COMMUNITY EVENTS
NEW IN MANHATTAN
7th Annual Ecstatic Music Festival
Jan. 9–May 13
Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Music Center, 129 W. 67th St.
More than 80 artists from across the sonic spectrum come together for nine collaborative, one-night-only performances. Composers and performers from different musical genres come together for nine one-night-only performances featuring world premieres, new arrangements, and the exclusive opportunity to hear artists discuss their work. $100–$120 for festival passes purchased before Dec. 31. KaufmanMusicCenter.org
New York Ceramics & Glass Fair
Jan. 19–22
Bohemian National Hall, 321 E. 73rd St.
The singular fair of its kind in the United States continues to attract a stellar roster of internationally renowned specialists—from ancient to contemporary, spanning five centuries. $20. NYCeramicsAndGlass.com
ONGOING IN MANHATTAN
New York & The Nation
Ongoing
The Robert H. and Clarice Smith New York Gallery of American History
170 Central Park West
Explore the story of New York and America in the Robert H. and Clarice Smith New York Gallery of American History. $20 for adults, $12 for students, $15 for seniors. NYHistory.org
Painting the Natural World
Tuesdays through Jan. 28 at 7 p.m.
American Museum of Natural History
In an after-hours painting workshop, artists Greg Follender, and Eric Hamilton provide hands-on instruction in acrylic paint. Get a glimpse into the history and craftsmanship behind world-class dioramas and take home a painting of your own. $255; $240 members. AMNH.org
ONGOING ELSEWHERE
Falun Dafa (Falun Gong) Exercises
Wednesdays at 4–5 p.m., through Dec. 21
Borough Park Library, 1265 43rd St., Brooklyn
A class of five exercises including meditation. Come relieve your stress and anxieties, increase your energy and vitality, and enjoy peace of mind. Free. en.FalunDafa.org
Thursday Nights at the Brooklyn Museum
Thursdays
Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Pkwy.
See all that the Brooklyn Museum has to offer—compliments of Squarespace. Get access to world-class permanent collections and tours of special exhibitions and events like films and salsa dancing. Free. ThursdayNightsBKM.org
Pushing the Envelope: A Decade of Documentary at the Cinema Eye Honors
Through Jan. 8
Museum of Moving Image, 36-01 35th Ave., Queens
Highlights from the Cinema Eye Honors’ first decade with a series featuring more than twenty films that have won or been nominated, along with a few key films released in the year before that inaugural Cinema Eye Honors award ceremony. MovingImage.us
VISUAL ARTS
NEW IN MANHATTAN
The Poetics of Place
Dec. 12–May 28
The Met Fifth Avenue
The 60 works in The Poetics of Place will survey the diverse ways in which contemporary artists have photographed landscape and the built world over the last half century. $12–$25 suggested. METMuseum.org
Black Fashion Designers
Dec. 6–May 16
Museum at FIT, 227 W. 27th St.
Black Fashion Designers examines the impact made by designers of African American descent on the world of fashion. The exhibition features approximately 75 fashion objects that illustrate the individual styles of more than 60 designers, placing them within a wider fashion context. FITnyc.edu
A True Friend of the Cause: Lafayette and the Anti-Slavery Movement
Dec. 7–Feb. 4
Grolier Club, 47 E. 60th St.
Hailed as the “Hero of Two Worlds,” the Marquis de Lafayette (1757-1834) has received renewed attention for his multifaceted contributions in several areas, including international politics, diplomacy, the military, and the human rights movement. His sustained efforts deployed on both sides of the Atlantic on behalf of the abolition of slavery however are not widely known. This is the first public exhibition devoted to Lafayette’s role as an international anti-slavery advocate. Free. GrolierClub.org
ONGOING IN MANHATTAN
Faith and Photography: Auguste Salzmann in the Holy Land
Through Feb. 5
Gallery 852, The Howard Gilman Gallery at The Met Fifth Avenue
The first-ever exhibition devoted exclusively to the career of the French academic painter, archaeologist, and photographer Auguste Salzmann. In 1853, Salzmann embarked on the arduous journey from Paris to Jerusalem. Hoping to objectively verify religious faith through the documentation of the city’s holy sites, he turned to photography, creating one of the most enigmatic bodies of work of the 19th century. $12–$25 suggested. METMuseum.org
Renaissance Maiolica: Painted Pottery for Shelf and Table
Through May 29
The Met Fifth Avenue
This exhibition of Renaissance maiolica, drawn exclusively from The Met’s world-renowned collection, will celebrate the publication of “Maiolica, Italian Renaissance Ceramics in The Metropolitan Museum of Art” by Timothy Wilson. As Wilson writes, “Painted pottery, at its most ambitious, is a serious form of Italian Renaissance art, with much to offer those interested in the wider culture of this astoundingly creative period.” $12–$25 suggested. METMuseum.org
