CLASSES | DANCE | EVENTS | EXHIBITS | MUSIC | TALKS & READINGS
The Battery Park City Parks Conservancy is sponsoring a number of classes for adults beginning in January. In Swim lessons (Beginner and Intermediate levels I and II), participants learn and refine various strokes and breathing techniques. Other classes include Baby and Me Swims for parents and children ages 1-3, tai chi, and yoga. Registration is open now. Prices vary, discounted for members. COMMUNITY CENTER at Stuyvesant High School, 345 Chambers St (access: West St.) 212 267 9700, bpcparks.org.
The Educational Alliance Art School is offering a variety of classes beginning on Jan 22: Beginning Drawing, Figure Drawing, Chinese Brush Painting, Abstract Painting, Acrylic Painting, Oil Painting, Pottery, Clay Sculpture, Stone Carving, Welding steel sculpture, Wire sculpture, Photography and more. 2-hour introductory workshops held on Jan. 13. Class gift certificates available now. 197 E. Broadway. 212-780-2300 x 378, email artschool@edalliance.org.
ROSS DANCE COMPANY The Oakland, Ca company presents “Speak,” an intellectual and riveting evening program that uses modern jazz, spoken word, video documentary and rhythm and blues to share the intimate and real life stories of 4 inspiring survivors of domestic abuse. Dec. 21 & 22 at 8pm. $20 general, $15 students/seniors. JOYCE SOHO, 155 Mercer St. (at Houston). 212-334-7479. www.joyce.org.
Christmas Eve Family Eucharist and Building of the Crèche special service designed for families. Children of the congregation help to build the crèche as the Rector tells the timeless story of the birth of Jesus, followed by the celebration of the Eucharist. Christmas carols sung throughout. Dec. 24 at 4pm. ST. PAUL’S CHAPEL, 209 Broadway (btw Fulton & Vesey Sts). 212-233-4164, trinitywallstreet.org.
Competition for Recreational Musicians Best interpretation of a Bob Dylan song from :Bob Dylan Live 1966: The Royal Albert Hall Concert.” Register by Dec. 28. Semi-Finals at The Bitter End on Jan 8, 7pm and Finals at World Financial Center Winter Garden on Jan 11, 12:30pm. Details at thestudio.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.
Grants for Art in Public Spaces Grants of up to $20,000 will be made to artists and arts organizations for direct costs related to the creation and presentation of art in the myriad public spaces of Lower Manhattan, including parks, plazas, building lobbies, atria, and construction sites. Deadline is Jan. 29.
Manhattan Community Arts Fund Provides grants of up to $2,000 to Manhattan artists and small nonprofit organizations to present arts projects. MCAF often provides the first grant an artist receives, helping them to leverage other funds. Supported by the NYC Dept of Cultural Affairs. Deadline is Jan. 22. For info on both grants, visit www.lmcc.net.
Holiday Seaport Liberty Cruises Sail past Wall Street and the Empire State Building, get an up close view of Lady Liberty, and sail underneath the Brooklyn Bridge. Passengers who donate a new unwrapped toy during the collection drive for Toys for Tots receive a free child’s Holiday Seaport Liberty Cruise ticket with the purchase of an adult ticket. Thru Jan. 1 (except Christmas Day) at 10:30 am, 12:00 pm, 1:30 pm, 3:00 pm and 4:30 pm. $24 adults, $14 children and $22 seniors. South Street Seaport, Pier 16. 866-9CLINE1, circlelinedowntown.com.
New Year’s Eve Bell Ringing Deemed one of NY’s greatest 19th century traditions, the ringing of the bells at Trinity Church was how New Yorkers celebrated the New Year until 1904, when the tradition moved to Times Square. Dec. 31, 11:30pm-12:30am. TRINITY CHURCH, 89 Broadway (at Wall St). 212-602-0800, trinitywallstreet.org.
30th Anniversary Exhibition Featuring work by Carlos Alfonzo, Luis Frangella, Keith Haring, and David Wojnarowicz Each of these 4 artists had early solo shows with Hal Bromm Gallery, launching successful careers tragically cut short by AIDS. 30 brings to light the important early works they created as well as the strong creative and social bonds between them. Thru March 28. HAL BROMM GALLERY, 90 W. Broadway (at Chambers St.) By appointment. 212-732-6196 or email hbartanddesign@gmail.com.
