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ART

PENCIL, PAPER, SCISSORS The German artist who calls himself Thitz began using paper bags to make artwork after a shopkeeper handed him some to draw on. He now integrates paper bags from around the globe into his works, using busy metropolitan collages to turn the bland totes into earnest pieces about hope and goodwill. Through Saturday, August 28, Tuesday-Friday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., and by appointment, Alp Galleries, 291 Seventh Ave., between 26th and 27th streets, fifth floor, 212-206-9108, free.

A YEAR OF WARHOL The director of the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, Tom Sokolowski, signs “Andy Warhol 365 Takes: The Andy Warhol Museum Collection” (Harry N. Abrams), written by the museum’s staff. The museum is home to his “time capsule” collections of ephemera, and the book documents the Pop artist’s life, obsessions, and art. Wednesday, 7-8 p.m., Barnes & Noble Chelsea, 675 Sixth Ave. at 21st Street, 212-727-1227, free.

CHIAROSCURO Swiss-born photographer Rudy Burckhardt turned his lens on New York City during the 1940s and 1950s, producing understated yet powerful black-and-white compositions. Astor Place, Herald Square, and a number of other locations captured by Burckhardt will appear both familiar and foreign to New York viewers. Burckhardt found beauty in the mundane, such as the pattern on a dress that complemented the shape of a sidewalk grate. However, he also photographed a number of eminent artists such as Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning. Through Friday, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m., and September 7-14, Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Tibor de Nagy Gallery, 724 Fifth Ave., between 56th and 57th streets, 12th floor, 212-262-5050, free.

NOW HEAR THIS New Yorkers are famous for speaking their minds, and a public art installation called the Freedom of Expression National Monument – an enormous red megaphone – will make it even easier to be heard. Installed in Foley Square in Lower Manhattan, the monument is presented by CreativeTime and the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council. Intended to be both celebratory and ironic, it offers passersby a unique opportunity for self-expression as it evokes the frustration faced by many groups as they struggle to be heard. Through Saturday, November 13, daily, Foley Square, at Centre Street and Pearl Street, 212-206-6674, free. 696 1779 852 1789

BENEFITS

THE CARING KIND New York Cares, the city’s largest volunteering organization, hosts an informational happy hour for potential volunteers. The event features music, dancing, and raffle prizes.

Tonight, 6:30-9:30 p.m., Mission Nightclub, 217 Bowery St., between Prince and Rivington streets, 212-402-1129, $25 in advance, $30 at the door, admission include free drinks.

MILLION-BUCK DUCK Special Olympics New York drops 30,000 yellow rubber ducks into the East River for a fund-raising race. Supporters can sponsor a quacky floater and hope their duck makes its way the fastest to Pier 17 at the South Street Seaport from the Brooklyn Bridge. Ducks can be adopted online atwww.2004duckrace.kintera.orgor on the day of the race at the South Street Seaport. Prizes include airline tickets and $1 million. Tuesday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. duck adoption, 5:30 p.m. race, 7 p.m. winner announced, Pier 17, South Street Seaport, Fulton and South streets, 212-490-1062, $5 for each duck, free to watch.

BOOKS

ORCHID ANNIVERSARY The 10th anniversary of the Black Orchid Bookshop is celebrated with a street party. Mystery writers S.J. Rozan, Jim Fusilli, Chris Niles, and Dan Judson are expected to attend. Tonight, 6 p.m., outside of Black Orchid Bookshop, 303 E. 81st St., between First and Second avenues, 212-734-5980, free.

CLEAR BLUE The author of “The Color of Water” (Riverhead), James McBride, reads from and discusses his memoir. Mr. McBride’s book tells the story of his white mother’s marriage to a black man and her struggle to raise her 12 children.

Tuesday, 7 p.m, Brooklyn Public Library Central Library, Grand Army Plaza at Flatbush Avenue, Brooklyn, 718-230-2100, free.

FAMILY

ODE TO THE ANIMALS Conductor and NPR “Performance Today” commentator Rob Kapilow hosts an interactive family event at Lincoln Center. On the bill is a trio of whimsical compositions dedicated to animals, from bumblebees to lions. Saturday, 2 p.m., Lincoln Center, Alice Tully Hall, Broadway and 65th Street, 212-875-5788, $20.

ANIMAL ATHLETICS Olympic fever reaches the Bronx Zoo in the form of the Animal Olympics, a series of events showcasing the athletic skills of the zoo’s residents. From the sprinting speed of the cheetah to the diving capabilities of the sea lion, families can compare the athletic abilities of animals and humans. Saturday and Sunday, 10:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Bronx Zoo, Bronx River Parkway and Fordham Road, Bronx, 718-367-1010, $11 general, $8 seniors and children ages 2-12.

FILM

AUTUMN TALE Japanese director Yasujiro Ozu’s 1962 film “An Autumn Afternoon” centers on a father who decides to marry off his daughter but slowly comes to realize he has made a mistake. The film, Ozu’s last, contrasts the promise of youth with the reality of everyday life. Tuesday, 4:30, 6:45, and 9 p.m., BAM Rose Cinemas, 30 Lafayette Ave., between Ashland Place and St. Felix Street, Brooklyn, 718-636-4100, $10 general, $7 seniors, students 25 and under on Monday-Thursday, and children every day, $6 members.

HAVE A HEART “This Ain’t No Heartland” presents the invasion of Iraq as seen from the vantage point of rural America. Austrian filmmaker Andreas Horvath traveled to the American “heartland,” recording the personal and political reactions of people to their country’s actions abroad. Wednesday through Tuesday, August 31, Wednesday-Friday, 9 p.m., Saturday, 7 and 9:30 p.m., Sunday, 7 p.m., Monday and Tuesday, 9 p.m., Two Boots Pioneer Theater, 155 E. 3rd St. at Avenue A, 212-254-3300, $9 general, $6.50 members.

