ARCHITECTURE

WALLS OF WORSHIP Scandinavia House presents “Sacral Space: Modern Finnish Churches,” which features drawings, photographs, videos, and three-dimensional models of 12 modern houses of worship in Finland. Among the places of worship in the exhibit, which was organized by Helsinki’s Museum of Finnish Architecture, are Erik Bryggman’s Resurrection Chapel, Alvar Aalto’s Church of the Three Crosses, and Kristian Gullichsen’s Kauniainen Church. A weekend workshop invites children ages 5 to 10 to visit the exhibit and then make models of their own buildings (Saturdays, January 29 and February 5, 2 p.m., 212-847-9740 for reservations, $6 general, $4 members). Exhibit: Through Saturday, February 19, Tuesday-Saturday, noon-6 p.m., Scandinavia House, 58 Park Ave., between 37th and 38th streets, 212-879-9779, $3 general, $2 seniors and students.

ART

THREE CONTINENTS A three-artist show is on view at Nabi Gallery through the weekend. The exhibit is the first in New York for Korean painter Dae-Woong Nam. New paintings by Long Island artist Giglio Dante are also on display. Born in Rome, Mr. Dante was trained in mural painting by his father in Italy before moving to Boston as a teenager. Colombian artist Nohra Barros, who now lives on Long Island, shows small etchings and lithographs that illustrate scenes from stories by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Jorge Luis Borges, and Patricia Highsmith. Through Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Nabi Gallery, 137 W. 25th St., between Sixth and Seventh avenues, 212-929-6063, free.

OUT OF THIS WORLD Lee Muslin’s digital photomontages are on exhibit in “Transcendent Worlds” at Franklin 54 Gallery. By scanning pieces of photographs, then altering layers of various scans, she combines imaginary scenes with realistic night skies and rocky beaches. Like illustrations for a dark children’s book, Ms. Muslin places mysterious tunnels and closed garden gates at the center of many of her works. Through Saturday, tomorrow-Saturday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m., Franklin 54 Gallery, 54-56 Franklin St. at Cortland Street, 212-732-0009, free.

BENEFITS

DANCE ON SCREEN The Armitage Foundation presents a screening of works on film by choreographer Karole Armitage to benefit the new season of Armitage Gone! Dance. Jane Rosenthal hosts the screening, which is followed by dinner at a private home. Tomorrow, 7 p.m.,Tribeca Cinemas, 54 Varick St., between Beach Street and the entrance to the Holland Tunnel, 212-966-1001, $250.

BOOKS

CIRCUS CIRCUS Wayne Koestenbaum reads from “Moira Orfei in Aigues-Mortes” (Soft Skull), his sexually charged novel about a pianist obsessed with a circus queen. Tonight, 7 p.m., Barnes & Noble Chelsea, 675 Sixth Ave. at 21st Street, 212-727-1227, free.

HUNT FOR LOVE The author of “The Female Power Within,” “How To Be Cherished, ” and “There Is No Prince” (Life Works), Marilyn Graman,gives a lecture. Tomorrow, 7 p.m., Sufi Books, 227 West Broadway, between Franklin and White streets, 212-334-5212, $10.

CARTOONS

POLITICS ON THE PAGE Political caricaturist James Gillray’s unlucky targets included English monarchs, aristocrats, and others. An exhibit closing this weekend features 160 hand-colored etchings and early drawings from the collection of a 19th-century New York governor (and presidential candidate), Samuel Tilden. Napoleon was a favorite figure for Gillray (1756-1815), who downplayed his threats – and poked fun at his short stature – by depicting him in various miniscule proportions in his comic panels. He also dabbled in social satire: “Harmony Before Matrimony” contrasts a blissful courtship with a wife hissing “Torture – Fury – Rage – Despair – I cannot can not bear.” Through Sunday, today and tomorrow, 11 a.m.-7:30 p.m., Thursday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Sunday, 1-6 p.m., New York Public Library, Print and Stokes Galleries, Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street, 212-869-8089, free.

