tributewtc.org.
Fawn Krieger, “Company” A large-scale installation depicting a store with a real cashier and wares. Through April 26. ART IN GENERAL, 79 Walker St. 212-219-0473, artingeneral.org.
Maria Bartolo Mejia Provocative and erotic photos of strip tease and public interaction between strangers on the street and subway. Through April 5. VinoVino, 211 W. Bway.
Lots of Things Like This Curated by author and McSweeney’s editor Dave Eggers, this group show features 100 drawings with very funny captions. Artists, writers, poets, designers and musicians include David Shrigley, Raymond Pettibon, Nedko Solakov, Tucker Nichols, and others. Through May 10. APEXART, 291 Church St. 212-431-5270, apexart.org.
Monarchs of the Sea In celebration of the ocean liner era, this permanent exhibition features plans, models and memorabilia evoking the majesty and magic of a time when ocean liners were considered the last word in luxury travel. $8 general admission, $6 seniors/students, $4 children 5-12, under 5s are free. South Street Seaport Museum, WALTER LORD GALLERY (213 Water St). 212-748-8786, southstseaport.org.
New York Modern This futuristic exhibition analyzes the predictions of the early 20th century in the work of leading architects and planners such as Hugh Ferriss, Raymond Hood, Harvey Wiley Corbett, and the Regional Plan Association, as well as science fiction imagery and futuristic films. Through April. $5 general, $2.50 seniors/students. SKYSCRAPER MUSEUM, 39 Battery Pl (bet Little West St & 1st Pl). 212-968-1961, skyscraper.org
A toast to Toast A free, self-guided tour of 100 artists’ studios through Tribeca. This spring 54 of the artists participate in a group show, expanding TOAST so that the public can seen the art in one place. Through May 18. Tribeca Gallery Association 2nd Wed. reception May 14, 6-8 p.m. TOAST weekend is April 26-28, 1-6 p.m. SYNAGOGUE FOR THE ARTS GALLERY SPACE, 49 White St (bet Broadway & Church). 212-966-7141, email info@synagogueforthearts.org.
Policing a Changed City chronicles how the NYPD has used new technology, community outreach, and intelligence gathering to fight crime and terrorism since 9-11.
United response: Commemorating 9/11 Photos and drawings of police officers firefighters, rescue workers, and volunteers who helped the city after the attacks. Both exhibits are ongoing. $5 suggested donation, $3 seniors, $2 children 6-12. NYC POLICE MUSEUM, 100 Old Slip (btn South & Water Sts). 212-480-3100, nycpolicemuseum.org.
Re:Construction bridges the efforts of multiple public partners and the creative community to both highlight and enliven the process of rebuilding while improving the quality of life in Lower Manhattan through the creation of places of attraction, curiosity and anticipation. The 3 pilot projects are “Best Pedestrian Route” (John St, east of Bway); “Fulton Fence” (Fulton St east of Bway); and “Concrete Jungle” (Bway, bet. John & Ann Sts). reconstructionnyc.org.
Substraction An exhibition of abstract city paintings that is meant to invoke the reductive or “low” influences the artists draw on: the dark and dangerous. Think subway, subwoofers and subprime. Artists include Kristin, Baker, Dan Colen, Rosson Crow, Elizabeth Neel, Sterling Ruby, and Aaron Young. Through April 26. DEITCH PROJECTS, 18 Wooster St. 212-343-7300, deitch.com.
MUSIC
Israeli Contemporary String Quartet For Holocaust Remembrance Day, the quartet performs “Different Trains,” American composer Steve Reich’s commemorative Holocaust work, in honor of Yom HaShoah. Josef Bardanashvili’s String Quartet No. 1 and Dmitri Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 3 in F (Op. 73) complete the program. May 4 at 7 p.m. $15 adults, $12 students/seniors, $10 members. MUSEUM OF JEWISH HERITAGE– A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, 36 Battery Pl. 646-437-4202, mjhnyc.org.
Roulette Experimental Music Series Throughout April at 8:30 p.m. Featured performers this month include Umami: Music Food Theater (4/18) and the Daniel Levin Quartet (4/23). Each concert $20. ROULETTE, 20 Greene St (bet. Canal & Grand). 212-219-8242, roulette.org.
Trinity Church Concerts Rachel Calloway, mezzo-soprano, and Djordje Stevan Nesic, piano, play works by Satie, Britten and Bolcom on April 21, 1-2 pm. Suggested donation $2. TRINITY CHURCH, Broadway at Wall St. 212-602- 0747, trinitywallstreet.org.
TALKS & READINGS
Anne and Katie Roiphe, “Feminism Today: From Betty Friedan to The Little Mermaid” The mother and daughter authors discuss women’s struggle to balance a career and family, and agency in their own life choices. Anne is the author of “Fruitful: On Motherhood and Feminism,” and Katie wrote “Uncommon Arrangements: Seven Portraits of Married Life in London Literary Circles 1910-1939.” April 30 at 7 p.m. $10 adults, $7 students/seniors, $5 members. MUSEUM OF JEWISH HERITAGE– A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, 36 Battery Pl. 646-437-4202, mjhnyc.org.
