ART

LOOKING FORWARD An exhibit of art inspired by science fiction opens today at the New York Academy of Sciences’s gallery. “From Imagination to Reality” posits that futuristic art is responsible for making icons of robots, ray guns, and aliens – even to those who have never read a science fiction story. Michael Whelen’s “The Robots of Dawn” is a romantic view of a mechanical man created for Isaac Asimov’s book of the same name. A haunting painting by John Schoenherr portrays alien visitors to Earth demanding IQ tests of its inhabitants. Much of the art on display depicts the effects of technology on people, and many of the works are permeated with hope for a more humane future. John Berkey’s image of a space station, for example, suggests that humans will outlive the earth and still manage to maintain order. One section of the show is devoted to a selection of sci-fi movie props, including an early prototype for the Gill Man from “Creature from the Black Lagoon.” Today through January 28, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., New York Academy of Sciences, 2 E. 63rd St. at Fifth Avenue, 212-838-0230, free.

BREAD AND CIRCUS “The Matzo Files” is a temporary gallery housed in a matzo factory at the Lower East Side. Some 250 artists contributed work that fits in either a folder or a box, with supporting materials on view in binders. Viewers can leaf through the binders to decide which boxes to open, or browse at random. The works can be purchased for between $5 and $3,000. Afterwards, visitors can witness matzo bakers in action. Opens: Sunday, 4-7 p.m. Runs: Tuesday-Thursday, 3-7 p.m., Streit’s Matzo Factory Store, 148-154 Rivington St. at Suffolk Street, free. See www.matzofiles.org for more information.

BENEFITS

ART FOR THE KITCHEN An art auction and cocktail party benefit the Kitchen, a performance space. Works by Laylah Ali, Louise Bourgeois, Robert Longo, Fred Tomaselli, and many others will be on offer. Monday, 6 p.m. cocktails and silent auction, 8 p.m. live auction, Chelsea Art Museum, 556 W. 22nd St., between Tenth and Eleventh avenues, 212-255-5793 ext. 29, $175 in advance, $250 at the door if available.

BOOKS

CREATIVE MOMS The editors of “Mamaphonic: Balancing Motherhood and Other Creative Acts” (Soft Skull), Bee Lavender and Maia Rossini, join contributing authors to celebrate the book’s release. Friday, 6-8 p.m., Jane’s Exchange, 207 Avenue A, between 12th and 13th streets, 212-674-6268, free.

COMEDY

COMIC GENIUS Dick Cavett hosts an evening of political satire with Shelley Berman, Bill Dana, “Professor” Irwin Cory, Dick Gregory, and Mort Sahl. Saturday, 8 p.m., Lehman Center for the Performing Arts, 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West, between Paul and Goulden avenues, Bronx, 718-960-8833, $25-$40.

FAMILY

ALL WET Puppets tell the story of New York City’s water supply, from mountain top to city tap, in the musical “City that Drinks the Mountain Sky,” intended for children ages 5 and above. Sunday, 3 p.m., The Jewish Museum, 1109 Fifth Ave. at 92nd Street, 212-423-3200, $12.

MUSIC

IN THE ARIA Mezzo-soprano Frances Devine sings a program that includes Brahms’s “Ophelia Leader,” Davide Zannoni’s “The Elfrem Songs,” and arias by Handel, Bizet, Tchaikovsky, and Mozart. Sunday, 3 p.m., Christ St. Stephens Church, 120 W. 69th St., between Columbus and Amsterdam avenues, 212-787-2755, $10 suggested donation.

RALLY

ARTS IN SCHOOL Students, parents, alumni, and faculty will rally on behalf of art programs at the High School of Art and Design on the school’s 68th anniversary. The school’s alumni include Calvin Klein, Marc Jacobs, Eva Hesse, Art Spiegelman, Harvey Fierstein, and Steven Meisel. Monday, 2:15 rally begins, 3 p.m. program, the High School of Art and Design, 1075 Second Ave., between 56th and 57th streets, 212-752-4340 ext. 5141, free.

SALE

FOR THE RECORD More than 200 dealers bring their records and CDs to the WFMU Record Fair, which is legendary for its esoterica and mammoth selection. In attached performance areas, shoppers can watch a video compilation of the best and worst music performances from films (Saturday, 2 p.m.), a live set by Laura Cantrell (Sunday, 2 p.m.), and a screening of the Ramones documentary “End of the Century,” followed by a discussion with filmmaker Jim Fields (Sunday, 3 p.m.). Fair: Friday through Sunday, Friday, 4-7 p.m. early admission, 7-10 p.m. general admission, Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.-7 p.m., Metropolitan Pavilion, 125 W. 18th St., between Sixth and Seventh avenues, 201-521-1416, $20 early admission, $5 general.

TALKS

SAVING YIDDISH The founder and president of the National Yiddish Book Center, Aaron Lansky, discusses his work rescuing Yiddish books from basements and attics, demolition sites, and garbage dumpsters. Mr. Lansky is also the author of “Outwitting History” (Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill), which tells the story of the nonprofit organization he founded in 1980 at age 24 that has since recovered almost 1.5 million volumes. The program also features a musical performance by the Strauss Warschauer Duo, a klezmer band playing Yiddish songs, and a dance performance by the Carolyn Dorfman Dance Company, performing selections from their “Mayne Mentshen.” Sunday, 2 p.m., Queens College, Colden Center Auditorium, Center for Jewish Studies, 65-30 Kissena Boulevard at 65th Avenue, Flushing, Queens, 718-997-5730, free.

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