ENDING IN MANHATTAN
Proust’s Muse, The Countess Greffulhe
Through Jan. 7
The Museum at FIT
Proust’s Muse, The Countess Greffulhe features 40 extraordinary fashions and accessories from the fabulous wardrobe of Elisabeth de Caraman-Chimay, the Countess Greffulhe (1860-1952). A famous beauty celebrated for her “aristocratic and artistic elegance,” the countess fascinated her contemporaries, including Marcel Proust who told her cousin, Robert de Montesquiou, “I have never seen a woman so beautiful.” FITnyc.edu
The Battle of Brooklyn
Through Jan. 8
New York Historical Society, 170 Central Park West
On August 27, 1776, on the marshy fields of Gowanus and Red Hook, George Washington and his rag-tag army of untrained soldiers fought the Royal Army, one of the most powerful military forces in the world. NYHistory.org
Fragonard: Drawing Triumphant
Through Jan. 8
The Met Fifth Avenue
Jean Honoré Fragonard (1732–1806)—one of the most forward-looking and inventive artists of the 18th century—was equally skilled in painting, drawing, and etching. Unlike many old masters for whom drawing was a preparatory tool, Fragonard explored the potential of chalk, ink, and wash to create sheets that were works of art in their own right. $12–$25 suggested. METMuseum.org
Borrowed Time: Icelandic Artists Look Forward
Through Jan. 14
Scandinavia House, 58 Park Ave.
Works by contemporary Icelandic artists currently engaged in the global dialog on sustainability and the ethical issues—environmental, economic, cultural, and social—that surround it. Featuring photography, video, collage, and installation, the exhibition invites viewers to challenge their assumptions and explore new modes of seeing. ScandinaviaHouse.org
Masterworks: Unpacking Fashion
Through Feb. 5
Galleries 980–981 at The Met Fifth Avenue
The Costume Institute’s fall 2016 exhibition will feature significant acquisitions of the past 10 years and explore how the department has honed its collecting strategy to amass masterworks of the highest aesthetic and technical quality, including iconic works by designers who have changed fashion history and advanced fashion as an art form. $12–$25 suggested. METMuseum.org
Pierre Gouthière: Virtuoso Gilder at the French Court
Through Feb. 19
The Frick Collection
The Frick Collection is organizing the first exhibition to focus on Pierre Gouthière (1732–1813), the great French bronze chaser and gilder who worked for Louis XV and Louis XVI. The exhibition will shed new light on the artist’s production, life, and workshop through the presentation of twenty-one objects from public and private collections. Frick.org
ONGOING ELSEWHERE
Wrap Me Up: Winter Small Works
Through Jan. 20
Eleventh Street Arts, 46-06 11th St., Long Island City, Queens
Small, intimate paintings and drawings by 51 artists, including a couple of sculptures and over 100 portraits, landscapes, figure, and still life paintings and drawings by highly skilled artists from the Water Street and Grand Central Ateliers. Prices range from $150 up to $9,500. Most works are priced around $2,000. EleventhStreetArts.com
Who Shot Sports: A Photographic History, 1843 to the Present
Through Jan. 8, 2017
Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Parkway
The most comprehensive presentation of sports photography ever produced, encompassing approximately 230 works by more than 170 photographers, highlighting the aesthetic, cultural, and historical significance of these images and artists in the history of sports. Suggested $16. BrooklynMuseum.org
Cerámica de los Ancestros: Central America’s Past Revealed
Through January
National Museum of the American Indian
This bilingual (English/Spanish) exhibition illuminates Central America’s diverse and dynamic ancestral heritage with a selection of more than 150 objects. Free. NMAI.si.edu
PERFORMING ARTS
NEW IN MANHATTAN
The Magic Flute
Dec. 20–Jan. 5
Metropolitan Opera
The Met’s English-language family adaptation of Mozart’s sublime and mystical journey, a new holiday tradition in the city, returns in Julie Taymor’s fanciful production. Young stars Layla Claire and Ben Bliss are the fairy-tale princess and prince, and Christopher Maltman reprises his acclaimed interpretation of the bird-catcher Papageno. Special holiday pricing and weekday matinees are available for this abridged version, conducted by Antony Walker. From $25. MetOpera.org
Roméo et Juliette
Dec. 31–March 18
Metropolitan Opera
Diana Damrau and Vittorio Grigolo are back as opera’s classic lovers, in Gounod’s lush Shakespeare adaptation. The production, by director Bartlett Sher, has already won acclaim for its vivid 18th-century milieu and stunning costumes during runs at Salzburg and La Scala. Gianandrea Noseda conducts the sumptuous score. From $27. MetOpera.org