Willard Boepple, “Room” 2 sculptures made either of poplar wood and brushed aluminum. Known for work drawn from utilitarian objects such as ladders, shelves and mechanisms with cogs, Boepple has focused his concerns on architectural reference that could contain aspect of this former work, implying human activity without human presence. Thru Feb. 16. MAIDEN LANE EXHIBITION SPACE, 125 Maiden Lane. 212-206-6061.
Boundl.e.s. A collaborative exhibition that brings together 14 galleries and nonprofit community art centers The name referes to the ever-changing identification of the neighborhood. Thru Jan. 13. EDUCATIONAL ALLIANCE ART SCHOOL, 197 E. Broadway. 212-780-2300 x 378, email artschool@edalliance.org.
Susan Cottle and Liron Sissman, “Journeyscapes” Landscapes representing life’s physical and metaphorical journeys. In recent oil paintings, Cottle evokes interior small-scale interior landscapes. Sissman’s metaphorical landscapes are dominated by a body of water seen through trees. Thru Jan. 6. SYNAGOGUE FOR THE ARTS GALLERY SPACE, 49 White St (btw Broadway & Church). 212-966-7141, email info@synagogueforthearts.org.
Sarah Corbin, “Free Rein” Twelve 12” x 18”giclée prints that display evocative images of horses and ranch life in Montana, by the fine-art landscape photographer.
Ruth Formanek, “The Walking Dunes: East Hampton’s Hidden Treasure” Includes a series of color prints from her eponymous book, with text by naturalist Mike Bottini, to be published in the spring of 2008.
Marilyn Fish-Glynn, “HumaniTEASE” 18 color images depict the human form and anatomy as it is found in murals, monuments and other artifices. They are sometimes humorous, sometimes startling or disturbing.
Park West Camera Club Celebrates its 70th birthday as its guest exhibitor with more than 30 prints by club members.
Yaqui Yamdrok, “Vincent’s New Boots” Fourteen 11”x14” black and white and sepia-toned images of people in poses. All new shows run thru Dec. 29. SOHO PHOTO, 15 White St (btw 6th Ave & W. Bway). 212-226-8571, sohophoto.com.
Beauty Surrounds Us 77 works from the museum’s collection features an elaborate Quechua girl’s dance outfit, a Northwest Coast chief’s staff with carved animal figures and crest designs, Seminole turtle shell dance leggings, a conch shell trumpet from pre-Columbian Mexico, a Navajo saddle blanket, and an Inupiak (Eskimo) ivory cribbage board. The exhibition includes 2 interactive media stations, at which visitors may access in-depth descriptions of each object. Thru Fall 2008.
Listening to Our Ancestors: The Art of Native Life Along the North Pacific Coast An exhibition from 11 Native communities of more than 400 objects—including ceremonial masks, carvings, clothing, baskets and tools. Sections are assembled by curators from the Coast Salish, Makah, Nuu-chah-nulth, Kwakwak’wakw, Heiltsuk, Tsimshian, Gitxsan, Nisga’a, Haida, and Tlingit communities. Ongoing. Free. Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian. Admission to the museum is 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. Thru July 2008.
The Other Promised Land: Vacationing, Identity, and the Jewish-American Dream This exhibition explores the history of Jewish vacationing in America from 1890 to the present, focusing on such legendary destinations as Atlantic City, the Catskills, Florida, Israel, and New York. Thru 2007. $10 adults/$7 seniors/$5 students. Children 12 and under are admitted free. MUSEUM OF JEWISH HERITAGE – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, 36 Battery Pl. 646-437-4202, mjhnyc.org.
Fighting Irishmen: Celebrating Celtic Prizefighters When the Irish immigrated to New York, landing at the South Street piers, they brought this pugilistic tradition with them This exhibit traces the history of these fighting Irish, from the 19th century to the present day. Curated by James Houlihan.
Model Ships From religious artifacts to treasured collectibles to engineering prototypes, this exhibit traces the history of model watercraft from ancient times to the present.
There Once Was a Neighborhood: The Lower East Side, 1937-1950 Photographs taken by Rebecca Lepkoff capture the lives and times of a vibrant, close-knit and functional multi-ethnic community. These images uncover a forgotten time and place and reveal how the LES has both stayed the same and changed forever.
Soundings Treasures from the museum’s permanent collection, including scrimshaw, ship portraits and models, signal flags and more. All exhibitions are ongoing. $8 general admission, $6 seniors/students, $4 children 5-12, under 5s are free. SOUTH STREET SEAPORT MUSEUM, 12 Fulton St (btw Front & South Sts). 212-748-8786, southstseaport.org.