COMEDY

FAST CLIP Tonight’s installment of the Clip Joint, a monthly comedy show, features Ed Helms of “The Daily Show,” Rob Riggle of “Saturday Night Live,” and comedian Judy Gold.Proceeds go to tsunami relief efforts. Tonight, 6:30 p.m., Knitting Factory, 74 Leonard St., between Church Street and Broadway, 212-219-3132, $15, early arrival is strongly suggested.

RIOTOUS RED CARPET It’s movie awards season, which means that Joan Rivers will soon take her place on the red carpet for the Academy Awards. Ms. Rivers sharpens her claws with a series of stand-up shows at Fez, which in the past have been good deal darker than her pre-Oscar televised appearances. Wednesdays through February 23, 7:30 p.m. doors open, Fez Under Time Cafe, 380 Lafayette St. at Great Jones Street, 212-523-2680, $25.

TAKEOUT TREATS The TakeOut Comedy Fundraiser showcases the best comedy performances from the 2004 TakeOut comedy series, with performers including Pat Breslin, Ed Cho, and Jami Gong.The winner of the “Funniest Person in Chinatown” contest will be announced at the event, with proceeds going to tsunami relief. Friday, 7-9 p.m., Chinese Consolidat ed Benevolent Association, 62 Mott St., between Bayard and Canal streets, 212-964-3410, $10 suggested donation.

DANCE

NO SHAME Mariana Bekerman Dance Company presents “Shameless,” a new dance-theater piece. Segments of the program have been influenced by John Gray’s “Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus,” Ms. Bekerman’s childhood in Russia, a risque painting by Rockaway artist Ann Murphy, and 1960s hula-hoop styles. Thursday and Friday, 9 p.m., Saturday, 8 p.m., Merce Cunningham Studio, 55 Bethune St at Washington Street, 11th floor, 718-445-4028, $17 general, $15 seniors and students.

DESIGN

CERAMIC SCENE The exhibit “Ruth Duckworth, Modernist Sculptor” includes work from the ceramic artist’s private collection, including stone carvings and maquettes that have never before been exhibited. The show also includes photographs of Ms. Duckworth’s large architectural murals and site-specific sculptures, and a video documenting her life. Through Sunday, April 3, daily 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Thursdays until 8 p.m., Museum of Arts & Design, 40 W. 53rd St., between Fifth and Sixth avenues, 212-956-3535, $9 general, $6 seniors and students, free for members and children under 12.

FAMILY

SPARKLY CELEBRATION The Brooklyn Children’s Museum hosts a block party raise funds for the museum’s programs. The Mardi Gras-themed evening includes sequin-covered crafts for children, a hands-on sound art exhibit, and a silent auction for parents. Sunday, 4-7 p.m., Brooklyn Children’s Museum, 145 Brooklyn Ave. at St. Mark’s Avenue, Brooklyn, 718-735-4400 ext. 126, $35 and up for individual tickets, $100 and up for families.

FILM

TEVYE TIME The New York Jewish Film Festival presents a digitally restored print of Maurice Schwartz’s 1939 drama “Tevye” – yes, it’s about tradition. The film is screened in Yiddish with new English subtitles. Today, 1 and 6 p.m., Lincoln Center, Walter Reade Theater, 165 W. 65th St., between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue, 212-875-5600 for information, 212-496-3809 for tickets, $10 general, $7 students, $6 members, $5 seniors Monday-Friday before 6 p.m. See www.thejewishmuseum.org for complete schedule.

BAD BOY The Onion Film Series, which screens “soon-to-be cult classics,” presents Tim Burton’s “Ed Wood” (1994), about a director of true cult classic films such as “Plan 9 From Outer Space” – frequently cited as the worst film ever made. Thursday, 8 p.m., Anthology Film Archives, 32 Second Ave. at 2nd Street, 212-505-5181, $8 general, $5 students, tickets are available at the theater one hour before showtime.

SCREEN SIRENS A display of movie posters features Hollywood screen sirens from Jeanne Moreau to Marilyn Monroe to Raquel Welch.The winter grows a little bit warmer with the sight of Jane Russell reclining (with a gun) on a dark bed of straw for the Argentine poster for the 1946 Howard Hughes picture “The Outlaw.” Rita Hayworth coolly smokes in a gold evening gown on the poster for “Gilda” (1959) and a lingerie-clad Brigitte Bardot kneels innocently in Paris, which she dwarfs, for the “Une Parisienne” (1958) advertisement. Through Thursday, February 3, Tuesday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Sunday, noon-6 p.m., Posteritati, 239 Centre St., between Broome and Grand streets, 212-226-2207, free.