Rockefeller Center @ 75 The Skyscraper Museum presents a panel discussion to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the opening of Rockefeller Center and its 70-story tower, the RCA Building/30 Rockefeller Plaza. Speakers include author Daniel Okrent, architectural historian Hilary Ballon, architect William Pedersen, and museum director Carol Willis. May 8 at 6:30 p.m. $10 adults, $5 students/seniors, members free. DONNELL LIBRARY AUDITORIUM, 20 W 53rd St. (bet. 5th & 6th). 212-945-6324, skyscraper.org/rockcenter
Tuesdays at 9 Weekly forum led by Naked Angels Theater Company’s creative directors that attracts more than 100 people who gather to listen and participate in cold readings of scenes, short plays and fiction. Free. TRIBECA CINEMAS, 54 Varick St. (at Laight St.). nakedangels.com.
Seattle and Mt. Ranier Ongoing weekly Tuesday Evening Hour nonprofit weekly slideshow program. April 22 at 6:30pm. $2. 49 Fulton St. 212-964-3936, tuesdayeveninghour.com.
WRITER/DIRECTOR LAB READING SERIES The 10th season of readings of the very newest work by writers and directors at Soho Rep includes six plays. PRECIOUS LITTLE by Madeleine George on 4/28, IN THE LABYRINTH: A SPECTACLE WITH STORIES by Dan LeFranc on 5/5, and PUTTING THE DAYS TO BED by Deron Bos on 5/11. All at 7 p.m. Free. No reservations. SOHO REP, 46 Walker St. sohorep.org.
THEATER
Betrayed Based on New Yorker writer George Packer’s interviews in Baghdad, the play tells the story of 3 young Iraqis – 1 men and 1 woman – motivated to risk everything by America’s promise of freedom. Through June 28. $25-$60. CULTURE PROJECT, 55 Mercer St. (at Broome). 212-352-3101, cultureproject.org.
The Break-up and the happy sad One-act plays about 9 New Yorkers’ search for happiness. Through April 26. $20. FLEA THEATER, 41 White St. (bet. Bway & Church). 212-219-2020, flea.org.
Makbet Employing haunting folk songs and chants from Scanadinavia and Eastern Europe, Theatre Group Dzieci explores (and explodes) storytelling in their one-act rendition of Shakespeare’s classic. May 1 at 5 and 7 p.m., May 2 and 3 at 7 p.m. Suggested Donation $10. John Street Church, 44 John St. (at Nassau St.) in the courtyard. 718-538-5037, dziecitheatre.org
Shua Group’s “Giant Place Detail” A world premiere show that will reveal daily life in the Winter Garden from the perspective of cleaners, clerks, bankers, brokers, reporters, etc who actually inhabit the Winter Garden. 40 performers will convert the everyday dynamic into a playground of movement that re-imagines the function of the public space. Performances May 8, 9 & 10 and video-sonic art installation May 8-June 14. Free.
Women’s Project’s “Corporate Carnival” uses sideshow acts to illuminate the intangible. Incredible feats of strength and balance, including executives climbing up the corporate ladder, financiers juggling hedge funds, ambitious women eating the glass ceiling, and many other acts. May 14-17. Free. World Financial Center Winter Garden, 220 Vesey St. 212-945-0505, worldfinancialcenter.com.
This is Burlesque A racy new weekly revue featuring Murray Hill, neo-burlesque star Angie Pontani, The World Famous Pontani Sisters, and others. Thurs-Sat at 8pm. $25. CORIO, 337 West Broadway (at Grand St). smarttix.com, thisisburlesque.com.
When is a clock When Gordon’s wife disappears, the only clue to her whereabouts is a copy of a book called “Traveling to Montpelier,” and Gordon, pursued by police as a suspect, takes off to find her. April 19-May 10, Wed.-Sun. at 8 p.m. $18. ACCESS THEATER, 380 Broadway (at White St.) 212-868-4444, smarttix.com.
TOURS
Public Art Walking Tours LMCC offers a series of 3 self-guided audio tours exploring public art Downtown. Entitled “Art and Security,” “Art and the Body,” and “Monuments and Memory,” the 45-minute tours are narrated by Perry Garvin and William Smith. Download the free tours to your iPod or other MP3 player and start walking. lmcc.net.
Tribute WTC 9/11 Walking tours of Ground Zero. Daily. VISITORS CENTER, 120 Liberty St. For hours and info, visit tributewtc.org.
Wall Street Walking Tour Free 90-minute guided walking tour weaving together the history, events, architecture and people of Downtown. Thurs. and Sat. at noon. Meet at the steps of the National Museum of the American Indian. One Bowling Green, Alliance for Downtown NY, 212-606-4064, downtownny.com
Listings Requests for the Downtown Express may be mailed to Sarah Norris at 145 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10013-1548 or e-mailed to listings@downtownexpress.com. Please include listings in the subject line of the e-mail and provide the date, time, location, price and a description of the event. Information must be received two weeks before the event is to be published. Questions, call 646-452-2472.