If These Walls Could Talk As Manhattan’s oldest surviving building, 54 Pearl Street has witnessed nearly 3 centuries 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.
Imaginary Arsenals This Out of Site Exhibition addresses the subversive use of war imagery by artists, which include Jane Benson, Stephen Collier, Diane Meyer, Graham Parker, Kanishka Raja, Nathan See, Dan Tague. Thru Jan. 19. Cuchifritos, Artists Alliance, Inc, 120 Essex St (btw Delancey & Rivington, Inside the Essex St. Market – South end of building). lmcc.net.
“I Suppose I Shall Be Impeached for It…” Theodore Roosevelt, Augustus Saint-Gaudens and America’s Most Beautiful Coin. Examples of early cameos are displayed along with classical numismatic prototypes, and the centerpiece of the exhibit is the progression of the design process for new coinage. Thru March. FEDERAL RESERVE BANK OF NY, 33 Liberty St. (btw Nassau & William). numismatics.org.
Pamela Lawton, “Window Collections III” This site-specific mural painting exhibition by a former artist-in-residence at the World Trade Center focuses on modern architecture. Ongoing. Atrium lobby, 180 Maiden Lane. pamelalawton.com.
Making Noise This Out of Site exhibition features artists who utilize the many modes by which sound is produced and received. Video, sculpture, audio installation, transmissions and performances by Kabir Carter, Kate Gilmore, Tom Kotik, neuroTransmitter (Angel Nevarez and Valerie Tevere), Nadine Robinson, Douglas Ross, and Stephen Vitiello. Thru Jan. 2. MELVILLE GALLERY at the South Street Seaport Museum, 213 Water St. 212-219-9401, lmcc.net.
Judith S. Miller, “New Paintings” Realism is elevated to abstraction in works stemming from Miller’s preoccupation with mark making and planar movement. Thru Dec. 29. CHERYL PELAVIN FINE ARTS, 13 Jay St. 212-925-9424, www.cherylpelavin.com.
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. Thru March. $5 general, $2.50 seniors/students. SKYSCRAPER MUSEUM, 39 Battery Pl (btw Little West St & 1st Pl). 212-968-1961, skyscraper.org
Nonobjective art Group show of abstract paintings featuring artists Eli Bielutin, Francisco Infanto, Alexander Kazakov, Alexander Petrov, Vladimir Yankilevsky, and others. Thru Jan. 11. MIMI FERZT, 81 Greene St. 212-343-9377, mimiferzt.com.
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. Ongoing. $5 suggested donation, $3 seniors, $2 children 6-12. NYC POLICE MUSEUM, 100 Old Slip (btw 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, btw John & Ann Sts). reconstructionnyc.org.
Kirstine Roepstorff, “It’s not the eyes of the needle that changed” 12 works created through a method the Germany-based artist calls “approprio-arranging,” which entails sewing, gluing, pinning, and weaving together photocopies, fabrics, glitter, paper, and images appropriated from magazines to create a poetic narrative.
Alan Saret, “Gang Drawings” 1st major museum exhibition of the pioneering artist’s work in 2 decades. Saret was part of the Post-Minimal, Soho alternative art scene in the late 1960s and early ’70s.30 drawings made with fistfuls (“gangs”) of colored pencils, made over the past 40 years. Both shows thru Feb. 7. THE DRAWING CENTER, 35 Wooster St. 212-219-2166, drawingcenter.org.
The Accidentals As part of the Festival of Light and Sound, the award-winning a cappella group performs favorite holiday carols in the Winter Garden on Dec. 22. Weekdays from noon -2pm, weekends 1-3pm. Free.
Ethel, “In the House of Ethel” Part musical installation, part theatrical event where members of the quartet move throughout the space encouraging the audience to do the same, allowing for myriad interpretations and sonic experiences. Incorporating original and improvised music, the event will feature pianists Stephen Gosling, Raja Rahman, Rob Schwimmer and Kathleen Supov. Dec. 21 at 12:30 and 7pm. Free. WORLD FINANCIAL CENTER WINTER GARDEN, 220 Vesey St. 212-945-0505, worldfinancialcenter.com .
Britten’s “A Ceremony of Carols” The Trinity Choristers perform the annual Ceremony of Carols and Holiday Music at the Broadway gates of St. Paul’s Chapel. Dec. 21 at 4:30pm. Free. ST. PAUL’S CHAPEL, 209 Broadway (btw Fulton & Vesey Sts). 212-233-4164, trinitywallstreet.org.