FOOD & DRINK

TASTE OF NEW YORK Winter Restaurant Week takes place this week and next. Eateries all over the city, from Aquavit to Zoe, offer three-course prix-fixe lunches for $20.12 (in a nod to the city’s Olympic dreams) and dinners for $35. All the participating restaurants are listed at www.nycvisit.com and reservations can be made at www.opentable.com. Monday-Friday, January 24-28 and January 31-February 4.

HISTORICAL SIPS Attendees at a lecture and tasting titled “Uncorking Ancient Vintages” will learn about wines that can be traced in history for 7,000 years and can taste varieties such as muscat, Shiraz and its ancestors, and Turkish varietals. Participants include the executive chef for Joseph’s Citarella, Bill Yosses, and scientist Patrick McGovern, who will discuss how work in molecular and DNA sleuthing have shed light on the history of wine. Thursday, 7 p.m., American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, 212-769-5200, $15 general, $13.50 seniors, students, and members.

HISTORY

AID TO ISRAEL A new exhibit at the American Jewish Historical Society explores how the Hadassah Medical Organization helped create a medical infrastructure for Israel. “A Lifeline for Israel” traces Hadassah’s history between 1913 and 1967 through photography and artifacts. The organization was founded by American Jewish volunteer women to provide nutrition and nursing care to inhabitants of Jerusalem. Through April 30, Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Friday, 9 a.m.-3 p.m., Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Center for Jewish History, American Jewish Historical Society, 15 W. 16th St., between Fifth and Sixth avenues, 212-294-6160, free.

MUSIC

EN GARDE Juilliard’s annual “Focus Festival” presents music from the “post-Shostakovich generation” of Soviet avant-garde composers. Dutch conductor Reinbert de Leeuw leads the Juilliard Symphony in a performance of Shostakovich’s Symphony no. 15 at the closing concert (Friday, 8 p.m.). Several midweek concerts are also planned. Festival: Through Friday, January 28, 8 p.m., Juilliard Theater, 60 Lincoln Center Plaza, Broadway and 65th Street, 212-769-7406, free, tickets required for Friday concert only. See www.juilliard.edu for full schedule.

ZOOM ROOM Jazz pianist and composer Vijay Iyer performs as part of the Kaufman Center’s “Zoom: Composers Close Up” series. The program includes the world premiere of “Mutations” for improvising piano, string quartet, and electronics, commissioned by the experimental string quartet ETHEL, which will join Mr. Iyer in the concert. Thursday, 8 p.m., Merkin Concert Hall at Kaufman Center, 129 W. 67th St., between Broadway and Amsterdam Avenue, 212-501-3330, $25.

PHOTOGRAPHY

THE LAKE’S PROGRESS David Maisel displays 19 large-scale aerial photographs of Utah’s Great Salt Lake and Great Basin in his new exhibit “Terminal Mirage.” Mr. Maisel also photographed Robert Smithson’s environmental sculpture “Spiral Jetty,” built in 1970, which is above the surface of the lake for the first time in decades. Through Saturday, February 12, Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Von Lintel Gallery, 555 W. 25th St., between Tenth and Eleventh avenues, 212-242-0599, free.

BIG BOOK The Rubin Museum of Art displays the biggest book in the world, according to the judges at Guinness. Its 112 5-by-7-foot pages required a gallon of ink and enough paper to cover a football field. The 133-pound photography volume is titled “Bhutan: A Visual Odyssey Across the Kingdom.” Through Sunday, February 20, Tuesday and Saturday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Wednesday and Sunday, 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Thursday and Friday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m., Rubin Museum of Art, 150 W. 17th St., between Sixth and Seventh avenues, 212-620-5000, $7 general, $5 seniors, students, and artists, $5 residents of 10011 and 10001 ZIP codes, free for members and children under 12.

