ART

DOG DAYS
John Divola took the photographs in his series “Dogs Chasing My Car in the Desert” in Morongo Valley in Southern California in the 1990s. When he noticed stray dogs occasionally racing alongside his car, he began carrying a 35mm camera with a motor drive and snapped photographs in grainy black-and-white film. Though Mr. Divola describes the series as “evidence of devotion to a hopeless enterprise,” the photographs also have a giddy spontaneity. The artist signs copies of an accompanying book by the same name, published by Nazraeli, at a reception (Friday, 6-8 p.m.). Exhibit: Tomorrow through Saturday, November 13, Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m-6 p.m., Charles Cowles Gallery, 537 W. 24th St., between Tenth and Eleventh avenues, 212-741-8999, free.

FIRST PICK
Dewitt Godfrey’s “Picker Sculpture” bisects an indoor/outdoor gallery space with steel loops nestled against one another. The resulting stacks fill up vertical planes of each room but leave holes big enough to walk through. Indoor exhibit: Through Monday. Outdoor exhibit: Through Monday, November 29. Both: Friday-Monday, noon-6 p.m., Black and White Gallery, 483 Driggs Ave. at N. 10th Street, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, 718-599-8775, free.

BENEFITS

CHARITY CHAMPS
Boxers duke it out for charity in the center of the New York Hilton ballroom at the FIST Fights for New York gala. Gerry Cooney’s Fighters’ Initiative for Support and Training provides treatment and counseling to boxers as they transition from the ring to other careers. Thursday, 6 p.m. cocktails, 7:30 p.m. dinner, 9 p.m. boxing, New York Hilton, 1335 Sixth Ave at 54th Street, 212-675-4133, $500.

MAGIC AND MEDICINE
The Stars & Magic Gala celebrates KiDS of NYU’s campaign to enhance NYU’s pediatric medical programs. Expected guests at the shindig include the dean of the NYU School of Medicine, Dr. Robert Glickman, and his wife, Mary; gala co-chairs Sir Deryck and Lady Va Maughan; the president of Big Apple Circus, Wendy Siegel; a vice president of Comedy Central Films, Patty Newburger, and a co-CEO of IMAX, Brad Wechsler. The evening honors Dr. Howard Ginsburg, who has served the NYU Medical Center Department of Surgery for 25 years. A slideshow featuring children who have been treated by Dr. Ginsburg accompanies the program. Wednesday, October 20, 6:30 p.m. cocktails, 7:30 p.m. dinner, the Pierre, Fifth Avenue at 61st Street, 212-404-3683, $500, $1,000, and $2,500.

BOOKS

GLORY OF LOVE
Heiress-turned-author Gloria Vanderbilt discusses and signs her third memoir, “It Seemed Important at the Time” (Simon & Schuster). Tomorrow, 7 p.m., Barnes & Noble Lincoln Triangle, 1972 Broadway at 66th Street, 212-595-6859, free. Also: Thursday, 6:30 p.m., Lenox Hill Bookstore, 1018 Lexington Ave. at 72nd Street, 212-472-4170, free.

NO WONDERLAND
Lisa Dierbeck reads from her first novel, “One Pill Makes You Smaller” (Farrar, Straus and Giroux). The book’s dark story – about a girl named Alice sent by her cocaine-addicted half-sister to live in a mental asylum – is offset by the reading’s cozy environs. Tomorrow, 7:30 p.m., Knit New York, 307 E. 14th St., between First and Second avenues, 212-387-0707, free.

ARTFUL DODGER
Biographer Meryle Secrest wrote her latest book, “Duveen: A Life in Art” (Knopf), based on the Du veen Brothers’ archives, which were made public only recently. Lord Duveen of Milbank sold Old Masters paintings during the 1920s and 1930s to figures including Andrew Mellon, J.P. Morgan, and Henry Clay Frick. He also employed a network of “art spies” who reported on the lifestyles of his rich and famous clients. Duveen’s career ended when he bungled the cleaning of the British Museum’s Elgin Marbles. Ms. Secrest reads from and signs her book in Chelsea this week. Thursday, 7 p.m., 192 Books, 192 Tenth Ave. at 21st Street, 212-255-4022, free, reservations suggested.