Christmas Eve Festive Eucharist The principal liturgy of Christmas Eve. It begins with a 30-minute prelude of choral music interspersed with congregational singing of traditional carols. The procession makes a full circuit of the church with a station at the crèche. The Trinity Choir & REBEL Baroque Orchestra perform Marc-Alain Charpentier’s ‘Messe de Minuit pour Noël.” Dec. 24 at 9:30pm. TRINITY CHURCH, 89 Broadway (at Wall St). 212-602-0800.
Joshua Nelson & His Kosher Gospel Choir Performing to sold-out crowds at the Museum for two years in a row, Nelson, an African-American Jew known as the Prince of Gospel Music, is back for another spectacular set of shows named “Challah-lujah.” Dec. 25 at 1pm and 3:30pm. $35 adults, $25 seniors, $20 students/ members. MUSEUM OF JEWISH HERITAGE – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust, 36 Battery Pl. 646-437-4202, mjhnyc.org.
Spanish Language Discussion Group led by Javier Molea, a Spanish language literature expert. No preparatory reading is required; Borges, Cortazar, Fuentes, and other superlative Latin American writers are discussed. Every Sat. at noon. Free. McNally Robinson Booksellers, 52 Prince St. (btw Lafayette & Mulberry). 212-274-1160, mcnallyrobinsonnyc.com.
Tuesdays at 9 This weekly forum, led by Naked Angels Theater Company’s creative directors, attracts over 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.
BINGO WITH THE INDIANS A disgruntled East Village theater company descends upon a small New England town with a plan to pay for their next production – heist the local bingo game. Written and directed by Pulitzer finalist Adam Rapp. Thru Dec. 22. $20-$30.
OH THE HUMANITY 5 short plays about people like you, facing lives like yours, written by Pulitzer finalist Will Eno, and starring Marissa Tomei, Brian Hutchison and Drew Hildebrand. Plays include: Behold The Coach, In a Blazer, Uninsured; Ladies and Gentlemen: The Rain; Enter the Spokeswoman, Sideways; The Bully Composition and Oh, the Humanity. Thru Dec. 22. $50 during the week, $60 Fri and Sat. FLEA THEATER, 41 White St. (btw Broadway & Church). 212-352-3101, flea.org.
Moscow Cats Theatre 35 cats, 1 dog and 5 clowns performing original and astounding acrobatic feats, integrated into a non-verbal, colorful and fun-filled family show. Thru Dec. 30. $60-$65. TRIBECA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER, Borough of Manhattan Community College, 199 Chambers Street. 212-220-1460, TribecaPAC.org.
MAN IS MAN Bertolt Brecht’s classic story about one man’s unstoppable transformation from a naive porter into a fierce soldier. Thru Dec. 22. $18 ($15 students/seniors). HERE ARTS CENTER, 145 6th Ave (btw Spring & Broome, ent. on Dominick). 212-352-3101, here.org.
Confino Living History Tour Perfect for kids and families, this “living history” apartment is based on the Sephardic-Jewish Confino family from Kastoria (once part of the Ottoman Empire, now in Greece). A costumed interpreter dressed as teenage Victoria Confino circa 1916 welcomes visitors as though they were newly arrived immigrants, teaching them how to adapt to America. Visitors can touch any items in the apartment. One hour. Fri. at 1pm & 2pm, Sat. and Sun. at noon, 1, 2 & 3pm.
Getting By: Immigrants Weathering Hard Times Tours of the German Jewish Gumpertz (1870s) and Sicilian Catholic Baldizzi (1930s) family apartments reveal the fascinating endeavors of both groups as they forged new paths in America. One hour. Thurs, Fri 1-4:30pm; Sat, Sun 11am-4:30pm; Tue, Wed 1-4:30pm. $17, $13 students/seniors. Lower East Side Tenement Museum, 108 Orchard St (at Broome St). 212-982-8420, tenement.org.
East Village Walking Tours Every Tues. thru Sun. at 11:00 a.m. (weather permitting). $12 per person, $8 for LES residents and guests. Meeting at the Astor Place “cube,” located on a traffic island in the middle of E 8th St. (between Lafayette and 4th Ave.) For more info, visit eastvillagetours.com.
Public Art Walking Tours The Lower Manhattan Cultural Council offers a series of 3 theme-based, self-guided audio tours exploring the meaning, reception and context of 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. Simply download the tours to your iPod or other MP3 player and start walking. Free. www.lmcc.net.
Wall Street Walking Tour Free 90-minute guided walking tour weaving together the history, events, architecture and people of Downtown. Thursdays and Saturdays 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.