MUSIC

MELBA AND MORE J &R’s JazzFest 2004 consists of three days of free outdoor music and performances by jazz greats including Benny Golson (Tonight, 5 p.m.), Everette Harp (Tomorrow, 5 p.m.), and Melba Moore (Saturday, 1 p.m.). All concerts: City Hall Park, Broadway and Park Row, 212-238-6305, free.

BIG BIRD CELEBRATION A two-day festival celebrates alto saxophone bebop legend Charlie Parker. Sax machine Jimmy Heath plays in both programs and debuts his new composition, “Bird is the Word,” commissioned by the City Parks Foundation. Also on the bill: vocalist 1182 341 1338 351Vanessa Rubin, pianist/vocalist Rachel Z (Saturday), drummer Terri Lyne Carrington, and alto saxophonist Kenny Garrett (Sunday). Saturday and Sunday, 3-7 p.m., Saturday: Marcus Garvey Park, East 120th to East 124th streets between Fifth and Madison avenues. Sunday: Tompkins Square Park, Avenue A and 9th Street,www.cityparksfoundation.org,free.

UP-AND-COMING COMPOSERS Daniel Bernard Roumain hosts a concert showcasing composers ages 17 to 26. Chamber works by Nate Sloan, Dave Harrington, Kausan Henry, Whitney Williams, and Melanie Baptiste will be performed. Monday, 7 p.m., The Studio Museum of Harlem, 144 W. 125 St., between Lenox Avenue and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Boulevard, 212-594-6100, $10 suggested donation.

NORDIC NOTES The Jazz House Summer Nights program concludes with a performance by Finnish vocalist and composer Sanni Orasmaa. Wednesday, 6-9 p.m., Scandinavia House, 58 Park Ave., between 37th and 38th streets, 212-879-9779, $3.

TALKS

SILENT CHORUS A sign language interpreter and chairman of the New School’s sign language department, Gabriel Grayson, joins museum tour guide Bill Hinchman for a simultaneous spoken and signed presentation that explores the exhibit Frogs: A Chorus of Colors. Saturday, 1:45-2:45 p.m., American Museum of Natural History, 79th Street and Central Park West, meet by the Barosaurus dinosaur in the Roosevelt Rotunda, 212-769-5200, $10, reservations suggested.

THEATER

FAULKNER ON STAGE Inspired by William Faulkner’s short story “The Bear,” the new play “Blood of the Bear” tells the story of a 17-year-old Faulkner who embarks on an annual family hunt that proves to be a watershed event in his life. Through Saturday, August 28th, Thursday-Saturday, 8 p.m., Sunday, 7 p.m., The WorkShop Theater, 312 W. 36th St., between Eighth and Ninth avenues, fourth floor, 212-695-4173, $15 general, $10 students.

CONSTITUTIONAL DRAMA The play “Founding Fathers” dramatizes the 1787 Constitutional Convention in three acts. William Tucker wrote the play with the goal of explaining American democracy to other societies. With that in mind, a new Arabic translation has been prepared for export to Iraq as it tries to craft its own new constitution. The play is performed in English several times during the Republican convention. Attendees can see George Washington, Ben Franklin, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton on stage and then complete their constitutional experience by requesting a free preview of the museum’s Alexander Hamilton exhibit, which opens to the public on September 10. Saturday, August 28, 8 p.m., Monday, August 30, 2 p.m., New-York Historical Society, 2 West 77th St. at Central Park West, www.foundingfathersplay.com for tickets and full schedule of performances, $20.

TOURS

A HOUSE DIVIDED Civil War buffs may enjoy NYC Discovery Walking Tours’ “Civil War New York,” a walking tour that makes stops at the location of the 1863 draft riots, a Confederate prison camp, and sites associated with Abraham Lincoln and Walt Whitman. Saturday and Sunday, 2 p.m., 212-465-3331 for reservations and meeting place, $12.

DOWNTOWN DIVERSITY Big Onion Tours’ Immigrant New York takes walkers through the Jewish Lower East Side, Chinatown, and Little Italy. Wednesday, 1 p.m., meet at City Hall Park, southeast corner of Broadway and Chambers Street, 212-439-1090, $12 general, $10 students, seniors, and New-York Historical Society members.

STAR-GAZING The stars twinkle as the Urban Park Rangers lead a night hike along Central Park’s quiet paths. Walkers are afforded the opportunity to experience the park after the daily hustle and bustle has ceased. Sunday, August 29, 8 p.m., meet at Belvedere Castle, Central Park, midpark at 79th Street, call 311, free.

WORKSHOPS

WRITE STUFF The editor of “Fiction Gallery” (Bloomsbury), Alexander Steele, presents The Art of the Short Story, a Gotham Writers’ Workshop that teaches the fine points of writing short fiction pieces. Participants read from their work and take part in brief writing exercises on the fundamentals of fiction writing. Tonight, 7-8 p.m., Barnes & Noble, 1972 Broadway at 66th Street, 212-974-8377, free.

MIX IT UP The evening air is filled with (mostly) harmonious sounds as aspiring DJs learn to spin music. Skratch: Learn to DJ in Minutes is part of the (Mostly) Mondays series at Washington Square Park. Wednesday, 6:30-8 p.m., Teen Plaza, Washington Square Park, between La-Guardia Place and Garibaldi Plaza, 212-408-0296, free.