FAMILY

STORMY WEATHER
Vital Children’s Theatre performs an interpretation of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” inspired by the prose version of the drama that was written for children in the early 19th century by scholars Charles and Mary Lamb. Saturday, 12:30-1:30 p.m., Robert F.Wagner Jr. Park, Battery Place and West Side Highway, 212-267-9700, free.

FILM

OSCAR OVATION
Katherine Hepburn earned her second Best Actress Oscar nomination for “Alice Adams,” the story of a social climber who marries a wealthy man. The film screens next week as part of the “Monday Nights with Oscar” series. Monday, 7 p.m. doors open, 7:30 p.m. screening, The Lighthouse Academy Theater, 111 E. 59th St., between Park and Lexington avenues, 888-778-7575, $5 general, $3 students and members, reservations strongly recommended.

FOOD & DRINK

BROOKLYN BREWS
The exhibit “100 Bottles of Beer on the Wall: Brewing in Brooklyn,” which closes on Friday, examines the role of Brooklyn as a center of beer production from 1870 until the 1970s. Through Friday, tomorrow and Thursday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Friday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m., Brooklyn Historical Society, 128 Pierrepont St. at Clinton Street, Brooklyn, 718-222-4111, $6 general, $4 students and seniors.

MUSIC

PHILHARMONIC FRIENDS
Young musicians of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra perform in a recital tonight for a young audience. Violinist Giora Schmidt performs works by Mozart and Kreisler, and Arnaud Sussman performs a violin sonata by composer Avner Dorman. Pianist Daniel Spiegel accompanies both performances. The artists participate in a conversation after the recital. Tonight, 6:45 reception, 7:15 p.m. concert, reception to follow, Kosciuszko Foundation, 15 E. 65th St., between Fifth and Madison avenues, call 212-774-7441 to find out if tickets are still available, $50 general, $35 for Young Forum members. Note: Business attire is requested, and dietary laws will be observed at the receptions. The concert is intended for young professionals ages 21 to 40.

BOY WONDER
Former Beach Boy Brian Wilson performs work from his “new” album, “Smile.” He began recording the three-movement rock opera in 1966. It was eventually shelved and remained a tantalizing unknown to pop-music fans until this year, when it was finally released. Tonight and tomorrow, 8 p.m., Carnegie Hall, Isaac Stern Auditorium, 57th Street and Seventh Avenue, 212-247-7800, $30-$85.

WEIMAR WEILL
The New York Festival of Song opens with a musical salute to Kurt Weill’s Berlin that includes songs from “Silbersee” and “Happy End.” German “Kabarettists” also appear in the program, which examines satire in 1920s Berlin. Season highlights include a musical tribute to Russian poets Alexander Blok and Anna Akhmatova (January 19); and a selection of songs by opera composers including Verdi, Puccini, and Wagner (March 23). Weill program: Thursday, 8 p.m., Merkin Concert Hall, 129 W. 67th St., between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue, 212-501-3330, $210 season pass to all six concerts, $114 for three concerts, $45 general for single ticket, $35 seniors, $22.50 for students a half-hour before showtime.

POETRY

HEARING POETRY
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the American Poetry Archives, housed at the Poetry Center at San Francisco State University, poet Myung Mi Kim plays a range of recordings to demonstrate how poets have used sound as compositional elements in their work. Poet and painter Basil King plays and discusses selections from the Poetry Center’s 1969 recording of New York poet Paul Blackburn. Tuesday, October 19, 7 p.m., Poets House, 72 Spring St., between Lafayette and Crosby streets, second floor, 212-431-7920, $7 general, free for members.

