BY MICAELA MACAGNONE |
POETRY
Poets House Showcase: The 27th Annual Poets House Showcase runs until Sat., Aug 17, at Poets House’s Battery Park City home. The Showcase is a free exhibit featuring more than 3,300 books of poetry published by more than 800 presses over the previous 18 months. At Poets House, Elizabeth Kray Hall, 10 River Terrace. Free. Find more information at www.poetshouse.org.
PERFORMANCE
Lincoln Center’s Mostly Mozart series ends Sat., Aug. 10, so there are a few more chances to see performances. The dance-theater work “Under Siege,” by celebrated choreographer Yang Liping, explores war and power, betrayal and passion, from Aug. 8 to Aug. 10, at 7:30 p.m., at David Geffen Hall. In “Mozart à la Haydn,” pianist Steven Osborne joins Louis Langrée and the Festival Orchestra in a festive farewell to summer, on Aug. 9 and Aug. 10, at 7:30 p.m., in Geffen Hall. For more information, visit https://www.lincolncenter.org/mostly-mozart-festival .
Harlem Week: This annual event, now in its 45th year, has become one of the nation’s largest cultural events, and this year will have 100-plus events, including conferences, seminars, sports, music, food, dance and more. Summer Stage in Harlem is THE palce to be on Thursday nights, with “Broadway Night” on Aug. 8 and “Memphis Harlem” on Aug. 15, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., at the Adam Clayton Powell Office Building, at 163 W. 125th St., at the corner of Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard.
First Draft: A weekly reading series with a DJ, hosted by Urban Word NYC. First Draft is a free, uncensored, open mic for all ages, encouraging artistic expression, experimentation and development across all genres. At the northern end of Herald Square Park, at 34th St. and Sixth Ave., next to the Bellringers statue. Tues., Aug. 13, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
NATURE / SCIENCE
Unseen Oceans at the Museum of Natural History: With the use of 21st-century technologies like robotics, satellite monitoring and more, scientists are revealing the unseen habitats of the oceans’ most mysterious animals and mapping remote, inhospitable areas in unprecedented detail. The museum exhibit, at 79th St. and Central Park West, includes an immersive gallery with a 180-degree screen. Tickets can be purchased on the museum’s Web site, www.amnh.org, and are part of museum general admission. Running until Fri., Aug. 16.
FILM
“Jay Myself”: The Bank — a six-floor, 36,000-square-foot, 100-year-old landmarked building — sits on the corner of the Bowery and Spring St. For decades, it was draped in mystery, graffiti-covered, with boarded-up windows. Inside of it, from 1966, renowned photographer/artist Jay Maisel inhabited a thriving artist’s paradise. A successful commercial photographer and prolific art photographer, Maisel is also an obsessive collector of objects that have inspired him. “Jay Myself” chronicles his monumental move out of his 72-room home following its sale, the largest private real estate deal in New York City history. With humor and awe, Stephen Wilkes captures Maisel’s half-century of collecting — having had the room to save and exhibit every last thing he found beautiful, strange or (potentially) useful. Through Tues., Aug. 13, at Film Forum, 209 W. Houston St. Tickets, $15, can be pruchased through the Film Forum Web site, filmforum.org.
“Black Panther”: Take an action-packed trip to the kingdom of Wakanda as the Central Park Conservancy presents this popular 2018 Marvel comic-book-inspired sci-fi film on Thurs., Aug. 15. Gates open at 6:30 p.m. and film starts at dusk. Located in Central Park at the landscape between Sheep Meadow and the 72nd St. Cross Drive.
ART
“Silent Music,” by Kara Smith, is a mixed-media exhibit that investigates the codes and patterns of player-piano music rolls. The show focuses on how sounds can be experienced visually in a variety of tactile mediums, plus pushes the barriers of language and communication in new directions. Curated by Brooklyn-based artist and curator Sara Jones, the exhibit includes paintings, prints and fiber arts, as well as a sound piece by Berkshire-based musician Wes Buckley. Free. Closing reception Sat. Aug 10, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., at 266 W. 37th St.
OUTDOORS
Central Park Tour: “Heart of the Park”: Walk straight through the heart of Central Park on this east-to-west tour led by Central Park Conservancy guides. Enjoy all the scenic, sculptural and architectural elements the park has to offer. Highlights include Conservatory Water (model-boat pond), Loeb Boathouse, Bethesda Terrace, Bow Bridge, Cherry Hill, The Lake and Strawberry Fields. Fri., Aug. 9, noon to 1:30 p.m. Meet at the Samuel F.B. Morse statue (inside the park, at 72nd St. and Fifth Ave.). Tour ends at 72nd St. and Central Park West.
“Rats, Bats and Pigeons, Oh My!” New York City is home to an amazing abundance of wildlife. In this New York City Naturalist Club event, Urban Park Rangers will guide you to the best wildlife viewing spots in the urban jungle. Sat., Aug. 10, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Meet at Tompkins Square Park at Avenue A and St. Mark’s Place.
Basic canoeing: Learn the crucial “J” stroke and the “bow sweep,” and — even more importantly — how not to tip over! Urban Park Rangers will teach introductory canoeing for ages 8 years and older, though all skill levels are welcome. Participation in a mandatory safety review led by a trained Ranger is required. First come, first served. The line to participate may be closed before 12:30 p.m. due to demand. Sun., Aug. 11, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m, at Central Park’s Harlem Meer, at 110th St. and Lenox Ave.