POLITICS

REPUBLICANS UNITE The Republican Jewish Coalition hosts a breakfast meeting tomorrow morning. New York County GOP chairman James Ortenzio discusses the ups and downs of being a Republican in Manhattan. Tomorrow, 8-9:15 a.m., location to be disclosed at registration, 212-922-0839, $10 general, free for members.

TALKS

THINK POSITIVE Professor Laurence Miller gives a talk titled “Mind Magic: How to Become a Better Thinker” as part of the Urban Dialogue program. Tonight, 6-8 p.m., Metropolitan College of New York, 75 Varick St. at Canal Street, 12th floor, 212-343-1234 ext. 3205, free.

NOBLE CAUSE Aristocrat-watchers take note: Art dealer and nobility expert Guy Stair Sainty gives a talk tonight about American heraldry. Topics to be covered include: Is a coat of arms a sign of nobility? How is nobility transmitted? And can Americans become noble? A reception for the noble and ignoble alike will follow. Tonight, 6:30 p.m., New York Genealogical and Biographical Society, 122 E. 58th St., between Lexington and Park avenues, 212-755-8532 ext. 21, $10.

CALL FROM THE CENTER A former head of the Environmental Protection Agency and New Jersey governor, Christine Todd Whitman, discusses the future of the Republican Party. A self-described moderate, Ms. Whitman is the author of “It’s My Party Too” (Penguin), which makes the case that the GOP has moved too far to the right in recent years. Tomorrow, 6:30 p.m., Cooper Union Great Hall, 7 E. 7th St. at Third Avenue, 212-353-4195, free.

GUIDE BOOK Richard Hetu’s historical novel “The Lost Guide” (East Village) explores Lewis and Clark’s travels through the eyes of their guide and interpreter, Toussaint Charbonneau, Sacagawea’s “husband.” In a lecture this week, Mr. Hetu makes the case that Charbonneau should be remembered as “the true precursor of Jack Kerouac,” rather than as a coward. Thursday, 7 p.m., Florence Gould Hall, Tinker Auditorium, 55 E. 59th St., between Park and Madison avenues, 212-307-4100, $5 general, $2 for members in advance, free for members on Thursday.

THEATER

SOUTH AFRICAN SUN Judylee Vivier’s new play “Oranges Like the Sun” explores her childhood in a working class white family in South Africa. Tom Bullard directs. Through Sunday, February 20, Thursday-Saturday, 8 p.m., Sunday, 3 p.m., 78th Street Theatre Lab, 236 W. 78th St., between Amsterdam Avenue and Broadway, 212-868-4444, $20 general, $15 seniors and students. Note: There will be no performance this Sunday, and additional performances on Monday, January 24, and Tuesday, January 25, at 8 p.m.

INTERN ANTICS Rob Handel’s new play “Aphrodisiac” alludes to the last big news story before September 11, 2001: missing intern Chandra Levy and her connection to congressman Gary Condit. The play follows the adult children of a fictional representative under investigation for the disappearance of a young woman as they try to sort out their own responses. Ken Rus Schmoll directs the show, which is the second production of the playwrights collective 13P. Through Sunday, Thursday-Sunday, 8 p.m., P.S. 122, 150 First Ave. at 9th Street, 212-477-5288, $15.

PRETTY PEGGY James Matthews stars in “What a Lovely Way to Burn: Confessions of a Peggy Lee Fan.” Proceeds go to the Gay Gotham Chorus. Tomorrow, 9:30 p.m., the Hideaway Room at Helen’s, 169 Eighth Ave., between 18th and 19th streets, 212-206-0609, $10 admission, $15 minimum.

A WOMAN SCORNED “A Weapon Most Unusual” is a new hip-hop musical mystery featuring a jealous wife, the husband she runs over with her car, and a celebrity lawyer. Director and playwright Jacqueline Hankins intersperses film clips with the onstage action. Opens: Sunday, 2:30 p.m. Runs Saturdays and Sundays, 2:30 p.m., Playwright’s Tavern, 732 Eighth Ave., between 45th and 46th streets, 212-246-4908, $20.

---

To submit an event for consideration for the Calendar, please wire the particulars to calendar@nysun.com, placing the date of the event in the subject line.