SALE

SHOPPING SPREE
Real Simple magazine presents Central Park’s largest-ever tag sale, with proceeds from the sale of “gently-used” items benefiting the Fund for Public Schools. An early-bird preview gives shoppers the pick of the litter (Friday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m., $25 in advance, $35 at the door, free for New York City public school employees and children under 12). Sale: Saturday and Sunday, 8 a.m.-6 p.m., Central Park, Rumsey Playfield, 67th Street and Fifth Avenue, free. Passes will be distributed at various Washington Mutual branches until Friday and at the door on the days of the sale. See www.getorganizedamerica.com for more information. Note: Strollers, carriages, backpacks, and pets are prohibited.

TALKS

SHOOTING HISTORY
Magnum photographer Bruce Gilden discusses his work – including extended projects on New York, Haiti, France, India, and Japan – at a talk presented by the Camera Club of New York. Tonight, 6:30 p.m, School of Visual Arts amphitheater, 209 E. 23rd St., between Second and Third avenues, 212-260-9927, $10 general, free to members and SVA students and staff. Note: A photo identification is required for entry.

TURNING THE TABLES
Journalist Ponchitta Pierce interviews public television host Bill Moyers as part of the 92nd Street Y’s “Interviewing the Interviewer” series. Tonight, 8 p.m., Hunter College, Kaye Playhouse, 695 Park Ave. at 68th Street, 212-415-5500, $25.

DISCUSSING POVERTY
An all-day forum addressing the contemporary face of hunger and poverty includes a keynote speech by writer Ron Suskind (10 a.m.). Discussion topics for the day’s panels include the connection between war and famine in Africa (1:45-3:15 p.m.), how the poor make ends meet in New York City (3:30-5 p.m.), and the state of America’s obesity problem (1:45-3:15 p.m.). Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., the New School, Graduate Faculty of Political and Social Science, 65 Fifth Ave., between 14th and 13th streets, 212-229-5488, free. See www.worldhungeryear.org for full schedule.

THEATER

DOT-COM CAWDER
Alexandre Marine’s play”Macbeth.com” is set during a presidential election and uses video news footage, live actors, and filmed scenes to tell the story of an anti-globalization hacker. When he becomes infected with the “three witches virus,” Macbeth starts to climb the corporate ladder, conspiring against his boss, Duncan, and endangering his friend Banquo. The conflict, appropriate for the digital age, ends in an epic computer-game battle. Opens: Tomorow, 7:30 p.m. Runs: Tomorrow through Saturday, October 23, Wednesday-Saturday, 7:30 p.m., Sunday, 3 p.m., Sargent Theatre, 314 W. 54th St., between Eighth and Ninth avenues, 212-868-4444, $15.

MISTRESS MISCHIEF
Daphne Rubin-Vega participates in a reading of “Ines de Castro,” a performance that inaugurates the Jean Cocteau Repertory’s New Classics Reading Series. Scottish playwright John Clif ford’s drama tells the story of the Spanish mistress to the Prince of Portugal, whose death provoked a brutal civil war. The reading series is dedicated to new translations, adaptations of classic work, and new works with classic themes. Monday, 8 p.m., Bouwerie Lane Theatre, 330 Bowery at Bond Street, 212-677-0060 ext. 11, free, reservations suggested.

CORNISH GAME MEN
The New York Gilbert & Sullivan Players present a one-time stage concert version of “Ruddigore,” the pair’s 10th collaboration. Set in a Cornish fishing village, the musical tells the story of a baronet who disguises himself as a farmer to escape his family’s curse of having to commit one crime each day. Sunday, October 17, 3 p.m., Symphony Space, 2535 Broadway at 95th Street, 212-864-5400, $41, $46, and $51.

TOUR

GANGS OF GREEN-WOOD
A “Gangs of New York” tour looks at the underbelly of New York history through a stroll in Green-Wood Cemetery. Stops include the graves of Bill “The Butcher” Poole, Horace Greeley, and Boss Tweed. Saturday, 1 p.m., meet at Green-Wood Cemetery’s main entrance, Fifth Avenue and 25th Street, Brooklyn, 718-768-7300, $10 general, $5 members.

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