Il Barbiere di Siviglia
Jan. 9–Feb. 11
Metropolitan Opera
Peter Mattei reprises one of his most compelling portrayals, that of the wily barber Figaro. The Met’s popular production of Rossini’s comedic jewel—performed in the full-length Italian version—also pairs bel canto stars Pretty Yende and Javier Camarena as the lovers Rosina and Count Almaviva, with Maurizio Benini conducting. From $25. MetOpera.org
Shen Yun Performing Arts
Jan. 11–15
David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center
Fascinating stories from 5,000 years of Chinese culture are told through the vivid athleticism and deep expressiveness of classical Chinese dance, one of the most demanding art forms in the world. $80–$300. ShenYun.com
Carmen
Jan. 19–Feb. 18
Metropolitan Opera
Two French mezzo-sopranos, Sophie Koch and Clémentine Margaine, alternate as Bizet’s immortal heroine. Tenor Marcelo Alvarez is her hapless soldier Don José, and newcomer Maria Agresta—a sensation in her debut in La Bohème in the current Met season—is the devoted Micaëla, who fights to save him. Dan Ettinger and Louis Langrée share conducting duties. From $25. MetOpera.org
ONGOING IN MANHATTAN
George Balanchine’s The Nutcracker
Through Dec. 31
David H. Koch Theater at Lincoln Center
Celebrate the joy and wonder of the holidays with George Balanchine’s “The Nutcracker” as Tschaikovsky’s iconic score whisks you away on a heartwarming adventure through the eyes of the pint-sized heroine Marie on her journey to a fantastical land made entirely of candy. $35–$285. NYCBallet.com
L'Amour de Loin
Through Dec. 29
Metropolitan Opera
A dazzling new production by Robert Lepage, featuring glimmering ribbons of LED lights that extend across the length of the stage and over the orchestra pit. Eric Owens is the knight on a quest of love and Susanna Phillips is his lover on the other side of the sea. Conductor Susanna Malkki makes her Met debut. From $25. MetOpera.org
Nabucco
Dec. 12–Jan. 7
Metropolitan Opera
The legendary Plácido Domingo brings another new baritone role to the Met under the baton of his longtime collaborator James Levine. Liudmyla Monastyrska is Abigaille, the warrior woman determined to rule empires, and Jamie Barton is the heroic Fenena. Dmitri Belosselskiy is the stentorian voice of the oppressed Hebrew people. From $27. MetOpera.org
MUSIC
NEW IN MANHATTAN
PubliQuartet & Friends
Dec. 23 at 7 p.m.
Gallery 534 (Vélez Blanco Patio) at The Met Fifth Avenue
Our Quartet in Residence celebrates the warmth of the holidays with Bach, Britten, and musical collaborators with friends and family. Special guests include violinist Jannina Norpoth’s father, (Detroit jazz guitarist A. Spencer Barefield) and Grammy nominated tuba player Bob Stewart (violinist Curtis Stewart’s father). $12–$25 suggested. METMuseum.org
Copland and Marsalis
Dec. 28–30 & Jan. 3
David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center
The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis join the Philharmonic in the World Premiere of the jazz legend’s latest creation, one of The New York Commissions for the Orchestra’s 175th anniversary. With style, class, and talent to spare, Marsalis is one of the world’s finest musicians and composers. Plus William Bolcom’s Trombone Concerto, featuring Principal Trombone Joseph Alessi. $34–$124. NYPhil.org
New Year’s Eve Concert for Peace
Dec. 31 at 7 p.m.
Cathedral of St. John the Divine, 1047 Amsterdam Ave.
Founded by Leonard Bernstein in 1984, the annual New Year’s Eve Concert for Peace is a signature Cathedral event, gathering old friends and new for more than a quarter of a century. This year we begin with the optimism of Haydn through his “Morning” Symphony and continue with the exuberance of Bach’s Gloria/et in terra pax, “And on earth peace,” from the monumental Mass in B Minor. $40–$150. StJohnDivine.org
NY Philharmonic: New Year’s Eve
Dec. 31 at 8 p.m.
David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center
Celebrate New Year’s Eve by joining the Philharmonic for an “Enchanted Evening” of American classics, including beloved works by Rodgers & Hammerstein. $105–$275. NYPhil.org
Emanuel Ax, Gruber & Schubert
Jan. 5–7
David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center
Emanuel Ax takes center stage in a new Piano Concerto by HK Gruber. Alan Gilbert conducts. $34–$130. NYPhil.org
ONGOING IN MANHATTAN
Spiral Music
Wednesdays
Rubin Museum, 150 W. 17th St.
Spiral Music presents acoustic music every Wednesday evening at the base of the museum’s spiral staircase. Artists who specialize in music from the Himalayas and South Asia are invited to forge a connection between their music and the art in the galleries. Free. RubinMuseum.org
